How Cigars Are Made
A Masterpiece You’re Meant to Light on Fire
Almost everyone will know the names Leonardo DaVinci, Michelangelo, and Picasso. They know these famous artists, but if you aren’t in the cigar world I bet you’ve never heard of E.P. Carillo or A.J. Fernandez. These two are very well known in the cigar world as some of the greatest artist and their masterpieces are in a medium meant to be lit on fire.
What is a Cigar?
A cigar is a tobacco product that is meant to be enjoyed and smoked slowly, leisurely. It is not like a cigarette. They are not filled with things that aren’t meant to be smoked, nor do they have filters. A cigar is simply just tobacco. Cigars can be from all over the world, but the most common countries to grow tobacco are Nicaragua, Mexico, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba.
Growing, Harvesting, Fermenting, and Aging Cigars
Just like with wine, terroir plays a huge role in the natural flavors of the tobacco. Tobacco plants also have another factor while growing that contributes to the flavor; sun-grown or shade-grown. Sun-grown are the leaves that grow in full sun, whereas shade-grown are the leaves that grow in the shade. Once the leaves have reached maturity they are harvested and dried, before they are stacked and fermented.
A Pilon is The term for a large pile of tobacco, arranged for fermentation. A pilon is huge as in several thousand pounds huge. They are built for every harvest of tobacco before being torn down and rebuilt. A pilon is used to heat the tobacco so it will remove impurities to make the tobacco smokable.
After Fermentation, this is when the aging process starts. Every cigar house has a different length of time for their tobacco and it will even depend on the cigar too. They are aged in bales either wrapped in burlap or in boxes in a temperature controlled room for as long as the cigar makers wish. After the tobacco is aged, it is then “cased” or moistened enough so it can be manipulated. It is then deviened and sorted by type and flavor, so the different cigars can be composed.
How is a Cigar formed?
Bunch, Bind, Wrap
A cigar is composed of three parts: Filler, Binder, and Wrapper. The filler is what 90% of the cigar is made of, and where the majority of the flavors come from. It is the shredded tobacco in the center of the cigar. The binder is the leaf that keeps all the filler bunched together. The Wrapper is the leaf that is on the outside and gives the cigar that smooth sleek appearance.
A tobacco buncher will start with the filler bunching it up before securing it with the binder. Once bound it is placed in a wooden cigar mold. There is a different cigar mold for every different size and shape of cigars. When the cigar mold is full the top half is added and then it is moved to a manual hydraulic press, where it is turned at regular intervals for 30 to 45 minutes.
The cigars are then given to the roller, where the wrapper and cap are added to the cigar. Each cigar will then be inspected for any defects, if they are found they are rejected. If the cigar is not rejected it is moved into an aging room for a minimum or 21 days so that the tobaccos can “marry” or blend together. Once this second aging is complete the cigars are then sorted per box, where they undergo another round of inspection. If their are any blemishes the cigar is rejected. The cigars are then boxed and ready for shipping. We receive them at our store, and then you get them from us.
Sip, Smoke, Savor
If you are new to the cigar world, welcome! We are so excited to help you learn what you like, and to guide you through your cigar journey. If you are a well seasoned cigar smoker, hello friend! We have a wide variety of cigars in our humidor that will suit anyones palate. Stop on by at our location in Ozark, MO any day Tuesday through Saturday or call and sign up for our monthly cigar and whiskey tasting event at (417) 882-0399.
