Cigars come in many shades, shapes, and sizes, but did you know they can be made in two ways? They can follow the traditional route and be rolled by hand or manufactured by a 19th-century invention — a cigar-rolling machine. In some instances, cigarmakers will even combine the two methods.

Many cigar purists feel handmade cigars are superior to their machine-produced counterparts. But that doesn’t mean machine rolled cigars are a lousy option. It’s important to know the difference between the two and the benefits and drawbacks both types of cigars offer so you can easily distinguish how your cigar has been made.

What are hand rolled cigars?

Crafting a cigar by hand has been a common practice since the mid-16th century and is viewed as an art form. Hand rolled cigars are made of 100% natural aged tobacco leaves, usually imported from countries like the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Honduras. However, the USA Connecticut Shade leaf is prized for wrapper tobacco.

With every step done by hand, dedicated craftsmen and women must carefully cut, bunch, and bind the cigar together to ensure the final product’s flawless flavor profiles and quality.

Are all cigars hand rolled?

Not all cigars are hand rolled, but this is likely because of the time it takes from planting the seed to giving you a ready-to-smoke premium stogie. The handmade cigarmaking process takes around two to four years, while a machine-made smoke has a much speedier turnaround time.

This makes it a breeze for cigar manufacturers to keep up with demand, so smokers won’t have to wait long to enjoy their favorite machine rolled cigar. They also come in handy for those on a budget who need a reliable everyday smoke and only light up a hand-rolled stick for special occasions.

What are the benefits of smoking a hand rolled cigar?

The main benefit of smoking a hand-rolled cigar is you only get the taste of 100% natural aged tobacco leaves, resulting in a more flavorful smoke. Everything from the wrapper, binder, and filler blend is made of pure tobacco, giving you peace of mind that the flavor profile isn’t contaminated with additional chemicals.

Handmade smokes typically contain long fillers made entirely from tobacco leaves that run the entire length of the stick. Quality, long-filler tobacco burns slower and lasts longer than short-filler tobacco, creating a spectrum of flavors and subtleties for a memorable smoking experience.

The wrappers on hand-rolled cigars are constructed from trimmed tobacco leaves. They retain moisture, contributing to a slow and even burn. Cigars are meant to be savored, so the measured burn lets you take time between draws and appreciate its aromas and flavor notes.

If you like the finer things in life, hand-rolled cigars undoubtedly have a premium feel and look, but you still need to take proper care of them.

Do hand rolled cigars need a humidor?

There’s no place like home. Handmade cigars need to be kept in a humidor to survive — unless you plan to smoke them there and then.

Stick to the 70/70 cigar humidor role for optimum conditions: 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 70% relative humidity. You can learn more in our beginner’s guide to cigar humidors about how to keep your budding collection fresh and long-lasting. 

What are machine rolled cigars?

Machine rolled cigars are constructed by machines and have German-born businessman Oscar Hammerstein to thank for their important role in the industry. He created the first cigar-rolling machine in 1885, enabling the mass production of cigars by combining tobacco and a paper wrap.

While modern manufacturing technologies ensure a consistent smoking experience every time, machine-made cigars will often contain chemicals, paper, and preservatives so the tobacco can withstand the machine processes.

What are the benefits of smoking a machine rolled cigar?

Machine-made smokes will rarely suffer from construction problems, as the wrapper must be durable enough to withstand the assembly of the machine. No holes or tears in the wrapper ensures a reliable smoke and avoids common burn issues.

If you’re new to smoking and don’t want to spend too much on your first smoke, a machine-made cigar is usually much more affordable than a hand rolled one.

Arguably, their biggest advantage is their convenience to manufacturers and customers. Machines can cut and roll your cigars to perfect specifications, without the need for human intervention, making them significantly faster off the production line.

As they are uniform in shape and size, consumers have a similar experience with each machine-made cigar.

Do machine rolled cigars need a humidor?

It’s just as important to store your machine-rolled smokes properly so they maintain their flavor and burn rate. Even though they aren’t as vulnerable to humidity, you should still store them in a humidor at a temperature between 65-70°F and relative humidity between 65-70%. 

Key differences between handmade and machine-made cigars

Other than the way they are created, there are several notable differences between traditionally made and machine-crafted cigars.

• Tobacco quality: Hand rolled cigars contain pure tobacco. Machine-made cigars are often made with additives, chemicals, preservatives, and tobacco scraps (AKA short fillers).
• Different types of fillers: Most long fillers are handmade, whereas machine-made smokes burn hotter and faster because their short fillers are made from a mix of leaves, stems, and tobacco scraps.
• Different binders: Hand-rolled cigars using coarse tobacco for the binder to hold the filler contents. Machine-made cigars are bound together with ground up tobacco and natural clue. 
• Different wrappers: A machine-rolled cigar wrapper has a duller appearance, as it has been mixed with other chemicals. A hand-rolled stogie has the luxury of an all-natural tobacco leaf full of natural oils and moisture, contributing to a consistent burn.
• Taste: While taste is subjective and everyone has their go-to smokes, handmade cigars tend to have a fuller and richer taste because machines haven’t processed the tobacco.
• Cost: You’ll usually find hand-rolled cigars cost more than machine-made ones. This is because of the automatic process that mass-produced cigars undergo, making it cheaper and quicker for the manufacturer to produce a box.
• Quality control: From carefully selecting and blending the tobacco leaves to applying the wrapper, there’s no denying the greater attention artisan cigarmakers have to detail and quality.

Should beginners buy hand rolled or machine-made cigars?

A certain romanticism is attached to the centuries-old tradition of making cigars by hand. It has been passed down through generations, ensuring each cigar is crafted to perfection. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a time and a place for machine-made cigars. 

While quality control isn’t necessarily a top priority for mass-produced cigars, you should still target quality machine-made sticks that use high-quality paper wraps and tobacco. Additionally, the tobacco should be aged for at least two years to ensure optimum flavor. 

Keeping a combination of hand rolled cigars and machine-made cigars is a popular choice for many enthusiasts, but the final decision lies with you. Ask yourself, “What can I afford? “What are my taste preferences? and “How often do I smoke?” to light the way to an informed decision. Beginner smokers are unlikely to be smoking regularly or fully comprehend the flavor profiles that flutter your tastebuds. Still, we believe there is no substitute for a finely-crafted handmade cigar. 

Whether you need high-quality machine-made cigars for everyday enjoyment or have extra dollars to get your hands on a premium, hand-rolled stogie, visit cigars.com for the best cigar-smoking experience.