Cigars and the American Experience

One will think with all the tobaccos in the U S of A, there will be a distinctive  American cigar.I find it hard to believe that the U.S. doesn’t produce any premium cigar tobacco and with so many  tobacco farmers in the country.

The reason may be in the types of materials and ingredients that goes into making good quality cigars. There are three different types of leaf used in making a cigar and they all  requires different seed types, weather and soil conditions, and handling. The filler leaf makes up the bulk of the cigar and provides most of the flavor.  Most aficionados and experts believe that the best filler leaf in the world comes from a small region of western Cuba. . Around the filler is the binder leaf, which holds the cigar together. Finally comes the very thin, blemish-free wrapper leaf, which gives the cigar its uniform finished look. The wrapper adds the least weight to the finished product, but has the highest cost, pound-per-pound. Formerly, Indonesia (specifically Sumatra and Java) was the standard for producing fine binders and wrappers, but that region seems to have lost its supremacy. Today the best binders come from the Caribbean (including Cuba) and the best wrappers come from the Caribbean, Cameroon in west Africa, and  some part on the USA, especially in the upper eastern regions like New England and Boston area.

This brings us to the conditions under which premium cigar tobacco is grown. Producing first-class cigar tobacco is an exacting process. Growing the stuff requires using the right seed and having the right weather and the right soil. And there is more. After harvest, the leaves have to be cured (dried), fermented and aged properly. The entire process can take up to two years. Tobacco grows fastest with at least 3 or 4 inches of rainfall a month during the growing season and temperatures around 80 F (27 C). However, those conditions are not conducive to optimum quality of cigar tobacco, which requires less rain and somewhat lower temperatures.

I know a lot of you are asking what about Cuba and all this talk of it being the best source? Tobacco is grown in many parts of the island, but the best comes from a small region called Vuelta Abajo tucked between the Sierra de los Órganos and the Golfo de Batabano in the westernmost province, Pinar del Río. This is the wettest region in Cuba, receiving about 60 to 80 inches of rainfall annually. Normally that much rain would be ruinous to tobacco crops, but in Cuba tobacco is grown during the dry season (November-April), when rainfall averages less than 2 inches a month. The unusual combination of moderately moist sandy loam soil, high relative humidity, and moderately low but dependable rainfall during the growing season, together with warm (but not excessively hot) temperatures and little wind, is what makes Vuelta Abajo special. Some experts believe the mineral content of the soil is also important. Connecticut Shade is also grown in sandy loam soil, but in the summer when temperatures are only slightly cooler than in Cuba’s dry season. As mentioned above, the tents act to keep humidity high, and also prevent blemishes. Rainfall during the growing season is higher than in Vuelta Abajo, but quality wrapper tobacco requires more rain than quality filler tobacco.

Growing quality cigarette tobacco requires different soil and weather conditions. The best quality cigarette tobacco is a small-leaved type grown in small regions of Turkey and Greece that have very dry ripening seasons. Yields from these regions are much lower than for premium cigar tobacco. These quality Turkish and Greek tobaccos are frequently blended in small amounts with more moderate-quality American tobacco.

So what’s the best cigar? I still think the Cubans are the best because of their wrappers and content made up as described above. Most Cigars from South American are now catching up, at least in flavor to the cuban cigars and the Connecticut and Massachusetts wrapper are becoming world famous since some of the premium cigar makers are now using them to make up their cigars especially the ones that are made here in the US of A.

Enjoy,

Aficionado

http://cigarsavenue.com

 

Anatomy of Cigar Origin

The first modern observation of the cigar occurred according to history buffs and most aficionados that  with the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the New World. On October 28, 1492 Columbus noted in his log reports that the natives of San Salvador burned and inhaled the leaves of a local plant.

One of the assistant ,Rodrigo de Xeres, on the expedition became the first European to smoke the Indian’s form of a cigar.  According to the story tellers , Rodrigo smoked on every subsequent day of the expedition, cant blame the man, he likes nice things and wasn’t afraid to try something new.

The Indians in South and Central America smoked something very different from what we know as cigars today. The natives smoked tobacco wrapped in maize, palm or other native vegetation, including cassava leaves, cocoa leaves etc. The Spaniards took it to another level by creating something that looks like an industry, thus,  the cigar industry, and are given credit for creating the modern day cigar as we now know it today.

