Cigar Words & Terms M to Z

GLOSSARY OF COMMON CIGAR WORDS, TERMS, AND IDIOMS


M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z


M

MACHO: The term for ‘mosaic’, referring to a viral disease discussed in detail in the "Tobacco Disease" section of this site.

MADURO: The classification of the darkest type of wrapper leaf.

MAGOTES: These are the limestone outcroppings in the Valle de Vinales, formed during the Jurassic period. The Guanajatabey Indians built their primitive homes in caves hollowed out of the limestone mogotes, where relics of this nomadic people have been found along with fossils of Pleistocene mammals embedded in the rock. Deep inside the caves, albino fish swim, butterflies fly, and bats hang.

MAJAGUA: A tree of the family of Malváceas, that grows up to twelve meters of height, which produces the material for the rope, used to bind tobacco and bales, for processing.

MANCUERNA: That part of the plant stem, which is joined together, in pairs, for processing.

MANOJEADOR: The worker who prepares the hands of tobacco.

MANOJEAR: This is the term for forming a hand of tobacco.

MANOJEO: This is the term for the processing, or assembling of tobacco in the casa de escogida. There are four sheaves of wrapper leaf which are tied together with a length of vegetable fiber, usually from the royal palm leaves.

MANOJO(S): This is the name for four bound gavillas, or sheaves of tobacco.

MARRYING: This is the process, after the cigars are bundled and before they are boxed, when cigars of the same type are kept, for a specified period of time. While there, the tobacco oils and moisture will begin to migrate and distribute themselves evenly throughout a cigar, creating subtle changes in the flavor. This process is known as "Marrying." It is also a good idea to store the same, or similar, cigars next to each other in your humidor for several months, if possible. The marriage process will distribute oils and their associated flavors not only within a cigar, but across adjacent cigars. If a humidor is filled with similar type and strength cigars, or very similar smokes, marrying will produce better consistency of flavor. However, if you mix very different blends of tobacco (spicy, mild, earthy, etc.) in the same box for a long period of time, the mixing of flavors can produce nasty results.

MATTING: Coating cigarillos with a layer of tobacco powder.

MATUL: The bunching, or tying, of 420 leaves, of up to three pounds, if binder and filler, or of wrapper leaf, without the mid ribs.

MAZO: This term refers to either a bunch of seedlings or cigars bunched in 25s or 50s.

MECANIZADO: This is the term for machine-made cigars.

MEDIA RUEDA: literally, "half wheel"; a bundle of fifty cigars; to reach one’s media rueda, or half wheel, in Cuba means to turn fifty.

MEDIO TIEMPO: This is the name for a flawed tobacco leaf, or varying color, which cannot be used as wrapper material.

MELUZA: This is the oily liquid secretion of the tobacco leaf.

MILESIMOS: Literally, 1/1000, and refers to individual cigar containers where there are 1,000 boxes per 1,000 cigars.

MOGOLLA: The remains of the filler and binder, which are used as loose tobacco for machine-made cigars.

MOGOLLERO: The classification made, of the remaining, loose, tobacco, by a factory worker.

MOJA: A department in the casa de las escogidas, or the factory, where, in the first case, the leaves are sprinkled with bitumen, and in the second, with water.

MOJADOR: The worker in charge of dampening the leaves, with water or bitumen.

MOJAR: Sprinkling tobacco with water or bitumen, in order to make it more pliable, or to facilitate fermentation. The amount of water which is applied is crucial, in order to avoid spotting on the leaves, or development of rot, in the leaf piles.

MOJITO: This delightful drink is included, as it makes a perfect accompaniment for any smoke. It is made with ½ teaspoon of sugar, juice from ½ lime, two tablespoons of yerbabuena (or fresh mint), ice, 1 ½ ounces of light rum, and soda water.

MOÑITO: The Cuban name for a pig tail cigar, such as the Montecristo, Especial No. 2, also referred to as the "rabo de cochino".

MONTAR EL PAÑUELO: The name of the process of placing the cap on a cigar. The roller places the small half-moon slice of wrapper leaf, on the unfinished end of the cigar, affixing it with a vegetable based adhesive, and gently twists the cigar, no more than two turns, to set the cap.

MULLING: The aging or fermentation of tobacco or the aging of tobacco leaves to bring them to the desired color.

