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...
Alright, so our happy little tobacco plants have avoided the ailments we discussed last week and are growing nice and healthy. Remember how we talked about the plants being primed (leaves harvested) 2-4 leaves at a time? And that each plant can provide roughly 12-18 leaves suitable for cigars? Good!
The first thing that happens to the leaves after priming is to be sorted by size and texture. Color doesn’t come into play yet, as the leaves are all green at this point. Palm branches are then used to braid the same classification leaves together into strips. Next, the strips are taken to curing barns in the fields. These barns are lined with long poles (called cujes) and the rows of braided tobacco leaves are hung over them.
The leaves are left in the barns to dry out. This process can take anywhere from 3-8 weeks, depending on the weather. This is also where the leaves will slowly change color from green to yellow to the brown you are accustomed to seeing in your cigar. The barns are packed full of leaves and they become compressed as more and more leaves are added to the barns. I think we can all agree a packed curing barn is a beautiful sight!
Next week, we will move along from the curing barns and break down the process that happens in the packing houses.