Cigars 101: everything you need to know about cigars
Updated November 2026
A cigar is a roll of dried, fermented tobacco leaves, wrapped in a tobacco leaf, that is smoked slowly for its flavour and aroma. Here is the whole subject on one page, with links to go deeper.
Watch: how a premium cigar is made
What a cigar is made of
Every premium cigar has three parts: the filler (the blend inside, which gives most of the strength), the binder (a sturdy leaf holding it together) and the wrapper (the fine outer leaf that shapes aroma and looks).
Types of cigars
Premium cigars are rolled by hand from whole leaves. Machine-made cigars, cigarillos and little cigars are cheaper and more uniform. Some cigars are infused with flavours.
Strength and flavour
Strength is about nicotine; body is about how rich the flavour feels. Cigars run from mild and creamy to full and peppery, with notes like cedar, cocoa, coffee, pepper and cream.
Strength explained · Mild cigars · Full-bodied cigars · Find cigars by flavour
Sizes and shapes
Cigars are measured by length and ring gauge (diameter in 64ths of an inch). Popular sizes include the robusto (about 5 × 50), toro (6 × 50–54) and Churchill (7 × 47–50).
Cigar sizes chart · The Churchill · Ring gauge chart · Smoke time calculator
Where cigars come from
Most premium cigars sold in the US are rolled in Nicaragua (88 of our 150 lines), Dominican Republic (36 of our 150 lines), Honduras (16 of our 150 lines). Wrapper leaf often comes from further afield: Ecuador, Connecticut, Mexico, Brazil and Cameroon.
Nicaraguan cigars · Dominican cigars · Honduran cigars · Why Cuban cigars are illegal in the US
How to smoke a cigar
Cut just the cap, toast the foot, light it evenly and puff about once a minute. Cigar smoke is tasted, not inhaled.
Storing cigars
Keep premium cigars at about 65–70% humidity and 65–70°F in a humidor or a sealed box with a two-way humidity pack.
How to store cigars · Do cigars go bad? · Humidor calculator
Choosing your next cigar
Our database covers 150 premium cigar lines from 52 brands with blends, strength and review data, plus a matcher that suggests what to try next.
Cigar database · Cigar brands · Cigar matcher · Cigar finder quiz · Most reviewed cigars & hidden gems
Where to smoke
We list 4,045 cigar lounges, bars and shops across the US.
Cigar lounges near me · Lounges by state · Flying with cigars
Why do people smoke cigars?
For most smokers it is about flavour and ritual rather than nicotine: an hour to slow down, the variety of tobacco from different countries, pairing with a drink, and the social side of a lounge or a celebration.
How to get into cigars
Start mild, after a meal, with water to hand. Try a few well-reviewed mild-to-medium cigars, note what you like, and visit a lounge where staff can guide you. Our free field guide has a tasting log to track what you try.
Mild cigars · Best cigars for beginners · Free field guide · Cigar finder quiz
Health
Cigars contain nicotine and are not a safe alternative to cigarettes. Cigar smoking causes cancers of the mouth, throat, oesophagus and lung.