MUNECA: This is the name for a wooden form, used by rollers.

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N

NATURAL: Another name for cigar whose color is classified as Colorado Claro.

NEGRO: This refers to the dark, spicy leaf, used as filler tobacco.

NITROGEN: The soil component which increases root growth, nicotine content, plant yield, leaf width, and leaf luster.

NOMBRE DE GALERA: This is the name given to any cigar size or format in the factory, for manufacturing purposes.

NOSE: This is a term for describing the smell of a cigar.

NUTRIENT EROSION: An aspect of valley topography which allows nutrients to flow from surrounding hills and mountains, over time, into the valley.

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O

OIL: Cigars secrete oil at 70% to 72% relative humidity, and an oily wrapper indicates a well-humidified cigar.

OLEORESINS: Oils and resins found in tobacco that give it its smoking qualities.

OLOR: A variety of Dominican cigar tobacco known for its big leaves. It is typically used as filler and binder tobacco.

OPERAR UN TABACO: A Cuban term which refers to the roller who makes figurado-shaped cigars.

OREO: This term is used for the ‘airing’ process for tobacco in the curing areas.

ORGANOLEPTIC: Being, affecting, or relating to qualities such as taste, odor, color, and the "feel" of a substance that stimulates the senses.

ORIENTE: The tobacco growing zone located in the Eastern part of the island of Cuba; its production is mainly for exportation. It includes the provinces of Granma and Holguín. The tobacco grown here I used mainly for cigarettes; legend has it that Columbus discovered tobacco, here.

ORNAMENTAL EDGE: This refers to the trimming which decorates the edges of a cigar box.

OSCURO: Wrapper leaf whose color is often referred to as mahogany, dark-coffee, or almost black.

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P

PACA: A bale of un-graded tobacco or stemmed filler leaves.

PAJIZO: This is low-grade, dry, tobacco.

PALITO: This is another name for the midrib of the leaf.

PALO: The stem of the tobacco plant.

PANO: The term refers to the texture of the leaf. The more flexible leaf of high quality is said to have good ‘pait’.

PAÑUELO: The piece of wrapper leaf used to make the cap of the cigar.

PAPELETA: This is the lithographed piece of paper, bearing the trademark or name of the manufacturer, and is pasted to the sides of the cigar box.

PARCHE: A patch, made from the wrapper leaf, to cover a small defect or break.

PAREJOS: A term meaning straight-sided cigars such as the corona, panatela and lonsdales.

PARIHUELA: Handbarrows, used in the fields, to transport freshly cut leaves.

PARRILLAS: These are shelves on which the stripped tobacco leaves are laid to eliminate excess moisture.

PARRILLEROS: These are the workers that remove the leaves from the ‘barriles’ and arrange them in piles, for a further drying period. After a specified time, for each type of leaf, they are repacked in the barrels until sent to the Production area. For export tobacco leaves, a ‘paca’, or bale is used for storage.

PARTIDO: A prime tobacco growing area in Cuba. The area is also referred to as the ‘land of pale wrapper’.

PASADO DE SUDOR: The Cuban term for the process of tobacco dispelling excess moisture; also referred to as ‘sweating.

PB: The Chemical name for lead.

PERFECTO: A cigar shape that is closed at both ends with a rounded head. It also often has a bulge in the middle.

PERFORADOR DEL TOBACCO: This is the Cuban term for the tobacco borer.

PERILLAS: These are the wooded platforms upon which stemmed leaves are laid to eliminate excess moisture.

PESADA: The term for a ‘heavy’ leaf, that is, one which is gummy or of excellent quality.

PESADA DE CAPA: The Cuban term for handing over a layer of wrapper leaf, to the roller, always 25 in number; the term is also referred to as a ‘sheaf’ of wrapper leaf.

PETACA: A type of package for cigars that used to be of aluminum but that at the moment is made of cardboard. It is practical, when one does not have a case to carry three to five cigars. It protects and conserves the cigars, to some extent.

PETIT CORONAS: The name of the cigar whose dimensions come closest to the "Marevas", the vitola de galera class, 129 x 42.

PICADERO: The area of the casa de escogida where graded tobaccos are brought for the bunching process.

PICADURA: Shredded tobacco.

PIE: Another name for the foot of the cigar.

