Custom Tobacco Blog

Inhale: What you are not supposed to do with cigar smoke.

Lance/Piercer: A lance or piercer is a cutter with a pointed, sharp end used to pierce a small hole in the closed end of a cigar. Lances and piercers are relatively uncommon today.

Loose: This describes a cigar that is under-filled and has a quick draw. A cigar with a loose draw often burns hot and causes harsh flavors. It is not desirable.

Maduro: Maduro is a wrapper shade that is a very dark reddish-brown to almost black.  The word means ripe in Spanish. The color can be achieved by sun exposure, a cooking process or a prolonged fermentation.

Nosing: The act of exhaling a bit of cigar smoke through your nose after a puff, which is a way to judge the power of a smoke and get more notes on the cigar’s flavor. Do not inhale the smoke.

Oscuro: The blackest shade of wrapper, darker than maduro.

Plug: A blockage that sometimes occurs in the tobacco that can prevent a cigar from drawing properly. A plug can sometimes be alleviated by gently massaging the cigar.