Sometimes a Cigar is

Just a Good Smoke...

Q: What is the proper humidity to maintain in a humidor?
A: Between 65 and 75 percent humidity (70 being optimum).
Q: What is the proper temperature to store cigars?
A: Maintaining cigars at 70 degrees will allow for proper aging without risk of
mould, or insects.
Q: How do I maintain proper humidity in my humidor?
A: To maintain proper humidification in your humidor, moisten the humidifier
(humistat) - a sponge type of material in a vented case which mounts to some part of
the humidor (usually the lid) - initially with a 50/50 mixture of 50% distilled water
and 50% PG (propylene glycol) then monthly or as needed with distilled water.
Q: Why is proper humidification important?
A: Too much humidity can be harmful to the cigar, causing mildew and sometimes
rot. So, if humidity goes above 75 degrees, leave the lid open for short periods until
humidity levels drop. Too little humidity will dry cigars out, causing them to burn
too hot. If this happens, sometimes they can be restored to some degree of freshness
with proper humidification.
Q: How long can cigars be stored?
A: Indefinitely. Some cigars have been maintained in perfect condition for 50 or 100
years.
Q: What does "machine made" mean?
A: Machine-made cigars are produced using automated techniques to assemble the
filler with the binder and wrapper.
Q: What does "hand rolled" mean?
A: Hand-rolled cigars are assembled using a combination of automated and manual
techniques. Automated techniques are used to assemble the filler, and the cigar is
hand-rolled to completion.
Q: What is a cigar punch?
A: A cigar punch is a device used to make a small hole in the end of a cigar prior to
smoking.
Q: What is a cigar bullet?
A: A cigar bullet, like the name implies, resembles a bullet casing. The open end of
the casing is used to cut a small diameter hole in the end of the cigar prior to
smoking.

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Q: How do cigars from different countries taste?
A: Cigars from Jamaica are considered mild. Cigars from the Dominican Republic
are medium in strength, and cigars from Honduras and Nicaragua have a stronger
taste.
Q: How does size affect cigar taste?
A: Generally, larger ring size, diameter cigars are more flavorful. Longer cigars
smoke cooler.

Q: How do I blow smoke rings?

A: Draw in a puff of smoke. Then, with your tongue pressed down and back and
your mouth forming an "O", push out smoke using your mouth only. Don't exhale.

Q: What makes a proper lighter for cigars?

A: There are 2 critical features you should look for. First, the type of fuel it uses. It
must be a clean burning fuel such as butane. Most other lighter fuels give off a
chemical or kerosene-like odour that will alter the taste of your cigar. Secondly, the
lighter must provide a large enough flame to light the whole cigar. For some reason
(probably to conserve fuel), many disposable lighters no longer have an adjustable
flame, and only burn at about a 3/8th inch tall. This is too small, so cigar smokers
must find one that is a designed with cigar needs in mind. The "blowtorch" style
lighters have become very popular, because they burn at an extremely high
temperature, and can do the job from several inches away. Remember, to properly
light the cigar, you never want to actually put the foot directly into the flame. The
larger and hotter your flame is, the further away you can keep the cigar from it and
gently draw the heat up.
Q: Does my humidor need a hygrometer?
A: It is a nice feature, but not necessary. It is always more important to feel your
cigars and judge how they are smoking than rely on the reading of the hygrometer.
Do they crackle when you cut the cap, does the wrapper flake when you handle
them? If yes, they are too dry. Its time to add some water. Do they smell musty, feel
spongy, sizzle or split when you smoke them? If yes, they are too moist, and you
added water too much or too often. Back off on the water for a while. If it is
alarmingly damp n there you can stick a few cedar planks (provided from a box of
cigars-you can break off the lid or sides if you need to) into the humidor for a few
days to absorb the excess moisture. New smokers are obsessed with the reading of
the analogue hygrometer. Even a correctly calibrated analogue model has a variance
of 5-10%. Therefore, you need to let the cigars tell you if you are maintaining them
properly. Only operators of commercial storage or "walk-in" humidors need to keep
an eye on the humidity as they usually don't touch and feel the cigars as we do. If
you are completely obsessed with having an accurate hygrometer you can go to Radio
Shack and blow 40 bucks on a digital one.
Q: How do I carry my cigars when I travel or when I am out?
A: You must protect the cigar in some fashion, as it will either dry out or get bruised.