PILON: This is the fermentation pile where bulk, dried, tobacco begins the fermentation process.

PILOTO CUBANO: A popular variety of Cuban-seed tobacco grown in the Dominican Republic.

PINTA BLANCA O DE AJONJOLÍ: The name of the disease of tobacco leaf which appears as small white dots, or shaped like a sesame seed. This is discussed in our "Tobacco Disease++" section, on the site.

PISO FOLIAR: This is the term which refers to ‘all levels’ of tobacco leaf, on the plant.

PLANCHA: The stack of picked leaves is called a plancha, or ‘hand’. After the leaves are picked, they are placed in a bundle of 25.

PLANCHAR: The term refers to the opening and flattening, of tobacco leaves, for further processing.

PLANCHAS: Boards on which tobacco leaves are spread before fermentation.

PLANTEO DE LA MESA: This is the ‘model’ from which the escogita compares other cigars. The sorting of cigars, into their respective shades and hues, results in a table with 1,000 sorted cigars.

PLEGADO: A rolling method of twisting the tripa, akin to coiling it, rather than the ‘arrugado’ method of folding or creasing the leaves.

PLUG: A blockage that occurs in cigars that can prevent it from drawing properly. Normally this is caused by some sort of manufacturer's defect or error.

PLUMIER: This is thee name for an individual cigar case for large format cigars.

PONER GORRO: Placing the cap on the cigar.

POSTURA: The seedling, when it is about 15 to 20 cm tall, and is ready to be transplanted from the seed plot to the tobacco field.

POTASSIUM: Soil element which has an important relationship to the burn rate of tobacco.

PREMIUM: The generic name given to a cigar of superior quality, made totally by hand, with long leaf, throughout.

PRENSA: The name of a machine which is used in two capacities; first, to form the bales of tobacco for shipping to the factories, or their storehouses, and second, the machine, used in the factories, to press a stack of cigar-filled molds.

PRENSAR: To place the cigars into the press, at the factory, also used to refer to the tightening of the machine, or press.

PRESIONADO’: This is an old term for a box-pressed cigar, not used since the 1930’s.

PRESS: The apparatus which exerts pressure on cigar Molds, to compress the tobacco into a cylindrical shape.

PRIMINGS: This is the term for the rows of leaves on a tobacco plant. The number of primings varies, but six is the average. The first priming is closest to the ground, and the sixth is near the top.

PRINCIPAL: The term referring to the first cutting of the leaves, from the tobacco plant, generally considered of better quality than those of the second cutting.

PROPYLENE GLYCOL (PG): (1, 2-Propanediol; methyl glycol; C3H8O2; molecular weight 76.09.) is a hydroscopic, viscous liquid, with a slightly acrid taste. It is miscible with water, acetone, and chloroform, and soluble in ether. PG will dissolve many essential oils, but is immiscible with fixed oils. It is a good solvent for rosin. Under ordinary conditions propylene glycol is stable, but at high temps it tends to oxidize giving rise to products such as propionaldehyde, lactic acid, pyruvic acid, and acetic acid. It is used in medicine, cosmetics, lotions, and ointments, as well as in the humidification of tobacco products.

PRUEBAS SENSORIALES: Evaluations which are made in the factory, to determine and maintain the optimal quality of the cigars. Experienced tasters, normally five, receive samples rolled by the same worker, from a half-wheel (50 cigars); each taster lights a cigar, chosen at random, and after a short time, when it has burned down approximately one centimeter, observe and evaluates the cigar’s size, firmness, shape, combustibility, aroma, flavor and strength.

PUNTA: The narrowest part of the tobacco leaf.

PUNTALES: The name given to the supports where piled tobacco is placed.

PURERA: A container specially constructed to hold, and protect, three to five cigars.

PURITO: A measurement for a small cigar, almost the size of a cigarette, also called a Chico; it measures 106 x 29.

PURO: The common name given to a cigar made entirely from tobacco leaves, as opposed to cigarettes. With the passage of time, the term began to be used to describe a Cuban cigar, as it is, today.

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Q

QUARTER WHEEL: A bundle of 25 cigars.

QUEBRADO: These are ‘broken’ wrapper leaves, which cannot be used to ‘finish’ a cigar.

QUINTA: The term refers to a small cigar or cap.

