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...
Once our tobacco leaves have dried in the curing barns, they are shipped off to the packing houses. The leaves are once again sorted, this time by size, texture, and color. Once sorted the leaves are once again tied together with a strip of palm tree leaf. They are...
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 of the Royal Palm Tree and tied with palm fronds. They are then marked with their origin and date and placed in the factories’ storehouses to continue aging for another 1-3 years.
Although a mild form of fermentation still continues in the storehouse, it is nothing as dramatic as what happens in the packing houses. At the specified time, the bales are opened and inspected. They are also shaken out and re-humidified with a fine mist spray. This process is called “casing”. The leaves are then hung up for the water to naturally drain. The once dry and brittle leaves are now full of moisture and easily pliable.
Next week, will we start assembling cigars and touch on the blending process.