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Here are the options you can chose which best suits your needs.

Tubes:
Tubes A tube will hold one cigar. If it has a good seal, it will protect it for
many days or even weeks. They can be constructed of any type of material,
ranging from plastic to platinum, and will be priced accordingly. Some even
have tiny humidification devices built in, but this is not necessary for short
term use. The only downside to these carrying tubes is that if your friend has
one it means that he did not bring a cigar for you.

Finger Cases:
Cases These are cases made from either leather, metal, wood, or
plastic. They will have 2-4 "fingers" for the cigars. The leather models are soft
cases, and are most often made from 2 telescoping pieces, that slide within
each other. They are made for specific length cigars, but will often handle a
variance of 1-1.5 inches more than they were designed for. Sometimes they
have individual slots for each cigar, but these are not absolutely necessary.
These cases will provide several hours of protection and are perfect for a night
out. They are not heavy and will not show a bulge by weighing down your
shirt or jacket pocket. The metal, wood, or plastic varieties are hard cases,
providing more protection from both the elements and from being crushed.
However, they are bulky, will pull down on your clothing, if they even fit
into the pockets. They are more suited for carrying in a briefcase or golf bag.
Elaborate ones can have miniature humidification devices, but these are only
necessary if you want to insure the cigar's freshness for an extended period of
time.

Travel Humidors:
Humidors Travel humidors are miniature humidors, complete with a
humidification element. As the name implies, they are used when you need to
take your smokes out of town. They will hold between 4 and 20 cigars,
depending on size. They are made from wood, metal, plastic, or any
combination of these materials. As this is a short term storage unit, a Spanish
cedar lining is a nice cosmetic touch, but not an automatic prerequisite. There
are many poorly designed models on the market, and you should look for the
following features and pitfalls when considering the purchase. First and
foremost, the seal must be a good one. The seal on travel size humidors
should either have the same type of interlocking "lips" that a full size one has,
or a gasket of some kind. You need to be confident that moist air is not
escaping. Another important feature is the interior protection it offers for the
cigars from being knocked around. Will they continue to slam into each other
or the walls of the unit? Well designed ones will be built very thinly, so that
you can only stack the cigars in one or two layers, thus minimizing the
potential for damage. Good alternatives to keeping the cigars in place have
grooves cut into them (usually molded plastic), foam egg cushions, or straps
that act as seatbelts. These features are useful, but not completely necessary,
as you can always put some balled up bubble wrap into a half filled humidor
to prevent them from jostling. This is not exactly elegant, but extremely
functional. The last key factor when examining a travel humidor is its
strength. You want the unit to stand up to external stress, without breaking.

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 A good, functional travel humidor will have all of these features.

Q: What makes a good good ashtray for cigars?