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R

RABO DE COCHINO: The name for the formation of a cigar, with out a cap, whose wrapper leaf is twisted in to what is called a ‘pigs-tail’.

RAMA: Cured tobacco, ready for processing in the factories.

RAPE’: Tobacco snuff.

REATA: The cord used to tie up bales.

RECOLECTOR: The person in charge of harvesting tobacco leaves.

RECORTES: The scraps of leaf which remain after fabrication of the cigar.

REFUERZO: The name or designation, given to tobacco leaf which is used to give strength to the cigar blend.

REGALIA: The term for deluxe vitolas.

RELATIVE HUMIDITY: Relative humidity (RH) may be defined as the amount of moisture in the atmosphere as compared with that of complete saturation at a given temperature. Water exposed to air gradually evaporates until it reaches a saturation point, i.e. 100% humidity. At 21º C (approx. 70º F.) and a normal atmospheric pressure, the amount of evaporated water is approximately 11 grams per cubic meter at a RH of 70%. Note: Do NOT confuse relative humidity with absolute moisture content!

REMEDIOS: The tobacco growing zone, located in the center of the island, including the provinces of de Cienfuegos, Villa Clara, Sancti Spíritus, Ciego de Ávila, and Camagüey. The production is mainly for export or local consumption, although the quality is being improved. This was the first region where the Spanish planters grew tobacco, in the 17th century.

REPASAR: The removal of plant suckers is another job which the vigilant grower must continually perform. These are small buds that sap the plant of its life.

RETORCIDO: A defectively made cigar whose filler and/or binder have been improperly rolled, not allowing proper draw of burn.

REVERSE OSMOSIS HUMIDIFICATION: These humidifiers use the proper proportions of Propylene Glycol (or other similar chemicals) and water to create the desired humidity. Propylene Glycol acts as a buffer in the humidifier so that water is not released too quickly or slowly.

REVISADOR DE TERCA: The one who oversees the selection of leaves for classification.

REZAGADO: The selection of wrapper leaves by size and color.

REZAGADOR: The worker who is responsible for selecting leaf for production of various vitolas.

REZAGAR: The operation of selecting leaves for production of cigars, with attention to size, color, and quality.

REZAGO: Rejected tobacco leaf, generally used to make other products, such as pipe tobaco and cigarettes.

REZAGO DE ESCOGIDA: Defective cigars, due to color or other observable flaws.

RG: Ring Gauge.

RING GAUGE: A measurement for the diameter of a cigar, based on 64ths of an inch. A 40 ring gauge cigar is 40/64ths of an inch thick.

RIPIOS: Damaged tobacco leaves used for patchwork.

ROBUSTO: A substantial, but short cigar; traditionally 5 to 5½ inches by a 50 ring gauge.

RON: The Spanish word for rum, included here as one of the essential components to enjoying a Cuban cigar. There are dozens of types and brands of rum, produced in Cuba. The best are Antillano, Arecha, Astillero, Bocoy, Bucanero, Caney, Caribbean Club & 5 year old, Club Plata, Cubay, Dean, Havana Club 5 & 7 year old, Havana Club Gran Reserva, Legendario, Los Marinos Paticruzados 5 year old, Mulata, Mulattress, Paticruzao, Ron Matusalem Anejo, Ron Matusalem Anejo Superior, Ron Matusalem, Ron Santiago 45 Aniversario, Santero, Santiago de Cuba, Siboney, Varadaro, Varadero 7 year old, and Varadero Oro.

ROSADO: A Spanish term that means "rose-colored." It is used to describe the reddish tint of some Cuban-seed wrapper.

RUEDA: A bundle of 100 cigars.

RUNNER: One way a cigar can burn unevenly. A runner can be a vein or other part of the cigar which burns incredibly faster than the rest of the cigar and produces a thin strip of burned wrapper down one side of the cigar.

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S

S.A. - "HABANOS S.A.": "Sociedad Anonyma", the Spanish acronym meaning ‘corporation’, ‘incorporation’, and the same as the English use of ‘Ltd’.

SACADOR: Once the leaves are picked and placed into planchas, the next task is done by the sacador, also known as the ‘hojero’.

SAHORNO: Tobacco ‘sweats’ when water condenses on the leaves due to the heat and humidity of the atmosphere, while the piled tobacco is resting. Sahorno is a rot, the immediate result of this sweating.

