Smoking has been part of recreation for a very long time. Sometimes it reduces stress and anxiety caused by the world around us. If you happen to be in Florida and you seek a place to chill and unwind, there is a cigar lounge in Brevard County that offers a wide variety of cigars. But do you know that there are different types of cigars? Yes, just like hybrid plants cigars have also evolved as time passed to give pleasure and distinct taste notes for all of us. They have come in all sorts of shapes and sizes but don’t be confused about those as we will tackle each of them for our awareness.
The shapes of cigars can be divided into 2 most common categories – the Farejo/Parejo and Figurado and it’s also the most offered in the cigar lounge.
- Parejo is the classic cigar share which in Spanish means, flush or straight. The definition itself suggests it is straight with one rounded capped end called the head and a flat open end known as the foot. Generally, a safe size to roll-the cylindrical shape allows for even draw and burn and the rounded tip allows for the smoker to create a sizable opening for smoke to come through. Parejo can be almost any size and it is the most common cigar shape.
- Figurado on the other hand is the opposite of Parejo. The shape does not follow the conventional straightness and may alter in thickness at some point. If you’re thinking it’s freestyle, yes it is. Instead of a rounded cap, it generally comes to more of a point at the head. With this, the delivery of a more concentrated draw and with more concentrated flavors.
Now, did you know that aside from the 2 most common categories there are several types of each one? Let’s start with Parejo. It has 2 types called the Box-pressed and the Culebra.
- The box-pressed cigar has a square-shaped finish. With first frowned upon, box-pressed cigars were originally introduced as a way of saving money. Instead of spacing out normal Parejo cigars in a box, they were pressed and crammed into a smaller one so more could be transported. Because of this, the cigars developed square-shaped under pressure. By being tightly packed, the cigars would actually burn longer and provide a consistent flavor.
- Culebra, the other type of Parejo, is an exotic form. Its translation to Spanish is “snake” and this has existed since the late 19th century. Even though something of a novelty, its process is not that simple. To make a culebra, the roller must be sure that the tobacco is moistened more than usual to prevent them from breaking under pressure. When it was finished, a single band wrapped the three cigars as well as a ribbon on each end. Sometimes, the three cigars will share a single cap on both the head and foot. You can also separate these 3 cigars and traditionally share them with friends instead of smoking all three of them at once. When you are a group of three friends who love cigars, this one is for you.
For the Figura or anything that is not Parejo, it has 4 types, and let’s take a look at them one by one too.
- Torpedo Cigars – These Figurado cigars have their own specific shape. They feature a sloping and tapered head that curves into a point.
- Belicoso Cigars – Compared to Torpedo Cigars, these are differentiated by their sharper shape. It is named after its resemblance to a bullet and is something of a hybrid between Torpedoes and Parejos. A Belicoso has a slight point that makes it possible to customize the draw.
- Piramide Cigars – These cigars from the words “pyramids” in English are tapered all the way down the body. This makes them thicker at the foot than at the base of the head.
- Perfecto Cigars – A Perfecto cigar has two tapered ends on both the head and foot. Sometimes both are capped with flag leaf however the foot may be open with a bump at the end. They can appear to be relatively symmetrical with the same pointed shape on each end.
Hand Rolled vs Machine Rolled Cigar
Aside from sizes, when you are going to a cigar lounge it is also advantageous if you know the difference if your cigar is machine rolled or hand-rolled.
- Hand-rolled – these are generally much better quality than machine-rolled cigars. Hand-rolled cigars are composed only of tobacco – their filter, binder, and wrapper are all tobacco left that have been grown, aged, cured, and fermented according to their intended use, without additive. These are also more likely to have properly spaced filler tobacco that allows the right amount of airflow through the cigar, machines may roll filler too tight or too loose.
- Machine rolled -cigars processed through the machine are not 100% tobacco. Instead, paper, preservatives, and other chemicals are often present
If a cigar is rolled too tightly, there is inadequate space between the leaves inside of the cigar which means that the cigar will burn unevenly and be hard to draw from. If on the other hand the cigar is rolled too loosely, the cigar will burn too hot and too quickly delivering very little of the intended flavor of the cigar in the smoke.
But aside from being hand-rolled or machine-rolled, there are many other factors that affect the quality and flavor of cigars. These include the types of wrappers used, filters, and binders. In addition, cigar shapes and sizes require a higher level of skill to roll which can add to the variety. In the end, it would still depend on your preference and the ambiance. The good thing is there is a cigar lounge in Brevard County where you can choose different types of cigars, different shapes, and sizes while enjoying your own company. In Smoke Rings ’72 Cigar & Pipe, they do not offer cigars only but also a good place to chill within Florida. Call us at (321) 453-1422.