Cigars

Choosing a cigar is an individual thing. It depends on personal taste, availability and budget.

the larger the ring size, the fuller and more complex a flavor the cigar will have, and the more smoke it will produce.

In terms of color, the darker the wrapper, the more full-bodied the cigar is likely to be. The longer the leaf stays on the plant, the more sunlight it gets and the darker it will end up being. There are dozens of possible shades of cigar wrappers. Some of the more common colors are:

Double Claro – has a light green wrapper and a very mild flavor.
Claro – has a light tan wrapper and a smooth, mild flavor.
Natural - light brown to brown. It has a fuller bodied flavor than the Claro.
Colorado - reddish dark brown, with a robust, rich flavor.
Colorado Maduro – a dark brown wrapper with a rich, aromatic flavor.
Maduro – is very dark brown, and usually has a strong, sweet flavor.
Oscuro - the darkest maduro wrapper, oscuro is almost black and is stronger than the lighter maduro wrappers. The darker the wrapper, the more full-bodied and sweeter a cigar is likely to be.

Select a size (length) but do not base it on size. Find one that fits in comfortably in your hand.

When buying cigars, you should always check the freshness before you purchase. Squeeze the cigar gently. It should "give" but not be too soft. The cigar should not be dry to the touch, but have a mild oily sheen to it.