10 Things Every Cigar Lover Should Know – First part

From the seed to the box on the store shelf, from the filling to the leaf that wraps the cigar… There are 10 things every cigar enthusiast should know as they cut, light and smoke their favorite cigars.

In the comfortable world of pleasure cigars, the peace is not infrequently disturbed by the wide variety of opinions and writings presented as facts. Often confusing and overwhelming even the avid smoker.

To help navigate this maze, we’ve selected a few facts and information to detail and introduce any cigar lover, whether they’re a novice or die-hard.

This will not be the “10 Commandments” of cigar smokers. Rather, it will be information that will illuminate some aspects of cigar making and why it is so specific /unique/. We have also added some valuable tips on how to get more pleasure from smoking and enrich your knowledge regarding the pleasure and quality of your favorite pastime.

Cigars are a natural / natural / craft product

Words like “natural” and “artisan” have become somewhat depersonalized by their frequent use in modern parlance, but high-quality, hand-crafted cigars have truly earned the right to be described as such. They are produced only and only from tobacco. Pure, unadulterated tobacco. Not a single leaf of the plant has been treated with chemicals or additionally flavored. Everything – from the taste to the color is natural and this is what gives the cigars their characteristic beauty.

In fact, few other products are as natural. The taste, whether sweet or hot, is natural. The many shades of brown that have appeared in the natural ripening of the leaves, without being further enriched with dyes, is in itself amazing. No preservatives, artificial or natural sweeteners are used. Such additives are inherent in the manufacture of cigarettes and machine-made cigars, which are mass-produced.

With hand-rolled cigars, the rolling process is a skill that takes years to master. Combining tobacco varieties is as much an art as a science, and due to the fact that tobacco is a natural product, the person who makes the selection of the varieties should be able to work with the raw material, changing and developing it from year to year, while being dependent on the crops.

As with wine, some vintages are better than others, but cigar makers do their best to ensure that their production is consistent and unchanged, despite the crops being subject to the vagaries of the weather.

The content of natural, unlike genetically modified varieties, always gives some minimal differences from cigar to cigar. As with any handcrafted product, no two cigars will be exactly alike. The best quality and most genuine cigars are a natural expression of the man who rolls them and the nature that created them. To be continued.

Author: Gregory Mottola