SAN JUAN Y MARTÍNEZ: Town in Vuelta Abajo region, absolutely dedicated to tobacco culture; very productive and with high quality. Its most famous "vegas" are those of Hoyo de Monterrey.

SAN LUIS: A tobacco town by excellence in the Vuelta Abajo region. It forms a sub-zone named Llano, together with San Juan y Martinez.

SANCTI-SPIRITUS '96: In 2000, the Tobacco Experimental Station in Cabaiguan developed this tobacco hybrid, more resistant to tobacco diseases.

SANDWICH FILLER: A technique when the filler is composed of "chopped", short-leaf tobacco, rolled in with long leaf outer filler leaves.

SAZON: This is the term for soil with moisture content of 15% to 23%, at a depth of one-foot.

SEAL: This is the general name for the various official government labels pasted on cigar boxes, to warranty the cigars are genuine.

SECO: The Spanish word for dry which also indicates a type of filler tobacco. This filler often contributes aroma and is usually medium-bodied.

SELLO DE GARANTÍA (GUARANTEE SEAL): Paper seal on the lid of Havana boxes. It was established in 1912. See our separate section on this important item.

SEMILLERO(S): Nurseries where seeds germinate under straw, for approximately 45 days before being transplanted to the fields. This is also the name for the person responsible for watering the plants.

SEMI-VUELTA: The tobacco growing zone in the center of Pinar del Rio. The production fro this area is used for cigarettes.

SENSACIÓN: This is the Spanish term for the ‘feel’ of the cigar. Terms used to describe the ‘feel’ are: delicate, sensitive, soft, tender; supple, thick, soft, silky, oily, flat, dry; compact, heavy, tight, sticky, and rough.

SERONES: a bag made of woven palm tree leaves and used to transport dried tobacco from the fields; each serone is filled with roughly 60 kilos (about 103 pounds) of tobacco.

SHADE-GROWN: Wrapper leaves that have been grown under a cheesecloth tent, called a ‘tapado’. The filtered sunlight creates a thinner, more elastic leaf.

SHOULDER: The area of a cigar where the cap meets the body. If you cut into the shoulder, the cigar will begin to unravel.

SILO DE MEZCLA: This is the area where the various tobaccos are matched for blending.

SMOKING TIME: A 5-inch cigar with a 50 ring gauge, such as a robusto, should provide anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes of smoking pleasure. A double corona, a 7½ inch cigar with a 50 ring gauge, may give over an hour's worth of smoking time. A thinner cigar, such as a lonsdale, smokes in less time than a cigar with a 50 ring gauge.

SMS: Spanish Market Selection; a Maduro wrapper, traditionally the most popular in the Spanish market.

SOPLAR LA MESA: The phrase used when the torcedor has used 100% of his sheaf of leaves, without remnants.

SPECIAL SOLUTION: A solution of 50% water, 50% propylene glycol. Added to your humidification device every three to six months, its presence will keep water from evaporating beyond 70% relative humidity.

SPILL: A strip of cedar used to light a cigar; when using a candle or a fluid lighter, both can alter the taste of the cigar.

STEMMING: Wrappers have the entire stem removed, yielding two separate parts of the leaf to wrap cigars. Filler leaves have only half of the stem removed from the bottom (creating a "Pata de Rana" or "Frog’s Legs" shape).

SUDOR: When tobacco ‘sweats’ as a result of atmospheric heat and humidity, and the leaves are covered with condensation, the term is used to describe leaf rot. See, Sahorno.

SUGAR: Sugars occur naturally in tobacco. Darker wrappers, such as maduros, contain more sugar, making them sweeter.

SUN-GROWN: Tobacco grown in direct sunlight, which creates a thicker leaf with thicker veins.

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T

TABACAL: The seeded tobacco growing area.

TABACALERO: Pertaining to the culture, manufacture, or sale of tobacco, more commonly used, however, to describe, or name, the tobacco cultivator.

TABACO: The generic name for "Nicotiana tabacum", a plant of the ‘Solanaceous’ family, originating in South America.

TABACO DEL SOL: Sun-grown tobacco.

TABACO TAPADO: Tobacco grown under a canopy.

TABAQUERÍA: The name for a store which sells tobacco products, and also applied to small factories which sell a small portion of their production.

