Inside the binder is the good stuff. Responsible for 98% of the flavor of your cigar, the filler is cut up pieces of tobacco. In Cuba, this filler is one type of tobacco. Outside of Cuba, this tobacco is comprised of many varieties of tobacco, all blended together to create a signature taste and experience. This tobacco comes from many countries, and many different processes.

There are two types of filler. These are: long and short. Both are a clue as to how the cigar was made. Short filler means the cigar contains cut up tobacco, indicating that a machine had a hand in its making. It does not always mean the cigar was entirely made by machine; only that a machine had a hand in it. Long filler means that there are long, uncut lengths of tobacco inside your cigar. This denotes that the cigar was indeed crafted by hand, and that the cigar is of the premium variety.

Moving back to the outside of the cigar, we find the brand. This is located around the head of the cigar, near the cap. It acts as the manufacturers logo, letting you know who made the cigar/what brand it is. Not all cigars have a brand on them. Two types, bundles and seconds, do not.

Let me rephrase that: not all seconds have a brand. A second is a rejected cigar that did not meet the manufacturer’s rigid standards. The reason a cigar can be rejected has to do with a variety of factors, including blemishes on the cigar, bad rolling, color, firmness, and more.

A bundle is a group of around 25 (sometimes less) cigars that were never intended to be sold as a brand, or that were intended to be offered at a discounted price.

The advantages to bundled and seconds is a matter of price, as you can pick them up for a fraction of the price of a branded cigar. However, the majority of the time you will notice a difference in your overall smoking experience. But what the hell. Sometimes you just want a quick smoke, or perhaps you are traveling and won’t have time to enjoy a proper cigar. In these situations, you may find a non brand bearing cigar is right for you.

Earlier, when we spoke of fillers, we talked about handmade and machine-made cigars. There can be (and often is) a bit of snobbery when it comes to whether a cigar was made by machine or hand. Cigar making is an artisan skill, and great pride goes into their creation. Just as eating a frozen dinner may taste good, having one prepared from scratch is somehow always better. The same is true of cigars.

Another consideration is that hand-made cigars are always labeled as premium. This means that the overall quality is generally better than a machine made one. It also indicates that every cigar in the box should taste roughly the same. Consistency and reliability are good reasons to go with handmade cigars.

Note that not every single handmade cigar or handmade brand is going to be good to you. But overall, handmade cigars should always be better than those made by the cold, unfeeling hands of a machine!