Tobacco for cigars. Part 1

August 2, 2010

Real cigar is made of tobacco and only of tobacco what is quite obvious testify that cigar's quality is, first of all, tobacco quality. (Of course, master's hands play significant role but out of bad tobacco even the best master will not make anything...) It is not difficult to guess that tobacco quality depends on the plant itself (on the sort), on the ground, on which it was growing, on climatic conditions and, on hands of the person who grows it and prepares it to make cigar of it.

Doesn't remind you the above stated of anything? Judge yourself: sort of the plant, soil and climate ("terroir"), person... But namely in this way is made wine, and it means that it is possible and necessary to agree with those who draws parallel between cigars and wine and draws it quite reasonable: cigars as wine can be subjected to aging, thanks to which they - as wine! - become better! However, as wine, not any cigars and not in any conditions...

So, tobacco sort. Although it is assumed that for cigars is used alcalic family sort. i.e., "main tobacco", it is not quite fair. Actually, in hand rolled cigars with "long" filling is used namely this family, but "short" filling gives to cigars' makers broad field for maneuver and many manufacturers make use of it, making cigar filling of 20 and more tobacco sorts, including adding of tobacco sort "Virginia" and many other, obviously not cigar tobaccos. However binding and covering leafs are prerogative of solely alcalic tobacco. Family of these tobaccos is presented mainly by various hybrids of Havana sort (they are usually marked with number, for example, # 142 and so on). Besides, for covering leaf is used tobacco of Monte Calme Yellow, Small Stalk Black Mammoth sorts and some other.

The most simple is to answer the question: "If there are not so many tobacco sorts why cigar differ frome ach other so much?" "It is because here intervene in proceedings "terroir", soil, and climate". And - human hands. Tobacco is one of the most difficult cultures that are grown by man but to raise tobacco for good cigars is more difficult. And the matter is that besides general refinements of this capricious culture cultivating, there is a whole range of specific requirements to cigar tobacco. First of all, tobacco for cigars mustn't bloom, that is why all flower seed-buds must be removed. Secondly, tobacco growers carefully look after development of EACH tobacco bush and remove seed-buds of those leafs that, to their view are unnecessary. Finally, for some cigar sorts plants have to be protected from sun, with this purpose gauze sun blinds are used. They are supported by special wooden constructions (this technique is called tapado but its use doesn't allow tobacco leafs to become too thick).