The Origin of the word cigar comes from the native language of the ancient Mayans. The Mayans called the cigar a “Ciq-Sigan” which the Spanish word “Cigarro” is derived from. The New English Dictionary of 1735 called the cigar a “seegar”, and was later adapted into the modern word cigar.

Enjoy,

Aficionado

http://cigarsavenue.com

Let’s Talk Cuban…(Cigar that is)

Cuba is well-known as the land of the best tobacco all over the world. Historians affirm that the first plantations arose in the 18th century, by the East of the Island, and progressively extended to the West. For many years, tobacco was the second exportable production of the nation, after sugar.

The country’s higher and most recognized tobacco production is located in Pinar del Río province. The tobacco plant comes from South America, although the moment of its arrival is yet to be determined.

For Cuban natives “who named it Cohiba” tobacco was a miraculous medicine, the essential element in religious, politic and social ceremonies and it was also an important factor in their agriculture. The tobacco plant was usually grown in small conucos in the middle of cassava sown fields, a tubercle very used by natives. The encounter between both cultures during the conquest discovered this plant to the world.  Very quickly, a true passion for tobacco was aroused in Europe, mainly in Spain, where the smoking habit gained a lot of followers. The fury soon extended to Persia, Japan, Turkey and Russia, where the cruellest punishments were established. Peculiarly, together with this prohibition the use of tobacco with medicinal aims grew. In April 11th, 1717, King Felipe V arranged the royal monopoly of Cuban tobacco. This decision got into history as “Tobacco Monopoly“, and was the death cause of honest planters who were against such onerous law. This restrictive period lasted up to June 23rd, 1817, when the monopoly was countermanded by Royal Decree, which allowed the free trade between the Island and the known world, always through Spanish ports.

With the reorganization of the Cuban economy during the last years, tobacco has been displaced from the second position of exportable productions, regarding the incomes it provides, but it is still between the first ones because of its world-wide recognized quality.

Enjoy,

Aficionado

http://cigarsavenue.com

Choosing a Good Cigar

Ever wondered what makes a cigar a good cigar? Here are a few tips on what to look for, from taste to size and flavor etc…

In looking for a good cigar, considerations have to be made regarding price, taste, packaging, the way it looks, and the name. With taste being paramount on both a subjective and personal level, the key elements are quality construction and quality tobacco, but mostly the consistency of both.  There are many cigar makers about there but the best producer will develop a way to do it right almost every time. While some of the best tobacco is grown in Cuba, the quality of their cigars is not as it use to be anymore due to probably lack of consistency coming from years of increased production.  the best cigars are usually the ones a person usually comes back to probably because one knows that they will be consistently good and not taste much different from the one smoked before.

The construction of the cigar is essential to achieving good taste and aroma. The single greatest complaint about cigar construction is overfilled cigars that are plugged and very difficult to draw on. This results in a low volume of smoke, less taste and aroma, along with frustration for the smoker. If a cigar is under-filled, it will draw easily, but the easy draw will be accompanied by hot burning and harshness.

Here are some things to watch for in the construction and aesthetics of a cigar:

–The cigar should burn evenly all the way down. Uneven burning is the sign of an improper roll.
–Ash should be firm and should reach an inch in length without difficulty, except in the case of small ring gauge cigars.
–The cigar should feel firm and resilient in mouth.
–The cigar should look good and feel good to the touch. It should have life – that is, it should squeeze without breaking and should revert to its shape when released. It shouldn’t be too spongy or too firm.
–Rolling should be firm, but again not too firm. Too much firmness in a cigar may be a sign that it is rolled too tightly. Look at the foot of the cigar to see if it is overfilled.
–The wrapper should not have too many blemishes. Also, the wrapper should not be dry and unraveling. This is the second most frequent complaint among smokers.
–The color in box should be consistent. A manufacturer who pays close attention to detail makes sure all the shades in the box match.
–The cigar should feel smooth when you roll it between your fingers.
–The box should appear neat.
–High price does not guarantee a good cigar. Remember, prices can vary greatly.

An essential part in having good taste is having good tobacco. If taste and aroma are to be good, the manufacturer needs to have a consistent supply of the same types of tobacco and a large enough supply to properly age the tobacco and have enough stock on hand for varying crop years. In addition to having the resources of laying down supplies of tobacco and expertise, tobacco needs to be properly aged. Here are some signs that it is not aged properly:

–Harshness or bitterness on the tongue, lips, and mouth.
–Heartburn in the chest cavity.
–Cigar keeps going out.

