How do I tell different cigars apart?

[Bent Stem]

I'm new to cigars and am trying to figure some things out on my own and am having a tough time at it.

So I go into my local B&M and pick out a nice, moderately priced cigar to try out. It looked nice and I recalled seeing the name on here before so I pick up a couple to try out. The label says "A. Fuente" and "Gran Reserva". So when I get home I look it up on the web and I find about two dozen different types of cigar it could be.

Why don't they put this info on each cigar?

So, after measuring it I narrow it down to a few possibilities and after searching and searching and looking at photos I think I figured it out. I suppose next time I need to write down what it says on the box I got it from. Is this what everyone does?

Anyhow, now with the information I scrounged up, here's what I think I have: "A. Fuente, Double Chateau, Maduro".

I'm pretty sure "Maduro" is the wrapper leaf, what is "Double Chateau"? I assume this is the size/style of cigar but I couldn't find anything on this.

Another thing I'd like to know is about the contents of the cigar(s). Will all the Fuente cigars, for example have the same tobacco? If not, how do I distinguish the difference? When I see the lists of cigars for sale at online retailers I'm uncertain if all of the cigars by certain name-brand makers are composed of the same tobaccos and taste similar. I'm seeing that they appear to be categorized by their size/shape/wrapper but again I'm uncertain what words to look for that differentiate the tobaccos they're made up of.

[Cigary]

Depending on what site you go to for instance, Famous Smokes goes into that kind of detail as well as maybe the TampaHumidor as well. If you are wanting more intimate detail then you can go to each companys website to read up on their products. To detail each and every cigar in a B&M is something that you're not going to see as the people who run these places should be able to give you an answer to what you want,,,that is their job so I would ask everything you want to know. They provide this service to you as part of doing their job as they aren't there just to take your money. If you don't ask you can't expect to find what you are looking for unless you do your own homework.

Originally Posted by Bent Stem

I'm new to cigars and am trying to figure some things out on my own and am having a tough time at it.

So I go into my local B&M and pick out a nice, moderately priced cigar to try out. It looked nice and I recalled seeing the name on here before so I pick up a couple to try out. The label says "A. Fuente" and "Gran Reserva". So when I get home I look it up on the web and I find about two dozen different types of cigar it could be.

Why don't they put this info on each cigar?

So, after measuring it I narrow it down to a few possibilities and after searching and searching and looking at photos I think I figured it out. I suppose next time I need to write down what it says on the box I got it from. Is this what everyone does?

Anyhow, now with the information I scrounged up, here's what I think I have: "A. Fuente, Double Chateau, Maduro".

I'm pretty sure "Maduro" is the wrapper leaf, what is "Double Chateau"? I assume this is the size/style of cigar but I couldn't find anything on this.

Another thing I'd like to know is about the contents of the cigar(s). Will all the Fuente cigars, for example have the same tobacco? If not, how do I distinguish the difference? When I see the lists of cigars for sale at online retailers I'm uncertain if all of the cigars by certain name-brand makers are composed of the same tobaccos and taste similar. I'm seeing that they appear to be categorized by their size/shape/wrapper but again I'm uncertain what words to look for that differentiate the tobaccos they're made up of.

[tzaddi]

The answer is not so simple but with time you will be able to tell what's what and along the way you will have fun learning.

This book helped me get a good foundation and understanding of the naming conventions and origins of some of the sizes, helping discern between wrapper, binder & filler, etc.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cigars


It also explains countries of origins and stuff like that.

[uncballzer]

To answer one of your questions; the different sizes of something in particular is usually the same blend; some ppl just prefer different sized cigars: robusto vs corona vs petite (larger vs smaller ring guage and longer vs shorter). Like I said, they're typically the same blend, but can have different tastes due to the size--a smaller cigar can have a more robust taste than the same cigar in a churchill size. If you want to try this for yourself--Padron: lancero, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000, 7000 (plus others; all different sizes, but roughly the same blend to where they should taste the same, but you'll find some prefer the 2000 to the 3000--even though they're roughly the same size).

[orca99usa]

I'm pretty sure "Maduro" is the wrapper leaf...

It may start there but the binder and filler may be maduro as well. Most cigars listed as maduro (literally "mature" in Spanish, a leaf that is dark due to additional aging) have a maduro wrapper and a different type of filler and binder. A cigar listed as a "double maduro" usually has both maduro wrapper and filler. A triple maduro has all three.

One B&M I go to is very good about labeling the different types, brands and sizes of cigars they carry. Another doesn't label anything at all. Some manufacturers are also better than others at identifying their cigars by the band. Manufacturers such as Rocky Patel and Carlos Torano generally label each cigar differently enough that you can tell what you're looking at. A brand like Gurkha may use the same band for several different cigars, and may or may not have a second band setting one particular cigar apart from another.

