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...
After roughly 45 days, the infant plants are evaluated. The strongest plants are then transplanted into the tobacco field at very precise intervals. A row is marked with string and a worker walks the line marking each spot with a stick. Depending on sun, water, and soil, the plants will continue to grow for roughly another 45 days before their first harvesting.
You’ve heard the terms “sun-grown” and “shade-grown” before. But do you know what they actually mean? Bet you can guess sun-grown is literally that: planted out in the open with no cover. Shade-grown, however, is not planted next to the biggest tree in the field using the leaves for cover. It actually means the tobacco is planted under a suspended ceiling. This ceiling can be made of either cheesecloth or a synthetic mesh to screen out the direct sun rays.
Next week we’ll discuss more about the plants, including the different leaves and harvesting practices. Stay tuned!