When this happens, the manufacturer is not making a consistent use of tobaccos and is probably using the tobacco before its time. This was one of the big problems during the cigar boom of the mid-1990s. People were rushing to cash in on the cigar boom and started buying up what tobacco they could find to make a quickly produced product that was hurried to store shelves.

In order to determine consistency, you need to smoke the exact brand and size of a particular cigar several times to draw your own conclusions. Remember that the same cigar blend in a different size of cigar tastes different — sometimes vastly different. Thus, if a manufacturer excels at making a great Robusto, it does not necessarily follow that the same manufacturer will make a Churchill that will be as good or consistent. Also note that cigars will taste differently depending on when they are smoked, such as after a meal, indoors, outdoors, with coffee, etc. There can be slight variations.

In addition to using taste, sight, and touch, I think that the smell of a cigar is a good indicator as well in finding a good cigar. Before it is lit, a good cigar can shed a fragrance and offer a bit of preview of the flavors it will release. Ordinary cigars will have ordinary tones. A good cigar will have any number of fruity, spicy, or woody fragrances.

Enjoy

Aficionado

http://cigarsavenue.com

Cigars and Flavors

To smoke or not to smoke, is a common dilemma facing cigar smokers mostly with newbies to this fantastic and enjoyable hobby. Usually, we are faced with what flavors, sizes and types to puff down occasionally. I will attempt to help break down the different types of flavors and hopefully you can go out and try them and find your taste bud.

The rich and diverse flavors available in cigars are the main reason that virtually all cigar aficionados enjoy smoking them even though some have nothing to do with these connoisseur like properties because of other factors. For the cigar lovers who are into taste, much like wine connoisseurs each different brand and type of cigar contains varied qualities in taste. In general, the lighter the outer wrapper of the cigar the milder the flavor while those with darker wrappers tend to be much richer in flavor.

Cigars,  do not have a smoky taste and usually taste much more of the type of tobacco that the cigar is composed of with mild overtones of other tastes. The very fine cigars, particularly those of Cuban origin before 1990 have almost no taste of smoke at all.

Some of the more common flavors frequently made available this days while smoking a cigar include:
Leather,Spice, Cocoa / chocolate, Peat / moss / earth, Coffee,Nut,Apple, Vanilla, Honey

The most passionate lovers of cigar aficionados will sometimes keep personal journals of cigars they’ve enjoyed complete with personal ratings, description of flavors observed, sizes, brands, etc.  Personally, I usually keep the wrapper stored especially if I am trying the flavor for the first time so I can always find it if intend to smoke it again. As mentioned previously, the qualities and characteristics of cigar tasting are very similar to those of wine, Scotch, beer, cognac and tequila. Within a given specification, there are endless varieties. This dynamic is part of the appeal to which cigar smokers are continually drawn.

There are many other premium brands of cigars, each with their own unique flavors and characteristics. Generally Cuban cigars are considered to be stronger in flavor than cigars produced in other countries. Many cigar aficionados prefer the stronger flavors of Cuban cigars, but others prefer the milder cigars of some other nations like the Dominican cigar. Whether or not Cuban cigars are the best in the world really depends on the individual and their preferences in a cigar.

 

Enjoy,

Aficionado

http://cigarsavenue.com

Lounge Smoking

Ever wonder why people smoke cigars in lounges?. Is it because they enjoy the fraternity of other smokers, the settings of a cigar store or lounges, smoking in peace without being disturbed while they puff on a stogies?…whatever the reason, this is becoming a sought of new wave for cigar aficionados. More and more smokers are packing into this so called lounges to share story, meet new people and swap stories about their favorite stogie.

Believe it when I say this are very nice places to relax and meet up with potential clients and friend or colleagues alike. Some lounges offers several amenities like free refreshments, tables for paperwork, outlets to plug a laptop in and fantastic staff to name a few.

Some cigar lounges location are very deceiving and descriptive ranges, and they range from small rooms to very large rooms. Some have curtains that are drawn most of the time to block the sun and make the atmosphere more relaxing while others are wide open so you can see and enjoy what goes on in the outdoors.. The best way to describe both scenes is for one to imagine  it is your father’s den with a colossal humidor or on a rooftop with with a backyard settings.

Another mindful fact to take into consideration is that the selection is quite amazing, literally, because you are sitting right where the smokes are. Many people have always smoked a cigar here or there but have never really felt they  chose a brand that suited them. With the help of the employee and lounge operators, you will be  able to determine your flavor and size of choice. The experience will open your eyes wide shut and you will know what you have been doing and smoking in the past has been smoking Acid cigars and other garbage, now you will be in the know.

