If it was necessary to list the differences between cigars and cigarettes, it would be the use of tobacco leaves that almost everyone would think of in the first place. In one, the leaf is used in all its glory as a single piece, while the other is officially used as minced meat. Of course, I do not even go into the subject of what could be in that mince used in cigarettes, other than tobacco.

But is tobacco used differently between cigars? Contrary to what is known, the answer is; Yes. While some cigars use "long" filler leaves in one piece, others - generally lower in price - use "short" or "chunky" pieces of leaves. The short filler leaves, which are mainly used in machine-made cigars, can also be seen in completely handmade cigars, including some Habano (such as Quintero, Fonseca, La Flor de Cano).

Handmade, long-leaved cigars are called Totalmente a Mano Tripa Larga, while those with short leaves are called Totalmente a Mano Tripa Corta. Tripa Largas in Cuban cigars are made exclusively from premium crops (Vegas de Primera) in the Vuelta Abajo area. In Tripa Corta, tobaccos of different qualities grown in different parts of Cuba can be used.

But what are the effects of these on our smoking? As you can easily guess, the burning of the cigar made with the Tripa Corta first will be more brilliant due to the more air between the tobacco, and contrary to the calm burning we see in Tripa Larga, it will spoil the taste of the cigar more comfortably. However, the complex taste of a single leaf is more difficult to find in other short leaves. Moreover, this difference is reflected in the ash. Of course, the resistance between the ash of a single leaf and the ash created by the pieces of leaves is different. While one of them stands still for a longer time and balances the combustion, the second one will fall in a shorter time and will not be able to do this balancing task properly.

In addition to this pair, there are also cigars called Cuban Sandwich, where long and short are used together.

Personally, like the majority, I prefer Tripa Larga cigars, and my humble recommendation would be in that direction. However, I have no words for those who prefer Tripa Corta. As always it is a matter of personal preference.