Tobacco Product Knowledge & Classification Flashcards

What is the purpose of a 'humidification system' in a walk-in humidor?

Answer: To maintain 65–70% relative humidity to preserve tobacco's moisture content and prevent cracking or mold

Proper humidification at 65–70% RH keeps cigars supple, prevents wrapper cracking, and maintains the ideal environment for continued aging.

Which of the following best describes a 'Culebra' cigar?

Answer: Three panatela cigars braided together and sold as a set

A Culebra consists of three thin cigars twisted or braided together and banded as one unit — the smoker separates them before smoking.

What role does 'ligero' tobacco play in a cigar blend?

Answer: It provides the highest strength and slowest-burning leaves from the top of the plant

Ligero leaves grow at the top of the tobacco plant and receive the most sunlight, making them the strongest, oiliest, and slowest-burning leaves in a blend.

Which curing method is used to produce flue-cured Virginia tobacco, resulting in high sugar content?

Answer: Heat from flues or pipes circulated in a barn without exposing tobacco to smoke

Flue-curing uses indirect heat circulated through metal pipes (flues) in enclosed barns, rapidly drying the leaf while preserving natural sugars without imparting smoke flavor.

A customer asks about the difference between 'Corojo' and 'Criollo' tobacco. Which answer is most accurate?

Answer: Corojo is traditionally a wrapper/binder variety known for spice, while Criollo is a versatile filler variety with earthier notes

Corojo, originally from Cuba's Vuelta Abajo region, is prized for its spicy, complex character as a wrapper or binder, while Criollo offers earthy, nutty notes and is used throughout the blend.

What is 'Perique' tobacco, and where is it exclusively produced?

Answer: A pressure-fermented tobacco from St. James Parish, Louisiana, known for its spicy, plummy character

Perique is a unique pipe tobacco produced only in St. James Parish, Louisiana, using an ancient pressure-fermentation process that creates its distinctive spicy, fruity flavor.

Which of the following is the correct interpretation of a cigar labeled '5 x 50'?

Answer: 5 inches in length and 50/64ths of an inch in ring gauge diameter

Cigar dimensions are expressed as length in inches followed by ring gauge, where ring gauge is measured in 64ths of an inch — so a 50 ring gauge equals 50/64ths of an inch.