Did You Know Your Cigar?
Smoking is injurious to health. Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, cigars are also the mark of a true gentleman. Cigars are the royalty of tobacco products; considered one of the most lavish forms of temptation. From machine-made versions to hand-rolled cigars, now available globally, cigars originated in Haiti and were discovered by Christopher Columbus’ crew as they set out to explore the world. In 1542, the Spaniards opened up the first cigar factory outside Havana, and ever since, the cigar culture boomed.
The elegance associated with a cigar can make a man look extremely poised. Cigar smoking comes with its own set of etiquettes and isn’t for the faint-hearted. If you consider yourself a cigar aficionado, then this list might be a breeze-through. But if you’re looking to up your cigar knowledge, let’s take a look at the finer points of this fine product.
- Artisanally crafted: Created from natural tobacco leaves and typically hand-rolled, cigars are a work of art. They are completely natural – from the leaf they are wrapped in to the tobacco inside – and undergo a process of curing and drying to achieve the desired shade of brown on the outside. From blending the various tobacco flavours inside the cigar to rolling the outside and creating the perfect shape, cigar making takes years to master and is a skill passed down locally among the workers of the region.
- Ageing is part of the process: Like a fine wine, tobacco also undergoes ageing. The ageing process involves being placed under humidors to achieve stabilisation and breakdown of properties within the tobacco. Ageing enables certain ‘green’ notes to mature on the cigar, so it smells and tastes much like freshly cut grass when smoked. Many buyers even prefer ageing their cigars for some time after they purchase them. At this stage, cigars are packed into boxes and sold; however, seasoned cigar smokers have humidors and specially created boxes to store their cigars at the perfect temperature. Over-aging, however, can lead to a loss in the taste or smell, so one has to be careful.
- Anatomy of the cigar: There are three main parts of a cigar. The wrapper or the leaf the cigar is made of is the outer covering. This leaf is flavourful and carefully handpicked to ensure it looks smooth without any extra leaf veins or blemishes. Just under the wrapper comes the binder made of tobacco leaves – typically those that aren’t used on the outer layer. The binder forms a second layer to tightly bind the tobacco filling, bringing us to the third aspect, the filler. Depending on the cigar manufacturer, the filler can consist of a blend of tobacco flavours that finally give the smoker the perfect smell, taste, and strength.
Cigar smoking is a skill, and so is hunting down the perfect cigar. It’s all about achieving the optimum level of refinement – from sourcing the best cigars to cutting, lighting, and smoking them. Find rich and authentic handmade cigars stored in the best humidors, only on Cigar Conexion. Get yours today!