A: Ashtrays are more important than you think, and there are three features to look
for. First, the ash container must be large or deep enough to hold all the ash-drops
that a cigar creates. Second, it should be sturdy enough to absorb an incidental shock
without getting tipped over. Third, it should have a groove wide enough to support a
cigar on a horizontal level. The cigar should not be tilting down with the coal resting
in the base of the tray. This can suffocate the one side that is touching the tray and
cause the cigar might to burn unevenly. Remember, if you are taking a puff every
minute or so, you should be keeping the cigar safe and sound in a good ashtray the
rest of the time. You can not just keep it in your hand the whole time, as you will not
be able to juggle the remote control and your single malt.
Q: How do I calibrate my analogue hygrometer?
A: Take your hygrometer out of the humidor and wrap it in several layers of
dripping wet paper towels. Leave it alone for 5 minutes. During this waiting, go find
your "precision" screwdriver set. Once you have found it, go and un-wrap the
hygrometer unit. If it is operating correctly, it should be registering between 95-100.
If not, take the appropriate size screwdriver and stick it through the hole on the
bottom and look for a screw that looks like it is connected to the axis of the dial's
needle. Turn this screw to until the dial reads 95. If you took more than 1 minute to
find the screw and turn it, then repeat the entire process, to ensure you have
calibrated it as accurately as you could. You may have to go through this ritual every
3-6 months to ensure as much accuracy as possible. But remember, even a properly
calibrated analogue hygrometer can have a 5-10% error rate, so always keep that in
mind if you think you have a problem with your moisture level.
Q: What is a "premium" cigar?
A: The term "premium", when applied to cigars, indicates that it is not a machine
made, mass market style to cigar. In order to be classified as such, it will have the
following characteristics: Premium cigars are constructed from three parts; The filler,
the binder, and the wrapper. The filler is the interior of the cigar. When a cigar is
examined from the open end, the filler can be seen as the leaves that are twisted in
spirals within the centre of the cigar. When the term "long filler" is used, it means
that the filler was constructed from full leaves. These leaves are picked, stored, and
aged intact, and are obviously handled with great care. Rolling long filler cigars takes
great skill to insure that it burns evenly and smoothly. The second type of filler is
short filler. Short filler consists of loose clippings of leaves that are leftover from the
long filler production, or leaves that broke anywhere along the cultivation process.
Premium short filler cigars are made from 100% tobacco leaves, but just not the same
leaf from end to end. Short filler cigars are still technically considered to be
"premium", so long as the cigar is still completely hand made, and is constructed only
from pure, untreated or un homogenised tobacco. The next part of the cigar consists
of several layers of leaves that encircle the spirals of filler. These layers are termed
"binder". As the name implies, it forms the filler into a circular shape, so that the

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next and final component, the wrapper, can be applied.
Q: What is a "Puro"?
A: A puro is a cigar that was made entirely from the tobaccos of one county. An
example of the most well known puros are Cuban cigars. In Cuba, the filler, binder,
and wrapper is all grown in Cuba. Cigar manufacturers who make puros consider it a
great honor to be able to achieve such a level of sufficiency, as it gives them more
control over the consistency and quality of the finished product. The difficulty in
acquiring the necessary native ingredients in producing a puro make them very rare
indeed. Other than Cuban cigars, which are unavailable in the American market,
there are only a handful of puros out there. The Breton Corojo Vintage, Corojo2000,
and the Opus X are all excellent quality Dominican puros.

Q: What do the two numbers mean when applied to cigar sizes?

A: They are the length and ring gauge (diameter). The length is measured in inches.
The ring gauge is measured in units of 1/64th's of an inch. For example, a cigar that
is called "8 x 48" is 8 inches long and 48/64ths of an inch in diameter.

Q: Does the cigar's name indicate its dimension?

A: Quite often they do. There are some basic shapes that fall within certain size
parameters. These shapes are given names, so that there is some degree of
universality in the industry. These descriptive dimensions are approximate, but here
are some guidelines: Short is less than 5.5 inches. Long is greater than 6.5 inches.
Thin is less than 42 ring size. Thick is greater than 47 ring. The groups below are the
most common shapes.

Robusto:
Robusto Short and thick

Lonsdale:
Lonsdale Thin and long

Corona:
Corona Medium length and medium gauge

Churchill:
Churchill Long and thick

Please note that these are only generic shape names. For example, a Robusto from
one brand may have slightly different dimensions than a Robusto from another
brand. There are other shapes that fall between and around these basics:

Toro:
Toro Somewhere between Robusto and Churchill.

Pantela:
Pantela A skinny lonsdale.

Rothchild:
Rothchild Somewhere between a robusto and a corona.

Presidente:
Presidente Either a little larger or smaller than a Churchill.

