Once the cigars are aged in the marrying room, they are inspected and sorted by color. This is quite the task as there are roughly 60 different shades of brown. It’s a really big deal for not only the cigar maker, but also the cigar smoker, to open a box and see all...
There are 3 basic ways to make a cigar. Of course, there are variations here and there on each type and what is acceptable under each classification and also what each factory refers to them as. However, we’d be here for a few more weeks if we were to break them all...
After the leaves are properly re-hydrated through casing, the leaves that will be used for as a binder or wrapper go through a process to remove the central vein in each leaf. The left and right sides are kept separate, especially for wrapper leaves. There is a...
Our tobacco leaves have now completed the fermentation process and each leaf is separated, sorted, inspected, and graded. For instance, wrapper leaves are separated by color (i.e. Claro, Colorado, Maduro, Oscuro). Each type is packed together in bales made from bark...
That fantastic masterpiece of tobacco engineering you have in your hand had to start somewhere, right? We’re going to take you back to the beginning of it all. You might even be a little surprised at how much work goes into creating that perfect cigar.
The very first thing we have to start with is the seed. The tobacco seed determines the size, color, texture, and type of plant that will grow. The soil and the climate is planted in, however, creates the taste, aroma, ash color, and burning qualities of the cigar.
The first steps of planting take place in September and October. The tobacco seeds are no larger than a pinhead. For the first 45 days, the seeds are planted in transportable trays. After 45 days, they are mature enough to be transplanted in the fields. During this period, the seeds are carefully watched over and it is not permitted to smoke cigars around them for fear of a virus being transmitted from microscopic ash residue.
To Be Continued…