Why do cigars have caps? Interesting.

[El Presidente]

Mark Neff asked me an interesting question as to why do cigars have caps? It was a question that I had no ready answer to.

So...I forwarded the question to my good friend (deap throat) in HSA and he came back with an intriguing answer in his normally passionate way. With people like him in charge, Habanos s.a has a promising future.

I don't like finished masterpieces…the finest always have an element of mystery..

Having a cap is not an issue of aesthetics only, it's a way to get the aroma captured inside. When you get both ends opened, you could really apprecciate how the aroma of the box or cabinet declines. A researcher at the Tobacco institute took time explain this to me and his assertion was that the reduction in the aroma within a dress box or cabinet is about 40% and happens quite quickly.

Besides, how can the smoker do his part in the ritual of l ighting the cigar when half the job is done? I concur that it makes the job easier but I think is rather good to be the main star and take the wheel and act like a connoisseur or thorough professional and perform a sharp yet beautiful cut you would be proud about and show the people how the abilities in handling a precious item are not easy to achieve.

On the top of this I may say that cutting a cigar gives you time for appreciating the moment. Remember as part of the ritual, you are evaluating the cigar, the ambience, the people you share the moment with and sharpening your senses. It's like when you open a bottle of wine!!!! You let the real spirit of the wine emerge and showcase what it is all about.

[Jimmy2]

I love cutting a cigar with my nail wonder who i learned it from?;-)

[PigFish]

...and I thought it was for keeping beetle **** from getting in your mouth!!! Rob, you are a wealth!

[El Presidente]

» ...and I thought it was for keeping beetle **** from getting in your

» mouth!!!

I thought the caps were to hide which cigars were plugged :-D

[Jimmy2]

I would have thought the cap's purpose was for the cigar outer leaf not to unravel.

[El Presidente]

» I would have thought the cap's purpose was for the cigar outer leaf not to

» unravel.

Certainly assists Jimmy but there are many ways to do this without a cap or at least a full cap (think Guantanamera which comes with the cap clipped).

[anacostiakat]

» » ...and I thought it was for keeping beetle **** from getting in your

» » mouth!!!

»

» I thought the caps were to hide which cigars were plugged :-D

I would have thought it was so you minimized the short filler from giving you something to dine on while smoking? :-D

[brian1]

I dunno, personally I wouldnt mind if cigars came pre cut, Invariably I am not happy with my cut and usually end up mutilating the foot... I am a clumsy bastard when it comes to these things.:-)

[Freefallguy]

Will we soon see screw caps:confused:

[lfg2nrg]

If they didn't have a cap, I wouldn't know which end to light.

[Colt45]

» Invariably I am not happy with my cut and usually end up mutilating the foot...

»

If you're cutting the foot, that could be part pf the problem

[genevapics]

Interesting piece of information. On a parejo, why not close both ends? Time? Money? Thanks for the info, Rob.

[n2advnture]

Someone posed this question and I wanted to get an expert opinion on the matter....however, while I greatly appreciate it (REALLY, appreciate it) I am not satisfied with it :-P

My initial thoughts as to the reason cigars have caps would be:

1.) Cigars are blended in a specific manner for a specific taste profile (in most cases that is), some cigar sizes (eg, corona gorda, pc, churchill, DC, corona, etc) where the head and the foot of the cigar would be indistinguishable, the smoker would be confused as to which end is intended by the manufacturer to be the smoking end (head). This may lead to the smoker starting at the stronger ligero end of a blend instead of starting at the milder end.

2.) To keep the wrapper from unraveling

3.) Sanitary reasons

4.) To allow the smoker to control and/or adjust the draw of the cigar by creating a smaller or larger cut as required.

Any thoughts Rob?

~Mark

[stickman]

» I would have thought the cap's purpose was for the cigar outer leaf not to

» unravel.

This is exactley what I was told by MRN

[winelover]

» Someone posed this question and I wanted to get an expert opinion on the

» matter....however, while I greatly appreciate it (REALLY, appreciate it) I

» am not satisfied with it :-P

»

» My initial thoughts as to the reason cigars have caps would be:

»

» 1.) Cigars are blended in a specific manner for a specific taste profile

» (in most cases that is), some cigar sizes (eg, corona gorda, pc,

» churchill, DC, corona, etc) where the head and the foot of the cigar would

» be indistinguishable, the smoker would be confused as to which end is

» intended by the manufacturer to be the smoking end (head). This may lead

» to the smoker starting at the stronger ligero end of a blend instead of

» starting at the milder end.

