Cigar Diary: What Gives a Great Cigar Balance?

(Cigar Aficionado) ... Cubans traditionally use a half, or quarter, of a leaf of ligero in a cigar that could have as many as three to five filler leaves in the blend. The ligero is the elemental strength and flavor, much like a chef uses black pepper in his, or her, signature dish. It's important not to over use pepper in cooking as well as in a cigar blend. This is why most factories do not make a ligero-only cigar. Continued

Image: "The First Cigar" by John Gast (Library of Congress).