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Beginner's Guide

Handmade Cigars vs Machine Made Cigars: 4 Major Differences

By Ruben Gonzalez
Handmade Cigars vs Machine Made Cigars: 4 Major Differences

Handmade vs machine-made cigars – what’s the difference?

Most nonsmokers do not know the difference between handmade premium cigars vs machine-made cigars. Famous handmade brands include Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, Arturo Fuente, and Davidoff. Some of the best-selling machine-made cigars are brands like Black and Mild, Backwoods, and Swisher Sweets. Let’s begin by learning the definition of a cigar: a cylinder of tobacco rolled in tobacco leaves for smoking.

Now let’s learn to distinguish one type from the other.

Handmade

Considered premium because handcrafted by master rollers with years of experience. Considered currently as an industrialized artisanal product. In fact, they produced in quantity with strict quality controls while still preserving centuries of tradition.

Handmade cigars are certainly meant to be appreciated slowly vs machine-made cigars that are quick smokes. Smoked in moderation and in the company of good friends alongside your favorite drink.

Other elements that make a cigar premium are:
  • Tobacco quality, fermentation, and aging.
  • The use of long-leaf tobaccos.
  • No added flavors.
  • Prices tend to be in the area of 5 dollars a cigar and up.

Machine-made

In order to be able to be sold at low price points, they are mass-produced industrially. Machine-made cigars, sometimes referred to as cigarillos, are the working man’s smokes. Full of flavor yet won’t hurt your wallet.

Characteristics of machine-made cigars are:
  • The use of short filler tobaccos.
  • Added flavors. The most popular being Vanilla, Honey, Honeyberry, Wild Cherry, and Russian Cream.
  • Prices per stick are usually south of 2 dollars.
  • Homogenized tobacco papers used instead of tobacco leaves.

Lucky for you, Cigar Country sells both! Please visit our Handmade Cigars page to view our complete premium catalog. Looking for less expensive and flavored smokes? We suggest you visit our Machine-made Cigars section. Handmade cigars vs machine-made cigars – what will you choose? Now you can make an informed decision and pick your preference without any doubts.