Cigar smoking has been said to be a gentlemen’s luxury; a hobby that carries with it as much pose, and insight as wine making. Hand made cigars are left to an elevated class of smoking mainly because the interest has more to do with the taste and origin than a flighty cheap buzz that addictive cigarettes can conjure.
Every year small independent companies are trying to introduce a winner of a blend to the arena of marketable handmade cigars. Some have the rare finesse to work alongside common –name cigar brands as they flourish from a boutique cigar into a mainstream blend. Boutique cigars are the rare cigars that are hand blended and sold in small local shops or entered into tradeshows. Most boutiques are made with an extreme attention to detail thread throughout the product. The competitive edge that these few cigars bring to the table of larger companies is a major advantage to the entire industry. Well made boutiques keep the big guns on their toes, forcing them to keep an edge on their own products. No matter where you find your next beauty, or who you purchase from, there are a few rules of thumb to follow so that you are likely to enjoy your next cigar.
Tobacco: The main ingredient in any handmade cigar will be the tobacco, and based on where the tobacco has been grown, a variety of flavor can be traced within the cigar back to elements within the original soil. In essence, tobacco gives you the taste that tells of its quality. If the taste is harsh to the mouth, carries a burning sensation or is simply unpleasant, the tobacco is safely categorized as inferior. Some cigar brands, especially the more affluent ones, use two separate tobaccos for the wrapper and the filler. This can be seen in many cuban and dominican cigars.