Manufacturers can also add one of these common adjectives to the name. They
can help you to envision the size. Gorda, grande, gran, larga, extra, doble, or
double always mean they are adding on to the size. Petite, slim, finos, or demi
indicate some sort of reduction to the size. For example a "Corona Grande" is a
long Corona, and would be close to a Londsdale. On top of all this we will now
add the Figurados. Here are the basic definitions. Note, you will find more

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 disparity here among brands than you can imagine. When you are dealing with
Parejos, you can be positive that Robustos from different brands will always
resemble each other to some degree. However, with Figurados, almost anything
goes. One company's torpedo will be another's Piramide or Perfecto. These are
the most common descriptions for the shape names on today's market.
Remember, all dimensions described are approximations.

Torpedo:
Torpedo The cap is a sharp point, the foot is open. The shape does not begin
to taper until the last 2 inches near the cap. The foot will measure between 46
to 54 in ring size. The length can range from 5 to 7 inches.

Piramide:
Piramide The cap is round, the foot is open. The cigar will immediately taper
from the foot right down to the cap. For this reason, many Piramides will be
described with two ring sizes. For example, 7 x 36-50. This means that it is a
seven inch cigar, and the tuck is 50 ring, and it drops down to 36 by the time it
reaches the cap.

Triangulo:
Triangulo Similar to a Piramide, but the cap is pointed.

Belicoso:
Belicoso Similar to a Torpedo, but usually a little shorter. Also, the taper will
occur even more quickly than the torpedo, typically occurring within the last
3/4" near the cap.

Perfecto:
Perfecto The perfecto will have both ends closed. The cap can be round or
pointed. The tuck is typically tapered to the width of a cigarette. On some
brands, you light the foot as is, and with others, if it is more than 3/8", you
clip off a bit to expose the filler. The sides can be straight, or there can be a
bulge in the first half of the cigar near the foot. The length of a perfecto can
vary from 4-8"

Diadema:
Diadema Traditionally, this is a giant perfecto, measuring at least 8" long.
However, it is can be used to name any huge scale version of the Figurados
described above.

Culebra:
Culebra Three Panetelas twisted around each other and held together with
either ribbon or a large cigar band. The segments of a traditional Culebra will
be composed of all Ligero filler, not mild Seco and Volado fillers of a regular
Panetela. You must separate them before smoking. Do not attempt to
straighten out the wavy shape. Smoke them in the curved way that they have
been cured.

Q: How do you know know where the cigar is from, if it is made from tobaccos of different
countries?
A: A cigar's country of origin is classified by where it was rolled, regardless of where
the wrapper, binder, or filler is from. Typically, the filler tobacco is usually grown in
the same country as where the cigar is made. This is not an absolute rule, as cigars
rolled in the US, (typically, Miami or Tampa regions) must import all of their filler.
Another exception is Honduran and Nicaraguan cigars, as their native grown fillers
are often too harsh to be used exclusively, and are typically blended with Dominican
filler in order to produce an acceptable smoke.

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Q: What are the basic shapes of premium cigars?
A: There are two shapes of cigars, Parejos and Figurados. A Parejo is a straight sided
cigar. A Figurado is an exotic, irregular shape.
Q: How do I know what size is right for me?
A: You should pick a cigar for the amount of time you have available to smoke. If
you are at a sporting event or on a golf course, choose a large cigar that will last for a
long time. If you are in a cigar friendly restaurant and you want to have a nice after
dinner smoke, (but don't want to stay there all night) choose one that will last about
30-40 minutes. These are just some examples. As you experiment with different sizes
you will find one that you are most comfortable with.
Q: Is there a correct way to light a cigar?
A: Absolutely. Your goal is light the end as evenly as possible. When lighting the
cigar, it is best when you apply as little of the flame to the end of the cigar as
possible. This will prevent the tobacco from getting charred, or carbonized, and
imparting an unpleasant taste unto it. To do this, hold the flame about 2 inches away
from the cigar, and slowly draw long puffs of air through the cigar. The flame should
jump up to the cigar. With each new puff, rotate the cigar about a quarter of a turn.
Continue this for 4-5 puffs and then inspect your work. If there is a tiny unlit spot,
you can blow on it to accelerate the glowing coal to drift over to it. Then, take one or
two steady puffs and then leave the cigar alone for at least 2 minutes, as the first
1/8th to 3/16th of ash builds. You have laid the foundation of a cigar that will burn
perfectly.
Q: How do I open the end cap?
cap?
A: The most common way is with a cigar cutter. This means you will clip the
rounded end cap off. Other methods are discussed and illustrated in the "accessories"
section.
Q: How come my cigar does not always burn evenly?
A: Most uneven burns are a result of poor lighting technique. Therefore, patience
should be applied during the lighting to ensure that the cigar burns properly, and does
not "tunnel" or "canoe". Your cigar is tunnelling when the inner filler is burning
down, and the outer layers, including the wrapper and binder, are still unlit. This will
taste unpleasant, as you are not smoking the balanced blend. It will ultimately go out,
as the inner core suffocates from lack of air. If your cigar tunnels you can try to fix it
by using your cutter and clipping down the unburned exterior and then try to relight
the cigar. A problem that is more common than tunnelling is canoeing. This is when
your cigar is imitating a canoe, by one half burning slower than the other. It can be
caused by improperly lighting the cigar, or by smoking too quickly, puffing away like
mad. The best way to fix this is to leave the cigar alone and let the slow side catch up
as soon as you notice it is happening. The sooner you "back off", the sooner the cigar
will even up. If you ignore it, it will get more and more pronounced. I do not
recommend "flash burning" the slow half, as it will usually leave a burning taste on
the rest of the cigar as you smoke it. Both of these syndromes can be prevented by
correctly lighting the cigar. Very windy conditions can also make the cigar canoe to

