April 18
Cigars are a natural and artisanal product
They're made of one thing and only one thing - smoke.
Pure, unadulterated tobacco. Not a single leaf has been chemically treated or artificially altered for flavor or any other reason. Everything from flavor to color is achieved by natural means - and that's part of the inherent beauty of the cigar. Aficionados know this well.
In fact, few consumables are so naturally. Perceived tastes, whether sweet or spicy, exist in nature. The various tempting shades of coffee are achieved through an organic process, without dyes or accelerators. Finally, we note that not there are no preservatives to increase shelf life and no sweeteners, artificial or natural.
Two Hundred Pairs of Hands
It is often said that 200 pairs of hands touch your cigar before it reaches your humidor. Some claim the number is even higher. Suffice it to say that every time you light a cigar, many, many people with many different skills have contributed to bringing you the ultimate handmade product. There are, of course, many other quality control steps that vary from operation to operation, and almost all of them are completed entirely by hand, but the point is this: a single rolled cigar, is a huge human effort, requiring 200+ these hands on expertise at every level.
Tobacco undergoes fermentation
Tobacco is fermented for one simple reason: it gives the tobacco better taste. The process affects the taste and smell of the tobacco, making it less astringent and reducing bitterness, while bringing out its more floral, dry and sweet aspects.
Ageing is important
Aging tobacco plays a vital role, both before and after the cigar is made. Not only is the fresh leaf aged before being rolled into a cigar, but a newly finished cigar in most cases is sent to an aging room where the tobaccos marry and the moisture levels of the cigar can stabilize. Perfect aging is achieved when you bring a cigar to its absolute peak of flavor. At the peak, the flavors are not only more balanced and coherent, but all undesirable qualities such as bitterness or harshness are completely absent. A great cigar can age for decades, as long as the temperature and humidity are stable throughout.
Understand the anatomy of the cigar
A cigar consists of three main parts: the Wrapper, the binder and the filler. The three form a smoking system and the single system forms a single cigar.
