Cigar aficionados use their own slang and jargon. To help you
better understand, we prepared a list of commonly used
cigar terms and slang. Familiarize yourself with these terms until you are
comfortable enough to toss them around at your next visit to the cigar lounge.
B.O.T.L. – an acronym for Brothers of the Leaf. A group of
men who share a passion for cigars.
Barber pole – a cigar made with two different wrappers in
terms of origin, color or flavor. The visual effect resembles an old-fashioned
barber pole. If properly blended, a barber pole cigar offers very unique
flavors and aromas. It’s like smoking two different cigars at the same time.
Cuban sandwich – This cigar is made with short and medium
fillers. A Cuban sandwich cigar is inexpensive, but some are known to be very flavorful
and smoke just as good as a premium.
Dog rocket – A really bad, tasting, smelling cigar. After
one or two puffs, you will be tossing your dog rocket to the curb.
Draw – Used to describe how air flows through a cigar. A
draw can be either “tight” or “loose”.
Entubado Rolling – A rolling method in which each filler
leaf is rolled into itself and then bunched with other individually rolled
fillers. Entubado rolling is considered the most difficult way to roll a cigar
and only highly skilled rollers can do it. Cigars rolled in this fashion are
considered to offer the best draw.
Flavor Bomb – A cigar so flavorful it explodes in your
mouth with a plethora of flavors.
Herf – When two or more cigar smokers are gathered to smoke
their favorite sticks, it is called a herf.
Nic Bomb – a stick so strong it will make you dizzy. Best
smoked after a hearty meal.
Nub or Nubbing – When a cigar is so good you want to smoke
it to the last millimeter. Just don’t burn your fingers.
Plume (aka bloom) – As a cigar ages it emanates oil through
its wrapper. The oil crystallizes on the exterior of the wrapper. When the oil
dries, it forms a white powder-like substance. Plume does not affect the
smoking experience. In fact, it adds a flavorful dimension to the cigar. If the
plume bothers you, simply wipe it off with a dry cloth.
Pyramid – As the name implies, it is a pyramid-shaped cigar
that flares from the head to the foot to create a triangular shaped stick. But
don’t worry, you don’t have to “walk like an Egyptian” to enjoy a pyramid. Just
like one up and smoke it.
Retro-hale – Retro-haling is when you move smoke from the
back of your mouth, up through your sinus and out through your nose. By
practicing this smoking technique, you will be able to taste and smell a
cigar’s spices, body, flavor and strength in a single puff. You might have to
try it more than once to get the hang of it, though.
S.O.T.L. – an acronym for Sisters of the Leaf. A group of
women who share a common interest in cigars.
Stick – A very colloquial name for a cigar. As in “Hey! You
got any new sticks?”
Stogie – An inexpensive cigar. Usually, sold in bundles.
Don’t underestimate a stogie though. It might be cheap, but some stogies have
been known to taste just as good their premium counterparts.
Torcedor – A cigar roller in Spanish. While cigar rolling
may look easy, it takes years of practice to roll a perfect cigar.
Torpedo – A specific cigar shape not to be confused with
the torpedo the Navy uses. In the old days, a torpedo was a fat cigar with two
closed, tapered ends. Nowadays, it’s a cigar with a cut foot and a straight
body, which tapers to a closed, pointed head.
Vitola – Refers to the shape and size of a cigar. For
example, a Churchill vitola is a cigar that typically measures from 6 3/4 to 7
7/8 inches long by 46 to 50 ring gauge. Originally, the Churchill measured
7*48.
By no means is this list comprehensive, but it should get
you started speaking the language of cigars.