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tunnel. Unfortunately, this is out of your control and is no mark against your
ignition techniques.
Q: What are characteristics of a good humidor?
A: There are several key points that all good humidors share. It is important that you
chose the right one in order to protect your precious and delicate cigars. First, is the
interior lining. It should be made Spanish cedar. A very small percentage of
humidors on the market use a mahogany interior as an acceptable alternative. The
next important feature to look for is the seal between the lid and the rim of the box.
It should be a tight seal, but it can not be purely airtight. Lids that are very heavy,
relative to the rest of the box, help to promote a sufficient seal. Another critical
element to look at is the hinges on the lid. They must be heavy duty, and be secured
with good anchoring. Often, as described earlier, the lids can be very heavy, and the
hinging must be sturdy enough to support the stress that a heavy lid will put on
them. Often, people will say that the most critical part of a humidor is the
humidification element. However, I disagree. It is actually the only component than
can actually be replaced; therefore, it is more important to have good seals and
hinges, for without them, even the best humidification element will not keep the
cigars in peak condition. These key features are what make a humidor.
Q: What are the do's and don't when holding or feeling a cigar?
A: Premium cigars are delicate and require care when handling. They can be
damaged by squeezing, pinching, or dropping them. The two ends are the most
susceptible to damage. The rounded, or closed end (nearest to the cigar band), is
called a cap. The cap can be split if it is squeezed too tightly. The best place to hold a
cigar is anywhere in its middle section, at least 1 inch away from the ends.
Q: Must I use distilled water in my humidification element?
A: Yes. Tap water and bottled spring water contain minerals that will collect and
slowly "cake-up" on both the device and the interior of the humidor. These minerals
turn into a whitish/tan crust, and eventually, will clog the pores of the
humidification device and destroy the effectiveness of the humidor. Additionally,
some tap waters often have a slight odour that will taint the aroma of the cigars when
compounded over months or years.
Q: Why do premium cigars need to be kept in a humidor?
A: A premium cigar, by definition, is handmade and in most cases, constructed with
long-filler tobacco. It is 100% pure tobacco leaves throughout its construction. Unlike
cigarettes or machine made cigars, they have no chemicals that are added that will
keep them from drying out. Therefore, they must be stored at the correct humidity
level to preserve its moisture content, or they will dry out and crumble.
Q: What are some other features that a humidor can have?
A: There are several "options" that your humidor can have. For example, some have
locks, which would prevent people in your office or home from snatching your stash
without your permission. Other humidors have handles. These not only look elegant,
but will aid you when you are moving the humidor from your beach house back to
your winter home. Other important options that a humidor can have are shelves and

