If you're new to rolling tobacco, conversations between experienced rollers can sound like a different language. Here's a quick guide to the terms you'll come across most often.
Leaf Terms
Whole leaf — Tobacco in its most natural form, without industrial processing or reconstitution. What Ounce28 uses.
Reconstituted sheet — A manufactured tobacco product made by grinding low-quality leaf and stems into a slurry, then pressing it into sheets. Used in most commercial tobaccos to cut costs.
Cut — The way tobacco is shredded. Fine cut rolls easily but burns fast. Rough cut burns slow but is harder to pack evenly.
Terroir — Borrowed from wine, referring to the distinctive character the growing environment gives to the tobacco leaf.
Rolling Terms
Pack — How tightly the tobacco is compressed in the roll. Tight pack = slow burn, more resistance. Loose pack = fast burn, easy draw.
Roach — A filter or crutch made from stiff card, rolled into a cylinder and placed at the mouth end of a cigarette.
Cherry — The burning ember at the lit end of a cigarette. A good cherry glows evenly and holds its shape.
Run — When one side of a cigarette burns faster than the other. A sign of uneven packing or sealing.
Gum line — The strip of adhesive on a rolling paper used to seal the cigarette.
Draw — The act of pulling smoke through the cigarette. A good draw is smooth with slight resistance.
