Cigars Category List
About Our Cigars
We are proud to carry one of the internet's most distinctive collection of premium cigars. Here you will not only find all of the staples such as Macanudo, Partagas and Punch, but also those hard to find cigars. If you do not see something on our updated list at right, contact us as we most likely have it in our store and can send it straight to you.
Take a look at the full line of Acid Cigars, as well as all other fine cigars made by The Drew Estates, The Oliva's Family, The Toranos, Caribe, Padron and all of the "heavenly" flavored cigars.
Interested in receiving recommendations? Navigate to our Learning Center where we discuss the styles and personalities of our favorite cigars. You will also find explorations of cultural topics related to cigar enjoyment and production.
If you would like it all in a newsletter delivered to your inbox, subscribe to the What's Knot To Love Newsletter risk free.
Enjoy!
-WhatsKnotToLove.com Staff
History of Cigars
Perhaps there is a historical basis for the almost sacred quality that cigars have for so many people. To experience each puff is a moment to be cherished, somehow holy in its own right - a meditation in the midst of the chaos of our everyday lives. It is no surprise, then, that the origins of tobacco are rooted in sacred Native American tribal customs. When Cortes, de Balboa and Pizarro swept through the Americas in the 14th century they found the magic of the Tobacco leaf. It was smoked, chewed, and taken as snuff, but its most ubiquitous use was in the peace pipe, a tradition which was quickly taken-up by sailors and conquistadors and brought back to Europe.
It took a century for tobacco to make the transition from medicine to luxury, and finally to fashion, but the practice of smoking nevertheless spread throughout Europe on the heals of Tobacco pioneers like Sir Walter Raleigh, and rapidly made its way east to China. By the time King James I of England rallied to release Counterblast to Tobacco, a publication replete with a scathing analysis of the effects of the leaf, it was already too late. The fad had caught on and the demand for the tobacco plant would become one of the staples of the new world economy.
The concept of the cigar didn't achieve full fruition until the beginning of the 18th century, where they were pioneered in Cuba and eventually made their way to Seville in Spain. From the mid 1700's onwards, cigars were all the rage with Spain and Portugal, and when European countries rallied to fight off Napolean during the Peninsular War (1806-1812), soldiers from England, France and Germany quickly adopted the practice of smoking cigars from the Spanish.
Cigars remained the vehicle of choice for tobacco until the industrial revolution innovated cigarette-making machines and allowed cigarettes to be sold at rock bottom prices.
Cutting the Cigar Cap
There is an art to every element of the cigar, from how the tobacco is grown to how it is assembled and eventually smoked. Cutting the cap is no exception. The majority of cigars have a rounded cap made from excess wrapper leaf that is seamlessly glued to the end of the cigar.
Finer cigars do not use a separate cap for this purpose – the wrapper leaf eventually winds down to the end of the cigar where it is skillfully twisted off. Cutting the cap is essential to the cigar smoking process, allowing an even, smooth draw that releases the cigars treasured aromas and flavors. The cap should be cleanly cut about an eighth of an inch from the base. Special cigar cutters, cigar scissors or even finger nails can be used for cap cutting.
Cigar Shapes
Double Corona: Variation on Corona, except longer and fatter.
Churchill: Variation on Corona that is full-bodied and robust
Robusto: Variation on Corona, except short and fat.
Panetelas: Thinner and longer than Coronas
Lonsdales: Longer than a Corona but thinner than a Panetelas
Petit Coronas: A short smoke.
All of the many and varied cigar shapes available on the market today fall into one of two categories. Either Straight Cigars, also known as Parejos, or Irregular Cigars, referred to as Figuardos.
Culebras: An unusual type of cigar consisting of a braid of Panetelas.
At first glance, the wide, wonderful world of cigar shapes seems to be void of rhyme or reason. With over sixty combinations of shapes and sizes available, and with the tendency of manufacturers to apply different dimensions to a conventional shape, understanding the system can be daunting. However, there is a method to the madness.
First, it's important to understand that the fatter a cigar is, the slower and smoother it will smoke. Because there is more opportunity to use varying layers of filler leaf in a fatter cigar, there is more opportunity to create subtleties in flavor. As a result, only the highest skilled rollers create the fatter cigars and these cigars come with the highest price.
All of the many and varied cigar shapes available on the market today fall into one of two categories. Either Straight Cigars, also known as Parejos, or Irregular Cigars, referred to as Figuardos.
Straight Cigars (Parejos):
Coronas: No doubt this term is familiar for cigars of this shape are the standard.
Irregular Cigars (Figuardos):
Belicosos: Smaller in size with a prymaid-like structure with round head
Diademas: Largest cigars available
Perfectos: Both ends are closed with a bulged center
Pyramids: Pointed, closed head with Open Foot
Torpedos: Pointed head, bulged center and closed foot
Special Ordering Cigars
Interested in cigars you don't see here? Don't hesitate to email us or give us a call at 1.866.832.2440 to see if we have them in stock.
We are also more than happy to special order! Every one of the cigars we send out includes a hand-written note from our staff and is shipped within 24 hours. Because WhatsKnotToLove.com also has an extensive retail network, it's likely we can have your favorite ordered and shipped in a relatively short period of time.
Our Contact Form
Our Shipping Policy for Cigars
If your order totals $75.00 or more, your cigars ship free! All orders ship within 24 hours. We send via USPS and, depending on your location, you can expect for your order to arrive within 2-4 days.
WhatsKnotToLove.com does not sell tobacco or tobacco related products to anyone under the age of 18, nor do we sell cigarettes.
Customers will receive an email confirmation of their order along with an email confirmation that the order has shipped, including any applicable tracking numbers.
Cigars Return Policy
At WhatsKnotToLove.com we want you to be happy with your cigars, so if for any reason you are dissatisfied with your purchase please call one of our managers at 1.866.832.2440 to negotiate the logistics for an exchange.