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dividers. These help you organize your cigars and keep different brands separated.
Q: How should premium cigars be stored?
A: The cigars must be kept at 70-72% humidity level to prevent them from drying
out. This is best achieved by keeping them in a humidor. The humidor should have a
Spanish cedar lining, to enhance the aroma and promote the aging of the cigar. If you
are on a budget, there are cigar jars, made of glass that will do an adequate job. If you
are really in a pinch you can use Tupperware, or a similar style food storage
container. All of these storage devices must have a humidification element that
releases moisture into the storage chamber.
Q: Why is there a high demand for Cuban Cigars?
A: Cravings for Cuban cigars are primarily related to wanting what we cannot have.
However, the smoker on a quest for Cuban cigars should be wary, for Cuba produces
as many mediocre cigars as any other country. In addition, the proliferation of
counterfeit Cuban cigars, and the risk of a United States customs department fine,
make the quest less than desirable. Many smokers find that the genuine Cuban
stogies are too strong. The growers in the Dominican Republic, specifically the
Breton and Fuente families, have made great strides in the last few years to create
Cuban seed wrapper, such as from the Corojo plant, that was previously been
available only in Cuba. Cigars with these wrappers equal the best of what Cuba
offers, and can be seen on Corojo2000, the Breton Corojo Vintage, and the Fuente
Opus X.
Q: Why are Cuban cigars so distinguished?
A: As a rule, Cuban cigars have been the benchmark of the cigar industry for many
years because Cuba is where the cigar business started over 150 years ago. The
tobacco for almost all worldwide consumption of cigars was grown and processed in
Cuba. There is a lot of heritage and tradition there, and it took many years for other
countries to achieve the knowledge and techniques necessary to produce good cigars.
The United States embargo against Castro forced the creation of an industry in the
rest of the Caribbean. Many farmers, rollers, and factory owners fled to the
Dominican Republic, Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras, Jamaica and Florida. Over the
years, some of the exiles in these countries developed raw materials and product that
rivalled Cuban goods. Cigar Aficionado, most prominent cigar rating publication, has
given excellent ratings to Dominican cigars that often exceed the ratings for Cuban
cigars.
Q: How many different types of tobacco
tobacco are there?
A: There are literally hundreds of strains of tobacco plants. They are grown on
almost every continent, although only a handful are suitable for premium cigar
production. Most of these are Cuban seed varieties that have been cultivated in other
countries. The leaves from most Cuban seed varieties often reach 14-18 inches in
length.
Q: What does Ligero, Seco, and Volado mean?
A: These are the classifications of leaf types that a single plant, regardless of its
variety, will yield. Every tobacco plant for cigar applications has these three leaf

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types. Each is from a different part of the plant. Every cigar should have some
combination of these leaves to burn correctly. The "Ligero" leaves (pronounced lee-
hair-oh) are taken from the top third of the plant. These offer the strength to the
cigar's flavour. The leaves from the middle third of the plant are called "Seco"
(pronounced say-ko). These have a mild flavour, and contribute to overall aroma.
Finally, at the bottom third of the plant, are the "Volado" leaves. These have little
flavour, but are a necessary part of the blend due to their excellent burning
characteristics. Ligero and Seco leaves do not burn very well and need the help of the
Volado leaf to keep the cigar lit and burning smoothly. When a manufacturer is
creating a blend, they will take some combination of these classifications, from
various strains of plants, to produce the flavour they prefer.