»

» 2.) To keep the wrapper from unraveling

»

» 3.) Sanitary reasons

»

» 4.) To allow the smoker to control and/or adjust the draw of the cigar by

» creating a smaller or larger cut as required.

»

» Any thoughts Rob?

»

» ~Mark

Think you should apply to Habanos SA!

[Tom Bolivar]

I heard about the cap beeing there in order to keep the aroma in the stick. Draft seems not good for cigars... :-D

Now for why the parejos are only sealed on one end, here is my rime: It is important to know which is the foot and which is the head. It does not really matter for all cigars. But some of the sticks would develop different if smoked the other way around (lit by the head). Ever heard of a "hard foot" cigar? ;-)

Regards,

Tom

[El Presidente]

»

» My initial thoughts as to the reason cigars have caps would be:

»

» 1.) Cigars are blended in a specific manner for a specific taste profile

» (in most cases that is), some cigar sizes (eg, corona gorda, pc,

» churchill, DC, corona, etc) where the head and the foot of the cigar would

» be indistinguishable, the smoker would be confused as to which end is

» intended by the manufacturer to be the smoking end (head). This may lead

» to the smoker starting at the stronger ligero end of a blend instead of

» starting at the milder end.

XXXXXXXX No cigar

There is a band to help. If with the band...the "connoisseur" could not distinguish which end to light....then he shouldn't be smoking Cuban cigars ;-) »

» 2.) To keep the wrapper from unraveling

XXXXXXXXXNo Cigar

Many cheaper ways of doing that. Why use quality wrapper when you can use vegetable glue? Hundreds of cigar brands worldwide today are sold without a cap with no problems of unravelling.»

» 3.) Sanitary reasons

XXXXXXXXXNo Cigar

Your Kidding Have you seen how these are rolled :-)

» 4.) To allow the smoker to control and/or adjust the draw of the cigar by

» creating a smaller or larger cut as required.

Best Alternative Answer so -far. However the draw should be perfect everytime if the roller does his job right. Still....not a bad effort.

I can assure you it is about the aroma. Believe it or not :-) [/b]

» Any thoughts Rob?

»

» ~Mark

[Jimmy2]

Its like a butt plug to keep the aroma in or from getting out?

[JohnS]

It's an old thread, but I'm grateful for FoH's wealth of knowledge on all things 'Habanos'. I was pondering this question tonight and my printed material and internet references noted the wrapper unravelling as the reason for capping a cigar, mainly. I'm thankful for the aroma reference here. It makes me appreciate why my Cohiba Shorts are all clear cellophane-wrapped (as they are pre-cut, without caps).

[PigFish]

... one thing is for sure, it is not to help the people at Tabacuba point them all one way in the box!!!

-Piggy

[Fugu]

Interesting older thread you are bringing up here, @JohnS. I for one don't buy much into that aroma thingy or other "poetic" suggestions. My take being, as you are mentioning, it had simply been evolving from its main task of securing the free end of the wrapper. Since the end of the glued-on cap would look pretty shabby and could become detached again, a full cap endpiece (the gorro) is applied to cover it up and holding it in place. Or alternatively, the free end being twisted into a pigtail (the more ancient, traditional way, quite like a veguero/campesino would do it). If you had no idea how a cigar would look like and you were to roll a cigar on your own, I feel, by the time you elaborate your technique that seems to be the most natural, logical way of doing it.

The aroma idea doesn't make any sense in my book (from a physical and logical perspective, that is). And, traditionally, cigars had never been made with the intent of long-term aging (like we are doing it today), so that that could have any significant effect.

[dominattorney]

On 5/2/2007 at 8:23 AM, lfg2nrg said:

If they didn't have a cap, I wouldn't know which end to light.

I should say, this mostly. 

[PigFish]

What the hell ever happened to Jimmy2? That is what I want to know! -Piggy

[RijkdeGooier]

I have always thought that it was bexause Originally cigars were unbanded and sold in cabinets. 

Given the disatrous effects when lit at the wrong end, a cap served as an indication of where to light the cigar?

[brutusthebuckeye]

On 9/18/2017 at 2:14 PM, PigFish said:

What the hell ever happened to Jimmy2? That is what I want to know! -Piggy

Me2....and what about Brazoeagle?