Is there a difference between convenience store cigars and cigar shop cigars?
There is a huge difference between the cheap prepackaged cigars and those available at quality smoke shops. Most of the mass-produced cigars include non-tobacco ingredients such as paper, saltpeter (for even burning) and PG or Glycerin (to prevent them from drying out). Quality cigars contain only tobacco and are normally handmade. Most quality cigars contain top-of-the-line leaves, and are made with long-filler, meaning the leaves run from one end of the cigar to the other. These handmade cigars offer excellent craftsmanship, flavor and enjoyment. The higher prices are due to the costs involved in producing such a cigar, from daily tending of the plants, to leaf selection and fermentation, through aging, rolling, boxing, distributing and advertising, these cigars go through rigorous quality control and many steps before they reach our shelves and your hands.