Q: What is Colorado?
A: Colorado is a color of wrapper that is in the medium brown color spectrum. The
most common variation is "Colorado Maduro", which is typically grown in
Indonesia, and is sometimes termed "Sumatra". Another area that grows this shade
of wrapper is Cameroon.
Q: What does "shade grown" or "sungrown" mean?
A: These are terms applied to the growing style of wrapper leaves. Shade grown
means that tapadas, which are large white fabric sheets, similar to cheesecloth, are
suspended 6-10 feet above the entire crop to shield the leaves from direct exposure to
sunlight. The opposite of this is to allow the leaves to grow without any protection,
directly in the sunlight. The implementation of either procedure will yield
completely different wrappers, as the exposure to the sun will affect the amount of
sugars and oils the plant produces, the thickness of the veins in the leaf, and
ultimately, its colour. A common shade grown wrapper colour is of a "Claro" colour.
This has a pale "coffee with cream" colour. Many companies will often alternatively
refer to this shade as "natural". A common sun grown wrapper colour is "Maduro",
which has a hue of dark or black coffee.
Q: Why are wrapper leaves so special?
A: The wrapper is a very delicate leaf, and is only one layer thick around the cigar. It
contributes a large percentage to the overall flavour of the cigar. Wrapper leaves can
be grown in many places on the globe, and each variety contributes its own
characteristics towards the cigar's flavour. A wrapper leaf is evaluated on the
thinness of its veins, its oily sheen, its even colouring, and most importantly, its
unblemished appearance. In order to achieve and maintain these desired
characteristics, the leaves are often carefully and skilfully handled several hundred
times from picking, curing, stripping, aging, and rolling. Binder leaves are often
wrapper leaves that have been rejected due to some sort of cosmetic imperfection.
Q: How is tobacco cured?
A: Curing tobacco is a sensitive process that depends on techniques and traditions
that are hundreds of years old. Following the harvest, tobacco is removed from the
fields and placed in large bulk piles within a curing shed. This shed will have several

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barn doors in the front and rear, and many doorways running along the sides. There
are also vents on the upper portions of the structure. The purpose of all these
openings is to control the interior temperature and humidity. By opening or closing
the apertures, workers are able to counterbalance the effect of wind and sun exposure
on the structure. Each bulk is about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. Inside these
piles, heat is created as a by-product of the chemical reactions taking place. The core
temperature is monitored daily and the piles are rotated inside out frequently to
prevent the raw tobacco from cooking. This part of the fermentation is referred to as
"sweating". These bulks may be turned many times during the following months
until this stage is complete. It is during this sweating process that the tobacco
releases ammonia and other undesirable elements. The tobacco is then put into
rectangular bails, each about 150 pounds, and stored for a minimum of one year.
Many producers will store it for much longer periods of 3-5 years. After this curing
and aging period, the tobacco is judged suitable and shipped to the fabrica for rolling.
Q: What does Corojo mean?
A: Corojo (pronounced: kawr-oh-ho) is the name given to a specific variety of
tobacco plant that was originally developed in the Vuelta Abajo Valley in Cuba. It is
named after the plantation that first grew it, called El Corojo Vega. The leaf's thin,
oily texture, along with its small thin veins, make it the pinnacle for a wrapper leaf
on the highest rated of the Cuban brands. This farm had a unique combination of
mineral content in the soil, irrigation, drainage, and exposure that allowed the plant
to thrive. The plant is very temperamental and delicate, and only survived when
planted in the valley of its origin. Most attempts to relocate the seeds to other
tobacco growing regions in both Cuba and other Caribbean nations are met with crop
failure. Within the last 5 or 6 years, there have been only two growers, both in a
valley in Bonao, Dominican Republic, who have been able to harvest successful crops
of the Corojo variety. The characteristics of this valley duplicate those of the original
Cuban plantation. The wrappers cultivated from this plant are often designated as
"rosado" shade, which is a very rare, reddish tint.
Q: What is Maduro?
A: Maduro, directly translated from Spanish, means "mature" or "ripe". On a cigar, it
applies to the wrapper leaf that is medium or dark brown. The two most common
styles of maduro are Colorado (medium brown), and Oscuro (dark brown, almost
black). There are several methods used to achieve these shades, depending on the
hybrid of plant. Some are fermented for longer periods of time, while others are
merely left on the plant unpicked until the very end of the plant's annual growing
cycle. Most maduro shaded wrappers are grown in Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, and
Cameroon.
Q: How many wrapper
wrapper colors are there?
A: There are about a dozen or so, all variations of these basic ones, listed from
lightest to darkest: Candela (which is still green), Double Claro, Claro, Colorado,
Colorado Maduro, Colorado Rosado, Maduro, and Oscuro.

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