Cigar smoking knows no politics. Its about the pursuit of pleasure, taste and aroma.

Enjoy

Aficionado

History of Cigar making

Cigar smoking is becoming more and more a past time and favorites of aficionados , thus beckon the original creation and the history.
There are different versions of cigar history floating around, especially on the internet. This may be a more valuable history lesson here.

The tobacco plant is believed to have originated in South America and eventually made it’s way over to Cuba. After leaving the Americas in October 1492, Christopher Columbus, supposedly happened upon Cuba.Columbus sent two of his sailors, Rodrigo and Torres ashore to scout the island. They were surprised to find the natives smoking some kind of substance wrapped in dried palm leaves, corn husks or plantain leaves.

And guess what…Rodriguez bitten by temptation and took a puff. The first European cigar smoker was born!

In the early 1600’s the first plantations in Cuba for growing tobacco were erected along the Alemandares River. By the middle 1800’s, tobacco replaced coffee as the #1 cash crop on the island. This was aided by the British occupying Cuba in 1763. Although it only lasted 1 year, it opened up the lucrative and large European market.

By the early 18th century, cigar making had spread to Spain, having already been established in Europe. Spain is attributed to having created the modern day cigar we are familiar with.

Cigar making didn’t come into it’s own in the United States until the mid 19th century, and different brands started to emerge in the latter of that century.Smoking was familiar throughout Europe — in pipes in Britain — by the mid-16th century and, half a century later, tobacco started to be grown commercially in America. Tobacco was originally thought to have medicinal qualities, but there were some who considered it evil. It was denounced by Philip II of Spain, and James I of England.

Around 1592, the Spanish galleon San Clemente brought 50 kilograms (110 lb) of tobacco seed to the Philippines over the Acapulco-Manila trade route. The seed was then distributed among the Roman Catholic missionaries, where the clerics found excellent climates and soils for growing high-quality tobacco on Philippine soil.

In the 19th century, cigar smoking was common, while cigarettes were still comparatively rare. In the early 20th century, Rudyard Kipling wrote his famous smoking poem, “The Betrothed.” The cigar business was an important industry, and factories employed many people before mechanized manufacturing of cigars became practical.

Beginning in the 1860s when Vicente Martinez Ybor moved his Key West cigar business to the section of Tampa now known as Ybor City, opening his Principe de Gales (Prince of Wales) factory shortly after rival Flor de Sánchez and Haya opened its factory, that area became a major center for cigar manufacture.
In New York, cigars were made by rollers working in their own homes. It was reported that as of 1883, cigars were being manufactured in 127 apartment houses in New York, employing 1,962 families and 7,924 individuals. A state statute banning the practice, passed late that year at the urging of trade unions on the basis that the practice suppressed wages, was ruled unconstitutional less than four months later. The industry, which had relocated to Brooklyn and other places on Long Island while the law was in effect, then returned to New York.

As of 1905, there were 80,000 cigar-making operations in the United States, most of them small, family-operated shops where cigars were rolled and sold immediately.

Many modern cigars, as a matter of prestige and quality, are still rolled by hand, most especially in Central America and Cuba, as well as in chinchales found in virtually every sizable city in the United States. Boxes of hand-rolled cigars bear the phrase totalmente a mano (totally by hand) or hecho a mano (made by hand).

Although cigars were produced elsewhere, it wasn’t until the 1961 Cuban embargo by President Kennedy that these other countries would slowly emerge from darkness and into the limelight.

Many skilled Cuban exiles and cigar makers that knew their way of life was being threatened by the Castro regime, sought other countries for tobacco growing. Off they went, Cuban seed and all, to continue their fine art of cigar making.

Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern United States.

Nicaragua and Honduras held high hopes, along with the extremely promising Dominican Republic. Mexico and Brazil would also come to play supporting roles in providing tobacco.

Other countries such as Cameroon, Ecuador, the island of Sumatra in Indonesia and the state of Connecticut in the United States provide exquisite wrappers.

Grab a smoke and enjoy!!!!

Slow burn

Don’t you just love smoking cigars, especially the ones that burn really really slow. It is not uncommon for thicker, more potent cigars to burn slower and it is great when those type of smokes encounter lighter leaves with less duration so you wont have to keep puffing. The best cigars that are slow burners doesn’t necessary have to be a an ash builder, it just have to encounter lesser lighter leafs.

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