TABAQUERO: The term, used to describe a torcedor, also means a tobacconist.

TABLA: This is the square wooded board upon which the cigar is rolled.

TAGARNINA: A term used to describe a cigar of inferior quality, which burns poorly, and is bitter.

TALLER: A general name used to refer to a workshop, either the factory, or where the leaves are stripped.

TAPACLAVOS: These are either round or oval shaped paper, which cover the nail that fastens the front end of the lid on the cigar box.

TAPADO: This is the name for the fabric which is used to cover thousands of acres of tobacco plants, used for growing of wrapper leaves. This is also referred to as ‘cheesecloth’, but it is actually muslin. Muslin is a type of fine cotton fabric, introduced to Europe from the Middle East in the 17th century. It is named for the city of Mosul, in modern Iraq.

TAREA: The term has several uses; the total daily production of a factory or of a roller.

TENEDOR: The title of the person who spreads the canopy on the ground.

TERCIO: The tercio is a wooden packing case, lined with yagua, the woody base of the royal palm tree), in which tobacco leaves are transported from the grading area (escogida), to the stripping site or, with ‘crude’ tobacco, shipped abroad. If the tobacco is packed for shipping, it is lined with burlap (‘arpillera’). Each bale contains 80 bunches of classified tobacco leaves.

TIEMPOS: This refers to the grading degrees of leaves, by texture, thickness, as well as other characteristics.

TIRO: The cigar’s draw.

TOBACCO EXPERIMENTAL STATIONS: There are four of these locations, which continue to experiment on tobacco seeds, to produce hybrid seed, which will be more resistant to diseases. The first Tobacco Experiment Station founded January 31, 1937, by the National Commission of Defense and Propaganda of the Habano, is the second oldest scientific-technical institution in Cuba. The first investigative experiments were commenced, in the tobacco fields of the area, during the tobacco harvest of 1932/1933; these experiments formed the foundation for the creation of the Station. It is located in the western region of the island, in of Pinar del Rio’s San Juan y Martínez municipality.

TOBACCO GROWING AREAS: There are five tobacco growing regions, in Cuba. They are the Vuelta Abajo, where the best leaf is grown, Semi Vuelta, Partido, Remedios, and Camaguey, and Oriente. The micro climate, and red, rich soil, in the Vuelta Abajo, where the sea breezes soften the sun’s heat, and the high humidity is perfect, is where the finest tobacco is grown. Within this region, is the city of Pinar del Rio, where small valley plantation areas, or Vegas, are located, which is further divided into small farms, or Fincas, which produce distinct leaf. The prime growing area of the Vuelta Abajo has seven sections, containing fifty Vegas.

TOBACCO STRUCTURE: Each plant is comprised of six distinct leaves, the Corona, Centro Gordo, Centro Fino, Centro Ligero, Uno y Medio, and the Libre de Pie. It takes about three months for the Seed, only 1/48" to mature into a six foot plant, which can yield about twenty-five square feet of usable tobacco leaf.

TOOTH: The grain pattern characteristic of less smooth wrapper leaf, such as leaf from Cameroon.

TOPPING: This is the term for removing the flowers off tobacco plants. This process allows the plant’s resources to focus on leaf production.

TORCEDOR: Cigar roller.

TORCER: The action of rolling a cigar.

TORCIDO: An uncommon name used to describe a hand-made cigar.

TOTALAMENTE A MANO: Made totally by hand; a description found on cigar boxes. Much better than "Hecho a Mano" (made by hand, which can mean it is filled with machine-bunched filler), or "Envuelto a Mano" (packed by hand); all construction is completed by one torcedor.

TRIPA: The filler tobacco which can contain up to three classes of tobacco.

TRIPA CORTA: This refers to diced tobacco used as filler, or leaf stung to be used as the filler for machine-made cigars.

TRIPA EMPALMADA: Poorly packed filler which impedes the flow of air.

TRIPA LARGA: Leaf, cut in long threads, for machine-made, larger format, cigars.

TRIPERO: The worker, in the factory, who is responsible for the dispensing of filler and binder leaf.

TUBOS: Cigars packed in individual wood, metal or glass tubes to keep them fresh.

TUCK: This is another term for the foot of a cigar; the end you light.

