Cigar Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. A cigar went out a short time ago and now produces a stale taste when relit. Which technique can help before relighting it?
Dip the foot briefly in water
Cut several centimeters from the foot
Gently blow through the cigar to purge trapped stale smoke
Remove the wrapper from the extinguished section
2. Someone says cigars are harmless as long as the smoke is not inhaled into the lungs. Which response is most accurate?
That is correct because cigar smoke contains no nicotine
That is correct for handmade cigars but not machine-made cigars
Risk exists only when a cigar is smoked more than once per week
Cigar smoke contains nicotine and harmful chemicals, and exposure can occur through the mouth and surrounding smoke even without intentional inhalation
3. You are handed an uncut traditional cigar. Which ends are the head and the foot?
The head is the end that is lit, while the foot is held in the mouth
The head is the widest point, while the foot is the narrowest point
The head is the capped smoking end, while the foot is the end that is lit
The head is the middle section, while the foot is the capped end
4. A stored cigar has a brittle wrapper that cracks when handled and it burns unusually fast and hot. What is the most likely explanation?
It has undergone additional fermentation
It contains an unusually thick binder
Its ring gauge is too large for its length
It has become too dry
5. A cigar feels very soft, is hard to draw through, and repeatedly struggles to stay lit. Which storage issue best fits these signs?
It was stored with too little tobacco nearby
It has likely absorbed excessive moisture
It was cut too close to the center of the cap
Its wrapper is naturally darker than its filler
6. How does long-filler tobacco differ from short-filler tobacco?
Long filler is always darker, while short filler is always lighter
Long filler uses leaves extending through much of the cigar, while short filler uses smaller tobacco pieces
Long filler forms only the wrapper, while short filler forms only the binder
Long filler contains stems, while short filler contains only whole leaves
7. What is the main purpose of a properly maintained humidor?
To make every cigar increase in strength over time
To remove all moisture before a cigar is smoked
To provide relatively stable conditions that limit drying and excess moisture
To prevent tobacco oils from contributing any aroma
8. What does retrohaling mean in cigar tasting?
Relighting a cigar from the head rather than the foot
Drawing smoke deeply into the lungs and holding it there
Blowing smoke backward through the lit foot
Expelling some smoke through the nasal passage without intentionally inhaling it into the lungs
9. When using a straight cutter on a capped cigar, which approach best reduces the chance of the wrapper unraveling?
Peel off the entire cap and nearby wrapper before cutting
Cut well below the shoulder to expose more filler
Slice through the middle of the cigar and smoke either half
Remove a small portion of the cap while leaving the cigar's shoulder intact
10. Why is fermentation used during cigar-tobacco processing?
To coat the leaves with an artificial wrapper layer
To manage heat and moisture so compounds such as ammonia are reduced and tobacco characteristics develop
To eliminate nicotine completely from the tobacco
To make every leaf identical in color, strength, and flavor
11. What is the primary role of the filler tobacco in a cigar?
It forms the cigar's central tobacco core
It seals the smoking end before cutting
It creates the finished outer appearance
It protects the cigar from humidity changes
12. Two cigars have similarly rich flavors, but one produces a noticeably stronger nicotine effect. Which statement best describes the difference?
Strength can refer to perceived nicotine impact, while body describes the weight or fullness of the smoking experience
The richer cigar has more strength because flavor and nicotine are identical
The stronger cigar has more body because strength refers only to smoke thickness
The stronger cigar must have a larger ring gauge
13. What does the binder leaf normally do?
It holds the filler together beneath the wrapper
It closes the head so tobacco cannot escape
It covers the cigar as the final decorative leaf
It separates different filler leaves by flavor
14. Which part forms the visible outer surface of a traditional cigar?
The binder
The filler
The wrapper
The cap
15. What does a cigar's ring gauge describe?
Its diameter expressed in sixty-fourths of an inch
The circumference of its band in millimeters
The number of tobacco varieties in its filler
The number of months it was aged after rolling
16. A cigar's foot is beginning to char only on one side during lighting. What is the best next step?
Cut away the darkened side of the foot
Rotate the cigar while gently applying heat to the unlit areas
Wet the lit side so the opposite side can catch up
Draw as forcefully as possible without moving the flame