FIGUARDOS

You would have seen the list of my posts on favourite cigars, storage and selection. However I have prepared an information list and a how to select and purchase list to help new Cigar smokers.

The long panatela is a favourite of mine for an easy smoke.

Long Panatela (7 1/2" x 38)

Here is a list of my most preferred Cuban Cigars.
CORONAS Petit Corona (5" x 42)

Corona (5 1/2" x 42)

Corona Extra (5 1/2" x 46)

Robusto1 (5" x 50)

Long Corona (6" x 42)

Toro (6" x 50)

Lonsdale (6 1/2" x 42)

Grand Corona (6 1/2" x 46)

Churchill2 (7" x 47)

Giant Corona (7 1/2" x 44)

Double Corona (7 3/4" x 49)
FIGUARDOS The larger a cigar is the harder it is to make therefore new rollers often start with the Petit Corona working their way up. The complexities involved in rolling something as large as a Giant cigar is very great hence it falls into the difficult to make category known as Figuardos. Please note that the terms Diedamas and Giant are interchangable.

For Example the Punch Grand Cru Diedamas Deluxe (8 x 52)

Petite Belicoso (5" x 50)

Belicoso (6" x 50)

Torpedo (6 1/2" x 52)
Pyramid (7" x various)

Next to the Torpedo the Pyramid probably one of the most recogonized of the Figuardos and my favourite style of Cuban cigar. Unlike the Torpedo, which tapers in the last inch or two, the Pyramid tapers from head to foot. The Pyramid size is popular everywhere with the Cuban Montechristo No. 2 being one of the most famous cigars of all time.
Giant4 (9" x52)

Purchase Selection
Look for open boxes in your tobacconist's humidor that have been there for a while. Cigars are often shipped "wet" to retard drying, and should stabilize for a week or more in a proper environment before smoking. Grab them too soon and they may have only stabilized on the exposed side, causing uneven burning. You can compensate just as easily by putting your purchases in your own humidor for a week before smoking.
Squeeze the cigar gently as It should give but not be too soft. Don't roll it in your fingers as some suggest this can damage the wrapper. Squeeze gently up and down the body to look for lumps or soft spots. A good cigar should have neither. Remember to be gently. Even if you don't buy that cigar somebody else might so don't damage it!

Inspect the wrapper for odd discolorations, looseness or cracks. The wrapper should be smooth and tight and not damaged on either end. Smaller veins are good to watch for as these often smoke smoother, However compare your single to other cigars with the same wrapper! Veins appear differently in different wrapper types.
Look at the tobacco in the exposed end. Some variation of color is normal, as most cigars are made from a blend of tobaccos. What you're watching for is extreme or abrupt color changes. This sometimes means an inferior leaf was used, or the leaves weren't laid together properly in the bunching process. Off tastes and uneven burns will often be the result.