TUNNELING: This is one term for an uneven burn. This happens when the tobacco in the center of the cigar burns faster than the wrapper.

TUPPERDOR: An air-tight plastic container used for storing cigars.

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U

UNO Y MEDIO: The second level of leaf, from the base of the plant.

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V

VACIADO: The term for a cigar lacking taste, aroma, and other essential qualities.

VAPOR: An area where several rollers’ tables are placed.

VEGA: A tobacco field or plantation.

VEGA FINA DE SOL: The fields where the better, sun grown tobacco, destined for tripa and wrapper, is cultivated.

VEGAS FINAS: This is the name for the farms where the best Criollo plants are grown.

VEGUERO: The tobacco grower’s tasks in the fields are never ceasing. A major, essential, job, is to exterminate insects and other pests which attack the tobacco plant. He is ever removing cutworms, from their hiding place, on the underside of the leaves. The Green June beetle larva must be guarded against and removed at first sight. Grubs, eating away at the heart of the plant must also be removed before they sap the plant’s energy and food. Then there is the giant ant, the ‘bibijaguas’, a species of ant found only in Cuba. They are leaf-cutters, taking their find to nests where the leaf bits are broken down into a fungus-like substance upon which the colony depends, for sustenance.

VEIN: A structural part of a leaf; prominent veins can be a defect in wrappers.

VICENTESIMOS: Literally, 1/200, referring to containers holding five cigars; there are 200 boxes per 1,000 cigars.

VINTAGE: Vintage cigars usually refer to the year the tobacco was harvestednot the year the cigar was made.

VISO: A glossy wrapper leaf grown under cover.

VISTA: The lithographed label pasted on the inside of the cigar box cover.

VITOLA DE GALERA: The official names of cigar sizes.

VITOLA DE SALIDA: This refers to the name the particular manufacturer, or brand, gives to a particular cigar.

VITOLA: A word which refers to the shape of a cigar.

VOLADO: A type of filler tobacco chosen for its burning qualities.

VUELTA ABAJO: The valley in Cuba that many believe produces the best cigar tobacco in the world. The area of this valley is over 79,000 acres.

VUELTA ARRIBA: In the eastern region of Cuba, Vuelta Arriba encompasses two separated regions, Remedios and Oriente. In 2000, Habanos S.A. began the use of premium tobacco, blended with those non-traditional growing region, to produce ‘boutique’ brands. In 2002, the Guantanamera was introduced, from this region. All sizes are "mecanizado" - machine made at a modern factory recently created in Havana. They are very mild cigars, and are competitively priced. The cigars are manufactured in a modern facility belonging to the Cuban Tobacco Industry thus, the factory code is ICT.

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W

WEDGE CUT: A V-shaped cut made in the closed end of a cigar.

WHEEL: The Cuban term for a bundle of 100 cigars.

WRAPPER: This is the general term used for the leaf which envelopes the cigar. There are four general categories for wrapper tobacco grown under cheese cloth. Leaves are called ‘ligero’ (light), and are the most sought after, ‘seco’ (dry), ‘viso’ (glossy), and ‘amarillo’ (yellow). If the leaf is flawed, it is called ‘medio tiempo’ (half texture) or ’quebrado’ (broken).

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Y

YAGUA: A product from the Royal Palm Tree, which is used to make tercios. It is a leaf, of the tree, which encompasses its trunk, which is 1 ½ to 2 meters long. Its fibrous texture makes very useful, having diverse applications in the tobacco industry.

YEMA TERMINAL: The blossom located at the top of the tobacco plant.

YUTE: Jute or burlap material of which the bundles, for the storage of the tripe leaves and cap, are made.

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Z

ZAFADO/AMARRE: Contradictory terms, meaning the same thing, loosening of the dried tobacco. This process occurs at least twice, before the tobacco is ready for fabrication. It is also the name of the worker who does this task.

ZANQUEROS: These are the workers who place the cheesecloth over the tobacco plants.

ZONAS TABACALERAS: Extensive areas, in Cuba, where tobacco is grown. There are five of these areas, or districts: Vuelta Abajo, Semi-Vuelta, Partido, and Remedios y Oriente.

ZORULLO. This term has two diverse meanings. First, it may refer to a poorly rolled cigar and, second, it may refer to the filler and binder, prepared for encasing in a wrapper leaf.

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