How to identify a cigar: read the band, size and wrapper

Someone hands you a cigar at a wedding, a friend leaves one in your humidor, or you find a lone stick in a drawer. Before you light it, it is worth knowing what it is. Most cigars can be identified in a minute from three things: the band, the size and the wrapper.

The fastest way: scan it

Hold the whole cigar upright, band facing the camera, and take one photo in the Cigario app. The cigar scanner reads the band and shows the brand, line, size, origin, strength, flavors and community ratings within a few seconds. If the cigar is not in the catalog yet, it is identified anyway and added for everyone.

1. Read the band

The band is the cigar’s name tag. The brand is usually the biggest word on it. Many cigars also carry a secondary band lower down with the line, a vintage, an anniversary or a limited edition. Read both, and note any small print such as the country or a slogan.

• Brand: the main name, for example Padrón, Oliva or Arturo Fuente.
• Line: the series within the brand, often on the secondary band, such as Serie V or 1964 Anniversary.
• Small print: country, factory or edition. It helps when two lines share a similar main band.

2. Measure the size

Brands use the same band on many sizes, so the size tells you which cigar of the line you hold. Size is given as length × ring gauge: length in inches and ring gauge, the diameter, in 64ths of an inch. A 6 × 50 cigar is six inches long and 50/64 of an inch thick.

Size names such as Robusto, Toro or Churchill give a rough idea, but every brand uses them a little differently. The measured numbers are more reliable. See our guide to cigar sizes and vitolas.

3. Look at the wrapper

Many brands make the same cigar with different wrappers, and the band can look almost identical. The wrapper shade tells them apart, from pale golden to almost black.

4. Check the country

Several famous names are made both in Cuba and outside it by different companies. Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta and H. Upmann exist as Cuban Habanos and as non-Cuban cigars, and there is a Dominican Cohiba sold in the United States. They are different blends. Look for the country on the band, the box or the shop listing before you compare reviews.

Identifying a cigar is not the same as proving it is genuine. If you hold a Cuban cigar and want to know whether it is real, follow our checklist on how to spot fake Cuban cigars.

What if the band is missing?

Without a band, there is no reliable way to name a cigar from its looks alone. Many cigars share the same size and wrapper color. These clues help:

• The box or cellophane sleeve: the brand and size are often printed there.
• The receipt or the shop: a tobacconist can usually tell you what they sold.
• Whoever gave it to you: the simplest question is often the fastest.
• Size and wrapper: they will not name the cigar, but they narrow the search.

If none of that works, enjoy it as a mystery cigar and write down what you taste. In Cigario you can add it by hand and note the size and flavors.

Frequently asked questions

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