[PipesandGOP]

Originally Posted by orca99usa

It may start there but the binder and filler may be maduro as well. Most cigars listed as maduro (literally "mature" in Spanish, a leaf that is dark due to additional aging) have a maduro wrapper and a different type of filler and binder. A cigar listed as a "double maduro" usually has both maduro wrapper and filler. A triple maduro has all three.

One B&M I go to is very good about labeling the different types, brands and sizes of cigars they carry. Another doesn't label anything at all. Some manufacturers are also better than others at identifying their cigars by the band. Manufacturers such as Rocky Patel and Carlos Torano generally label each cigar differently enough that you can tell what you're looking at. A brand like Gurkha may use the same band for several different cigars, and may or may not have a second band setting one particular cigar apart from another.

And now a quote from JR Cigar

Oscuro (basically black) - Also referred to as "Double Maduro or "Maduro Maduro." Very few of these are produced today with a few notable exceptions: the very full- flavored El Rey del Mundo Oscuro, Honduran Punch & Hoyo de Monterrey Double Maduro, and the JR Ultimate Oscuro lines. Also let me dismiss a common repeated fallacy regarding Double Maduro & Maduro Maduro cigars: These terms refer solely to their color and not that the cigar is wrapper in two maduro wrappers or a maduro wrapper and binder combo. Somehow this "two-wrapper" mistruth continues to be repeated by some tobacconist year after year. Please when you hear someone say this, politely educate him or her for everyone's benefit.

[uncballzer]

Originally Posted by orca99usa

Manufacturers such as Rocky Patel and Carlos Torano generally label each cigar differently enough that you can tell what you're looking at. A brand like Gurkha may use the same band for several different cigars, and may or may not have a second band setting one particular cigar apart from another.

I hate when they don't specifically label something--especially using one band for everything. The sizes, I can deal with that, but I want to know what cigar of the name brand I'm smoking. Gurkha and Fuente kill me on this!!!

[PipesandGOP]

One thing I forgot to even mention but something I end up using quite a bit is the "Cigar Reviews" section on the site that has a ton of reviews on it, along with price information and wrapper/binder/filler info for each cigar. Especially helpful for those fuentes

[Schecter30]

Originally Posted by Bent Stem

I suppose next time I need to write down what it says on the box I got it from. Is this what everyone does?
You should be able to figure it out from the cigar companies main website or an online cigar store

Another thing I'd like to know is about the contents of the cigar(s). Will all the Fuente cigars, for example have the same tobacco? If not, how do I distinguish the difference? When I see the lists of cigars for sale at online retailers I'm uncertain if all of the cigars by certain name-brand makers are composed of the same tobaccos and taste similar. I'm seeing that they appear to be categorized by their size/shape/wrapper but again I'm uncertain what words to look for that differentiate the tobaccos they're made up of.

Generally, most premium cigars sold in the US use either Dominican, Honduran, or Nicaraguan filler. The filler, wrapper, and binder can be mixed and matched according to what they want to make.
Dominican tobacco is known to be on the more milder side
Honduran and espeically Nicaraguan are known to be fuller or spicier.
That said, I've been smoking for about 5 years and I dont care which they use as long as it tastes good, I try not to read too much into it.

My advice is to smoke different cigars, see what you like, then look them up and find out what it contains.

[Zarathustra19]

As a noob to the forums, but not so much a noob in regards to cigars, allow me to emphasize something that a more experienced member has already said: If you're in your local B&M and you aren't quite sure what you're looking for, the proprietor (or maybe simply an employee depending on the size of the establishment) is the greatest wealth of information you could ask for. Ask about a particular stick you're interested in and see if he can enlighten you to its size, blend, etc. This not only gives you the opportunity to begin learning the huge amount of information out there on cigars, but also gives you the chance to see if your local shop is worth patronizing. If the staff doesn't know about the products that they stock, it might be a good idea to try somewhere else. I've run into problems with uninterested, less than passionate employees in a shop, and it usually means that they're just there for a paycheck. On the other hand, if you ask a question and recieve a full answer as well as some recommendations, you know you're at least on the right track.

Just keep trying things and see what you like, the lingo and the styles will come to you fairly quickly.

Cheers!

[rborrell]

Originally Posted by Bent Stem

I'm new to cigars and am trying to figure some things out on my own and am having a tough time at it.

So I go into my local B&M and pick out a nice, moderately priced cigar to try out. It looked nice and I recalled seeing the name on here before so I pick up a couple to try out. The label says "A. Fuente" and "Gran Reserva". So when I get home I look it up on the web and I find about two dozen different types of cigar it could be.

Why don't they put this info on each cigar?

So, after measuring it I narrow it down to a few possibilities and after searching and searching and looking at photos I think I figured it out. I suppose next time I need to write down what it says on the box I got it from. Is this what everyone does?

Anyhow, now with the information I scrounged up, here's what I think I have: "A. Fuente, Double Chateau, Maduro".

