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What
Does Fermentation Do To Tobacco?
In addition to the
financial resources enabling a manufacturer to stock up on leaf supply
and the expertise in acquiring those stocks, it's imperative that the
tobacco be properly processed before use. For all the types which make
up a cigar - filler (the guts of a cigar), binder and wrapper - the process
known as fermentation must be carefully monitored and completed before
the tobacco is rolled into a cigar. After the cigar is made, forget it,
fermentation ceases.
Tobacco fermentation means laying the leaves into huge "bulks", the centers
of which develop heat. The heat in the center of a bulk should not be
allowed to exceed about 115-130 degrees F, depending on the type of tobacco,
otherwise it will be ruined, burned out so to speak. When it gets up to
that temperature, and it will do so in its own time depending on the leaf
and its condition, the bulk gets turned inside out and the heat build
up (fermentation) begins again. When the heat levels off, the fermentation
is complete. This could occur after four turns or eight turns, referred
to as "sweats" in the Trade. Over-fermentation will ruin the leaf, cause
it to become "spent" and lose its flavor and aroma.
During "sweating", the fermentation process causes the emission of nitrogen
compounds and other chemical compounds and reduces somewhat the nicotine
content. After fermentation, further aging in bales helps to settle the
leaf and enhances flavor and burning quality. Manufacturers who can't
afford to wait or who just don't care to wait until this process is completed,
produce inferior cigars.
If, when you smoke your box of 25 cigars, you find the following telltale
signs, chances are the leaf has not been fully fermented or aged:
Harshness or bitterness on the tongue, lips and in the mouth. a feeling
something like heartburn in the chest cavity. The cigar keeps going out
easily. If this happens with a few cigars in your box, the manufacturer
is not consistent in the use of his tobaccos. If this happens with a majority
of them, he is not making the investment in fully aged leaf. He is using
the tobacco before its time.
Now you know something about leaf processing and its importance in producing
a consistently high quality cigar. One last point on this subject. Once
the cigar is made, it is impossible to ferment the tobacco further. How
would it be possible it get the temperature up to 115 degrees F (45 degrees
+ C.) in order to do the job? Some cigar people say that natural wrapped
cigars properly kept in the box without cellophane will "mature" and become
more mellow. Maybe, but, if unfermented or "raw" tobacco has been used,
no amount of aging or maturing in the box will cure it. Cigar tobacco
is not like wine.
Is
When And Where A Cigar Is Smoked Important?
Whenever you smoke
cigars from a certain box, see if you can determine any significant
variance in taste and aroma. If you can, now you know the probable cause.
But be careful. A cigar will taste different depending on when it's
smoked: morning or evening, after a meal, with coffee, or cognac, indoors
or outdoors. Maybe one of the box of 25 isn't sufficient after all to
really test for consistent quality. It probably is, but the point is
that slight variances are acceptable. It's the wide swing in quality
you must watch out for. Remember, the bad cigar costs as much as the
good one. You're entitled to some assurance of getting value for your
money.
What's
The Best Temperature And Humidity To Store Cigars?
If you keep your
cigars at 70% relative humidity and 70 degrees F, they'll dry out over
a long period of time. To combat this, get a decent humidor, keep the
cigars at room temperature, charge the humidifier in the humidor regularly
and you'll have no problem. For large walk in humidors, remember that
a manufacturer equilibrates cigars after rolling at room temperature
and about 72% relative humidity. At this level of temperature and humidity,
the three parts of the cigars are allowed to equalize in moisture content,
to slowly, ever so slowly, dry down. So room temperature and 72% humidity
will keep cigars over time and 73% humidity will keep cigars perfect
forever.
As the temperature gets lower, the humidity has to get higher to keep
the cigars fresh. Never let the temperature get high. High temperature
and high humidity create an incubator atmosphere and before you know
it, the will be little bugs flying around to ruin your entire selection
or a white mold will develop, or both. Dry cigars have less flavor and
aroma, are less mild and flake off in the mouth. Dryness is the major
cause of unraveling wrappers, the second most frequent complaint among
premium cigar smokers.
So when you purchase that box of cigars for smoking (testing), make
sure your source has kept them properly. Otherwise, if they're not in
good condition, you'll never be able to tell if they're good or not
good, consistent or inconsistent.
Is
The Size Of A Cigar Important To The Taste And Aroma?
In general, a cigar
smoker likes a particular size. So when considering the quality and
consistency of taste and aroma of a cigar, unless you're smoking the
size you're accustomed to, your sense of comparability is liable to
be thrown off and it will be difficult to judge that cigar fairly. In
other words, the same cigar blends in different sizes taste different
- if there's a big difference in ring size and length. This because
a big ring gauge, say 50 or 52, produces an immense volume of smoke
compared to a 28, 36 or even a 42 ring*. Naturally, taste and aroma
are strongly influenced by this.
To a lesser extent, length also influences taste, but not so seriously
as ring size. Besides, if you start with a 7 inch cigar when you're
used to one 5 1/2 inches long, it'll become 5 1/2 inches long soon anyway
- although, believe it or not, the 7 inch cigar at 5 1/2 inches will
taste a little different than the one that starts at 5 1/2 inches.
Thus, if a manufacturer excels at making a great cigar 42 ring x 6 1/2
inches, it does not necessarily follow that the same brand in other
sizes will be as good or as consistent. You'll have to try a box of
each. But if you're not accustomed to smoking a certain size that you
might be curious about, maybe you should enlist the cooperation of a
friend who does smoke that size regularly.<
* 1 Ring = 1/64" in diameter, thus a 50 ring cigar is a bit more than
3/4" in diameter.
What
About Price?
Is the price of
a cigar indicative of its quality or its consistency?
Regardless of the
price, you still have to smoke those 25 cigars in order to determine
consistency. High prices do not guarantee a good cigar. The highest
priced cigars are still hand made products, subject to the same construction
idiosyncrasies as their less expensive brethren.
Generally, the biggest element of cost in the make up of a fine cigar
is the tobacco, assuming they're packed in the common type of box. Fancy
packaging can add greatly to the overall cost. Individual aluminum or
glass tubes, polished or beveled cedar or mahogany boxes, gift selections
of 5 or 10 cigars, etc. are very expensive and significantly increase
the price of the individual cigar
So, we find prices varying greatly. Some cigars cost 8 or 10 times more
than others of the same size and it's the smoker's dilemma to judge
their relative worth. And we all know how the price of an object can
affect our psyche and thus our attitude towards it. So, as far as how
much you're prepared to pay for a cigar is concerned, practice a bit
of caveat emptor and you'll be all right. Whatever you pay, you'll still
have to go through the same analysis to determine just how good the
cigars are.
EPILOGUE
We hope this little
piece of information on how to judge a "good" cigar helps you in your
search for excellence. At the very least, we trust that you now understand
why you can't test one cigar and from that singular experience label
it "good", or even not so "good". Notice, we have not tried to tell
you how a cigar should taste or smell. That's too personal. As a rule,
with cigars as with food and wine, if you like the taste and aroma,
it's good. And, if that pleasing taste and aroma is delivered every
time, then the cigar is "good." But, if you personally do not enjoy
the taste of a particular cigar but find all the other aspects of it
to be sound, it might be considered "good" by another person. It's something
akin to all those people in the world who do not enjoy caviar. The subjectivity
of taste is one of life's fascinations and it definitely applies to
cigars, as well as caviar.
Enjoy.
Used with permission from Altadis U.S.A. Inc.
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