Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-11-07
FACTS ABOUT CIGARS.
Untutored Smoker Associates Term
Perfecto With Quality.
Meaning Of the Words Colorado, CIaro
and Maduro.

cHNious iIieiuS thdt lie is In possession
of a cigar of the first quality, he usual
ly says that he has perfecto. Rv
perfecto he means the best cigar oh.
tainable, and, as Il rule, he applies the
name to all products of the Havana
factories. But in truth, good MANY
made in the most famous factories hf
the Cuban capital are not The word
rs matter of fact, does not refer To
the quality of Il cigar at ALL 1t is sim.
Ply Il term used to describe the shane.
perfecto may cost 81 and it NAV cost
"a cents. \.
There are half a dozen cigar terms
thus misused by the average smoker
And there are several times as MANY
words of the same sort whose meaning
he is utterly unable to fathom. What
native, corn-fed smoker, for instance
knows the difference between q pene
tela and a Reina Victoria? And how
many know whether there is a real
difference between Il maduro and an
cscuro? Yet, all of these terms are
the common property of cigar makers
all over the world. Like many cigar
brand names they are of Spanish ORR
gin, but the WandcringS of Havana
tobacco and Cuban cigars have taken
them into all countries, and all Ian
Suascs.
The word pcrfectO is a term indicat-
packed fifty in Il box, with thirteen on
the top row, twelve on the row next TO
the top, thirteen on the next, and
twelve on the bottom row. When a
Iondrcs cigar is packed 100 in a box
in two bundles tide with ribbon, it be-
comes a Rcina Victoria, which is Span
ish for Queen Victoria. Early in the
late queens reign, a Cuban manufact-
urer invented this method of packing,
and called the resultant brand after
Great Britains sovereign. The name
has remained ever since.
The word pedfccto is Il term indicat-
ing certain shape in cigars. A per-
fectO is a make having what is gen.
orally called the cigar shape"-that is
to say. it is sWelled near the end which
is lighted. and tapers gradually down
to the point, or head. The end of
cigar which Il smoker puts in his
mouth is known among cigarmakerS as
the head. The other end Chat which
is lightcd), is called the tuck. When,
as often happens in perfecto, the tuck
is very small, it is called Il needle tuck
or feather tuck. All others follow
these lines more or less closely.
A thin, straight cigar, with little
more thickness IN the middle than at
the tuck, is called panetcla. The
average panctcla is slightly longer
than a pcrfecto, though the matter of
size has nothing to do with the shape.
PanetcldS are esteemed because they
burn more regularly and are usually
letter. because more easily made. The
virtue OF the pelfecto is that its small
CT tuck lights more readily. and its
more artistic curves give it greater
beauty.
A londres is Il sort of cross between
the perfecto and the panetela. 1t is a
perfecto from the head to the thickest
part. and from there on TO the tuck it is
betwixt and between. Usually the slope
from the thickest part to the tuck has
q gradual curve. The tuck, as q rule,
is as large as that of panetela.
a par.egas is a cigar shaped much like
a londrcs, except that the slope from the
thickest part to the head is usually not
so rounded. II is a shape not now as
when cigars are genuine partegas the box
is seldom stamped with the name.
A conchas is a small blunt cigar. AS n
rule it is very satisfactory smoke, and
usually it lasts as long as a pcrfeCtu.
This is because the thin tuck of the latter
burns down rapidly. The opera is a very
small cigar of any standard shape 1t de :
rives its name from the fact that il is
designed for a short smoke between the
acts and very often it is called IN cntr'-
act. The brevas is large clumsy cigar,
good for ar hours pulling. The largest
size of all is the Napoleon. Sometimes
Havana NapoleonS are six or seven
inches in length The backer ones are
positively terrifying.
The better grades Of cigars are usually
made in several shapes and sizes. There
may he, for instance, the La Flor de
IIabana rerfcctos, the La Flor de Habana
pantelas, the La Flor de Habana apcras.
the La Flor de Habana partegas and the
La Flor de IIabana conchas. The label is
the same on all of the sizes and shancs.
but on the front of the box the name OF
the shape is stamped.
on one end of each box of cigars will
be NOTED another word. Sometimes it is
Colorado. sometimes it is Claro and at
other times it is MadurO. This indicates
the color of the cigars within or as unin-
formed smokers say, the strength The
ightest of all cigars are a ycllowish
brown. They are called Claros. Next III
order come the Colorado Claros, which
ColoradOs, which are about midway be-
tween black and yellow. After the Colo
RADIOS come the Colorado Maduros, which
are "A darker brown, and then the Madu-
ros watch is well nigh black. Formerly
another cigar was in vogue This was
the Oscuro. and ii was a shiny black
But OF late the fashion has been for
light cigars, and the word oscuro has al
most dropped out OF use
FASHIONS in cigars change just as do
fashions in hats or clothes. Twenty wears
ago manufacturers spent large sums upon
various devices for sweating" wrappers.
50 as to make them coal black, because
the black cigar was then king. Five
years ago there was an equally strenuous
demand for light wrappers, and manufac
turers were at their wits end. Scores of
schemes for bleaching tobacco were tried,
but before an efficient one was discov-
cred there was a reaction. and at pres
ent the greatest demand is for cigars of a
sensible medium color. Five years ago
also spottlcd or speckled cigars were in
fashion. Sumatra wrappers. literally
spotted, brought twice the price of un
spotted ones. and various inventors put
forward spotting compounds. But tins
fad passed like all others, and today the
average smoker does not bother much
about spots.
1t is the fond belief of the majority of
peonle that a cigar of light color is milder
thar a dark one. but this. except in rare
cases, is not necessarily true. The Suma-
ira wrapper on the average smoke
weighs but a few grains. 1t forms in
truth. less than one per cent. Of the en-
tire cigar. and in consequence. it may &c