OK. Long filler vs. medium or short. Truly a taste difference or no? I have a feeling that the long filler smokes are prefered for several reasons: 1. The best leaves are used. 2. "Premium" cigars always use the long filler. 3. Long filler produces the best ash to cool the heat. Other than these reasons, would a cigar with short filler of "equal" quality produce the same taste characteristics, and couldn't the binder hold the ash long enough for a cool draw? Help me here, I'm trying to avoid cigar snobbery and simply enjoy good, fairly priced smokes...

i agree with you, the long filler ones are nice but you can't beat a short filler of the same brand that only cost a buck ot two.... finances are important also...

Yes there is a difference. Sometimes it is great. Other times it is more subtle. Long filler cigars are put together with the leaves running the length of the cigar. Each leaf is chosen for it's characteristics that will give flavor and balance to the cigar. The excess is chopped off. Short, medium, and mixed filler cigars tend to lack that balance. This is because you are smoking a cigar with a random pattern of 'table scraps' that have been bunched into a binder then wrapped. Usually the binder and wrapper are still either full leaf or close to it. That is the reason most cigars still taste similar to their premiun counterparts. If they are Mixed Fill versions of TOP QUALITY cigars, they will be pretty tasty sticks. If they are filled with tobacco of low quality cigars, they will not be that good. Hope this helps.

Which would you prefer? A top quality, thick, juicy, steak, or a fat, round hot dog. They both have there time and place, but they don't compare.

I agree!Along with the majority I smoke long filler cigars butI do admit that there are some short filler cigars that I do enjoy. Two in particular are Cuban Sandwich(actually mixed filler but more of the short) and Jose L.Piedra(not the cubans), these are made by Padron from their scraps.While the construction of these cigars is not as good as long filler cigars and they have pigtails for caps,they are very flavorful and they smoke well too:)

short filler can be an excellent tasting cigar but the main problem is in construction generally. They tend to burn hotter, quicker and more eratically (sp)the end deteriorates in your mouth .... but with all of that said ...the mixed filler cigars mentioned above are fine and i might mention montesino mixed fillers and topper or even bances cazadores or el rey del mundo immensas as smokes that are worth spittin a little tobacco over just make sure that the smokes are all tobacco, preferably mixed filler and not sheet binders...a strange fabricated type of tobacco paper....long filler can be as nasty if the tobacco ain't there and the roll job on some long fillers make them almost unsmokeable...so there

C'mon, Hummer. You can't use that analogy. It's more like a fresh crusty sandwich with thinly sliced prociutto. One may have long slivers of the succulent cured ham, and the other may have smaller pieces, yet still sliced wafer thin so as to allow the full flavor to show through.... I'll be back later. Time to eat!

El Credito's are pretty tastey short filler versions of La Gloria Cubana.

Short filler tends to be inconsistent, and it will often burn erratically. If having an odd-burning smoke will suit ya, then go for it, otherwise long filler is what you want. Short filler is a great value, but you are getting a diminished cigar experience.

Here’s something we don’t talk much about.

I would think a short fillet would burn pretty evenly. That's largely based off of cheap gas station gars back in the day.

As far as taste, I think it was Tat that had the Series P that had mixed filler of I think their brown label. I recall it being good, but I would assume long filler is likely to be more complex. That was early on in my cigar exploration, and both the memory and palate were weak

I haven´t smoked a short filler in a long time. I got started in cigars smoking Dutch Masters. This thread actually made me want to get one and give it a whirl.

But it seems like short fillers would lead to a homogenous and linear smoke, even if the tobacco is top notch. It´s all blended together, so I would think that you get the same consistent flavor throughout. It´s been too long for me to remember.

I’ve got some mixed filler smokes. Those Nicaragua cream aren’t bad. They’re pretty linear to me as mentioned. I’ve got some of the my father mixed gars too. Considering the price they’re decent. I tried the factory smokes I see so much hype around and really just hated them. Sometimes I smoke at work in the tractor. After a couple cheap smokes if I want another they’re in my truck glove box. So in that situation they’re serviceable. I’ll smoke through them.