I'm pretty sure "Maduro" is the wrapper leaf, what is "Double Chateau"? I assume this is the size/style of cigar but I couldn't find anything on this.

Another thing I'd like to know is about the contents of the cigar(s). Will all the Fuente cigars, for example have the same tobacco? If not, how do I distinguish the difference? When I see the lists of cigars for sale at online retailers I'm uncertain if all of the cigars by certain name-brand makers are composed of the same tobaccos and taste similar. I'm seeing that they appear to be categorized by their size/shape/wrapper but again I'm uncertain what words to look for that differentiate the tobaccos they're made up of.

Let me tell you what I do. Perhaps I am a little more anal-retentive than most, but here goes.

When I make a purchase at a B&M, while still at the checkout, I write down what I bought (usually just shorthand on the back of the receipt). Some shops have an extensive enough POS system that lists it on the receipt itself. When I get home, before putting them into the humidor, I will stick a self-adhesive label on them (if they are cello wrapped) or use a blank band. On the label or band, I write down what they are (length, ring guage, country of origin, wraper, binder, filler, date of purchase, place of purchase, price). I know that's a lot of stuff, the labels I use are Avery 1/1/4 x 1 3/4 and the fit into the printer quite nicely if I need more than 1 or 2 of the same. If I am missing any information, I will try to get it from the manufacturer's web site or the various review sites. Also some internet retailers have very good descriptions and pictures of each. I also have a ring guage tool to measure the cigar if there is any doubt of the size.

I also use the Cigar Register software (do a search for it's link on this site). It doesn't have everything but it has what I need. I use it to enter my observations after smoking a stick too. An Excel spreadsheet does a good job at this too.

So, that's what I do - perhaps it's over the top for some but I am a bit of a organizational freak.

[Bent Stem]

Thanks for all the tips guys! As for my local B&M, it's the only one in the area and I'm happy and surprised that we even have one here at all (small town). I asked them once if they had humidity beads for a humidor and they had no clue what I was talking about so I don't even want to ask about cigars.

[PipesandGOP]

Originally Posted by Bent Stem

Thanks for all the tips guys! As for my local B&M, it's the only one in the area and I'm happy and surprised that we even have one here at all (small town). I asked them once if they had humidity beads for a humidor and they had no clue what I was talking about so I don't even want to ask about cigars.

I wouldn' necessarily go that far based on something as simple as that. The owner of the b&m here in town is incredibly knowledgeable about cigars as well as pipe tobacco, has been smoking both for probably well over 30 years, and if it's out there he's been there done that. To be honest he's one of the few people that are really exciting to talk tobacco with that I know. But one thing he hasn't done is gotten online and been on a cigar forum or kept up with what's hot for humidification. He sells the drymistat tubes, water pillows, and the jars with the gel and he knows about them but that's just not really where most of his business is. He's mainly selling singles to gi's and 18-30 year olds, and then boxes to guys over 35 that are perfectly content just throwing a few tubes or a jar in their humi and leaving it be. And mainly, he's content not using something like the heartfelt beads and he's been doing fine without them and has no interest in selling something that he feels is primarily an online thing.

It's a big difference compared to going to like a TRO or something and the guy at the counter just knowing he thinks he remembered seeing some kind of little humidifer gel thing for 12 bucks that works for 2 weeks and he doesn't even know how to use it... that's when I don't ask questions somewhere lol.

Anyway, don't write them off just yet. That's a pretty insignificant thing imo. Main thing would be that they can tell you how to maintain your smokes at least somehow.

[Cigar Man Andy]

Let's try to keep it simple. Most cigars are displayed in boxes. Most boxes have the size on the front or side panel , or on the bottom. As time goes by, keep a journal and mark the size down. You will get used to the sizes of what you like. I included a couple of links to sites that will help you a lot.
By the way, Fuente bands tell a story. green-basic line Nat and mad, Black-upperline . Hemingway, Don Carlos, Sun grown. White-Anejo

cigar cyclopedia

and

About Cigars
This site has sizes likeDouble Corona, Double Chateau, Churchill. All close in size. Roughly 6 ½ to 7 and 46 to 48
Here is a chart that will give you a head start. Have fun and learn.

Sizes

[Baldyisme]

I'm new too and did what the other members suggest. Fortunately I have a lot of B&M to choose from even though in Canada, because of taxes, B&M are very $$.

When I first started out in May of last year, I wrote down a lot of details: brand, size, type, $$, year, etc. The main thing was brand, size and type. When trying a new smoke I always bought 3 of each cigar before deciding whether I like it or not. In Canada this can be tough as we have CC and NC to choose from.

As time passes and I'm learning more and more and I'm slowing gaining experience, I find that I need to write down less and less. I know that I love robustos size, especially for CC, and can identify a robustos size just by look.

Take your time, read and learn as much as you can and enjoy.