Herfin' USA - Making a Fine Cigar, Part 3
The next time you pick up a cigar, take a moment to admire the science and art behind it. The process from seed to what you hold in your hand, preparing to burn to ash, is a long one.
I believe that, in addition to enjoying a cigar, one should respect the effort that went into its creation. Many people have devoted a great deal of time and money to produce a cigar your will truly enjoy. This series is devoted to helping you get the most from the experience.
So let’s pick up where we left off. You’ve read about the harvesting and curing of the leaf. Now it’s time to:
Age the Tobacco
The now fermented leaves are placed individually on burlap and each layer is stacked over the other. They remain in the curing house, but are moved to a different section where the tobacco leaves will age for years. Temperature and humidity are monitored and controlled in the the same manner as when the leaves where cured, but instead of 35-45 days for curing, it’s will be at least 2-3 years for aging! This process mellows the various components of the leaf and produces the flavor suitable for a good cigar.
After 2-3 years, the leaves are moved, hand sorted and categorized by color, size, texture and uniqueness. Each leaf is then stemmed by hand, a practiced art. One mistake and an otherwise perfect leaf is damaged, and three years of preparation are forever lost.
Next, the stems are discarded and the leaves are re-stacked for another fermentation, this time at a higher temperature. Based on how the leaves were classified, this period will last another 45-60 days during which more impurities are removed and the tobacco is prepared for yet another aging.
The leaves are placed in open cedar boxes and left to “breath” in the curing house where, depending on the cigar, they’ll remain for another two years. Afterwards, the leaves are hand-packed into bales and aged until they are rolled into cigars.
That’s next!
Till then, keep Herfin’!
Doug
9 Comments
Reader Comments (9)
I enjoy the cigar posts. My wife even calls me "a bit of a cigar snob" which I take as a compliment.
I an down to my last 3 Zino Mouton Cadets. They were a great recommendation. I am not sure where to go next, any recommendations, something similar?
Keep herfin!
The articles are all very educational. I especially like the ones where you compare different cigars and make recommendations. I have tried some that were recommended by my cigar shop but didn't care for most of them (too strong). One was a Gurkha which was a little skinnier and I liked but I don't remember which one it was and one was a Honey that was pretty good. I will be interested to learn which you recommend next.
Nice series on the making of cigars. Being an old herfer, I always enjoy anything on the subject.
My wife gave me a beautiful new humidor that came with 25 Ghurkha Chancellors in assorted sizes. The thing will hold 200 sticks so I will be going back over previous articles for leads on what to put in it. Yeehaw!!
Steve O...The Mouton Cadet's are in a class of their own. Being a boutique cigar that's now out of production, they're getting more expensive as stock is bought up. Hold on to those 3 for awhile!
The Gurkha Symphony may be one for you to try that's similar. I have a fondness for those. 5 Vegas A's with the Costa Rican wrapper are a great choice. The CAO America is a great barber-pole cigar with a consistent exceptional flavor throughout. The CAO Itailia or the Oliveros El Padilla both have leaf from Italy which gives them a unique character. For a mild to medium threshold strength, most of the Dominican and Honduran cigars will be good choices. In MY opinion, Nicaraguan's tend to be stronger in taste and body because of the climate and soil, especially from the Esteli region. Try a Baccarat or a Romeo y Julieta(Reserve Maduro's are very good).
Cigars are like wine. There are so many variations on taste, it's hard to suggest a particular brand or style, but those are some of my favorites.
I would recommend staying the Robusto sizes (5 X 52) or larger for a cooler smoke with more flavor.
Thank you!!!
I'm sorry but is that sanitary? I mean it sits out like that in the open for years and then gets rolled into a cigar that people smoke. Tell me they somehow sanitize it before we smoke it.
Gina, it's more sanitary than going out to your garden and pulling up a carrot and eating it...or picking a tomato..etc. The high heat in the curing rooms is designed to not only "boil" out the impurities, but also destroy harmful bacteria, bugs, etc. When a pesticide must be used in the fields, organic botanicals are used. Even the rooms where the Torcedores (cigar rollers) work is kept sanitary and clean to maintain the integrity of the leaf while they roll. Many are tubed, keeping air from getting to them at all, or wrapped in cello. Then again, the glowing ember at the foot of the cigar once you light it helps eliminate stray cuban refugees that might be trying to smuggle themselves inside a large double corona!
I just learned something I thought I should share with everyone in case anyone else is unaware of it: If you click on "cigar talk" under the article (next to the date) it takes you to ALL the "cigar talk" articles. You can read through them without having to hunt for them. It works with ANY of the keywords under the posts. Awesome feature I didn't realize was there!