Cigar making is a real art. Quality cigars are still made by hand. We propose to get acquainted with this laborious, painstaking and certainly interesting process.

What does a cigar consist of?
It takes up to 6 types of tobacco leaves to make a cigar, each of which is specially grown and carefully prepared. 3-4 types of leaves go into the filling of the cigar and give it flavor and aroma. Next, comes the binder sheet that gives the cigar its shape. The stuffing sheets are wrapped in it. The last sheet is the covering sheet, it is characterized by its thinness and elasticity. This is the outer layer of the cigar.

The filler of the cigar consists of leaves harvested from three different tiers of the tobacco bush.


Where and how is cigar tobacco grown?
Tobacco is grown on special plantations all over the world, but the best countries are considered to be Cuba, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Tobacco seeds are planted indoors, and after 6-10 weeks they are planted in the plantations. The plants are carefully cared for and the leaves are carefully trimmed to the required size.

Drying
Tobacco cultivation is only the beginning of a long story. There are many more stages of painstaking work ahead, the first of which is drying the. It is a delicate process whereby the leaves reveal their unique aroma and take on a distinctive color. Leaves are hung from narrow planks under the ceiling of a shed or specially equipped shed.

Fermentation
After drying, the leaves are sorted by color and size and go through the fermentation process in special boxes or barrels. This stage can take anywhere from a few months to a few years.  It all depends on the characteristics of each leaf.

Shaping the leaves
Next comes the forming stage. The center vein or stem is hand-cut from the filler leaves - if this is not done, the cigar will burn unevenly. The processed leaves are then put into bales and left for further fermentation.

Rolling the cigar
This is perhaps the most difficult step in cigar production, as premium vitolas are rolled exclusively by hand. Cigars are rolled by torcedores - highly skilled craftsmen who not only understand cigars, but also have the skills to make them. For each brand of cigar, a special recipe is made from a blend of tobaccos.

Inspection
After the cigar is finished, it is sent for quality control inspection. These are handled by top torsedores of the highest caliber. They determine whether the finished cigar meets the stated specifications of the format by looking at length, diameter, weight, and other factors. 

Resting
Before the cigars are boxed, they are placed in special rooms with ideal conditions in which the cigars are rested in cedar compartments and rid of excess moisture. The temperature of 16°-18°C and humidity of 65-70% allow you to store cigars from a few weeks to 1 year. Cigars are usually ready to smoke after 1-2 weeks of resting. 

Vadim Li Author