Tobacco industry
I have prepared something for the smokers between us. Exactly for the cigar smokers. I have prepared something, what should every good smoker know, and remember by smoking a good cigar.
Firstly I would like to mention some quotations from famous people:
The world has never born such jolly seed.
Barten Holyday, 1918
Noble tobacco! Who illuminates at the east and at the west side the day full of distress with joy.
George Gordon Byron
Smoking is human, smoking of cigars is godlike.
Anonym
I smoke restrained - always only one cigar.
Mark Twain, 1893
What this country needs is a good cigar for 5 cents.
Thomas Marshall,
the president of the USA, 1919
Cigar is a good addition of an elegant lifestyle.
George Sand
I would like to mention, how the cigar is being prepared, and what influences its evolution.
The cigar is (so do I think) better, than a cigarette. The cigar is only a natural product. It is made from the tobacco plant, but not from a normal tobacco plant, which grows everywhere, but only from some place in the world, where the soil is the best for planting tobacco. There are only a few places, which have the best soil, temperature and humidity. The best weather is unequal to plant here the tobacco. The main thing is the soil. You can't find two same places in the world with the same soil.
The best tobacco in the world is being produced in Vuelta Abajo in the province Pinar del Río in the west part of Cuba. But the best tobacco for the binder is not being produced in Cuba, but in the valley of the Connecticut River on less than 100 acres of soil. It's the Connecticut Shade.
The life of the cigar starts already when it's given as a seed into the seed-plot where they are kept for 45 days. After this period, they are being grafted into loose soil (kyprá půda). There is built a tent of hemp (juta) above the shadow likeable species. After the next 45 days are the first leafs ready for "rejuvenation" (priming). This time it is already clear, what type of leafs will be used as Valdo - the leaf from the lower part of the plant with softer taste, as Seco - the middle part leafs with middle volume and Ligero - the upper part of the plant with strong taste and outstanding structure. The decree of one tobacco plant is over head 16 to 18 leafs, which are top enough to be used for creating of a good cigar.
After this, the leafs are sorted after their size and structure. Than they are hang for 3 to 5 weeks into the barns. There became the leafs the brown color, because originally they are green. Than they are sorted again and put into a packet of 20 pieces and than begins the fermentation process. The tobacco leaf is changing to a smokeable thing.
The workers row the packets into great monoliths, which are 3 to 5 feet high and weight to 10 000 pounds (4539kg). This position causes that the air can not get to the leafs and they begin to sweat. The temperature inside the packet rises and the dampness, nicotine, squash and ammonia is being unborn. The temperature has to be between 50° and 70°C. After the required level the packets are turned upside down and this is done 3 times.
After this, the packets are sent into some special stores, where they are kept for 1-3 years t get mellow. Sometimes, by the trade marks, it is more than 10 years too. After the tobacco returns from the stores it is as frail as an old paper. The next procedure is "coasting". The tobacco leafs are being dipped - but not a lot, only for reviving them. Than they are ready to ditch the footstalks and the middle ribs.
The last thing is the work of the "master blend", who mixes the tobacco leafs to get the original taste of the cigar. After this the tobacco is ready to be changed into a good cigar.
The myths of production of cigars are very attractive. The best is, that it is being made by the Cubanian women on the inner side of their thighs. Actually the procedure is a piece of a many skilled hands.
Here are some main terms in the production of cigars:
The head - the closed end of the cigar, which is given into the mouth
The heel - the opened end of the cigar, which is being lit
The cap - the covered part of the head, which ranges to the shoulder
The cigar is made from three main levels:
The Filler - is the kernel of every cigar. It is covered with the binder and the wrapper. The filler is made from
entire leafs ("long filler"), which are enough for the whole length of the cigar, or from shorter
("short filler"), which are mostly cut. The main difference between the long filler and the short filler
is, that long filler has the same taste at the end as at the top and they have long ashes.
The binder - is the middle level, which keeps the twist of the cigar together. In the case of high quality
production it is a good leaf with high elasticity, to span good the filler. It must be the same leaf as
the filler to taste good.
The wrapper - is the jacket of the cigar. This is created by a huge and attractive leaf. It must have good venosity
(žilnatina), structure and be touchpleasant. It must be a carefully out sorted leaf, because it makes
from 60% the taste of the cigar. But the main taste is hidden in the hands of the "roller".
The buncher - the man who makes the shape of the filler. It must be straight because of the pull of the smoke.
The steady fillers are given into a press for approximately 45 minutes.
The roller - the man who gives the pressed filler into the wrapping leaf, which is cut in the middle and for the
length of the cigar. The top of the wrapping leaf is at the heel, so can the best taste come as the first
to the smoker. After this, he glues a cap to the head of the cigar with a special vegetable paste.
Everyone, who wants to be the "master roller" (torcedor) has to be a junior clerk for at least 2
years. Only a few of the junior clerks are than chosen to be learning for 6 years, how to wrap a cigar.
The standards are so strong, that sometimes are 20 years not enough to become a master roller.
The Czech smokers do mostly smoke the machinely packed cigar. They are much more cheaper, because of the easy creating of them. The all are made mostly from the flat leaf (jednotný list) - HTL, that is a pappy stuff made from the tobacco leafs, tobacco footstalks and funiculars with a substance like wood-pulp (celulóza). It is made in the sheets too and it can be used as the wrapper. This cigars are reserved for wholesale usage, because the machines are able to produce thousands of them a day. It are very weak cigars and are used mostly by chain smokers.
But some of them are not only for wholesale usage, they are very popular too. For example the marks like: Christian of Denmark, Schimelpennick and Villanger. Some of them are made of real tobacco, some of them are from the flat leaf. Some experts prefer this cigars in face of the "normal" one.
The best places to plant tobacco are: Cuba, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Jamaica, Sumatra, Philippines, Canary Islands, Cameron, Equator, Netherlands, Mexico, Nicaragua and USA.
The best cigars are the "premiums" and "super premiums", the best are "vintage".
By buying of a cigar you should be careful. If you see a hole of a worm or an other insect, you should avoid the shop. The color of the cigar should be same at the end as at the top. The venosity of the leaf should not conduct a lot. It should have the dampness of 70%. If it is dry it doesn't taste good. You should try it with your touch too, if it is hard enough, to have a good pull.