The flavor of tobacco is greatly influenced by the type of soil in which it is grown. Organic tobacco is cultivated in a truly natural way, without using any insecticides or fertilizers. Only biological fertilizers and pesticides are used in the nurturing process. Pests are controlled by natural methods. The price of organic tobacco is almost double the price of the conventional tobacco. It has to be mentioned that the yield of tobacco produced naturally will be less than half the amount when compared to the conventional tobacco farming. Still, natural tobacco production is a good option for the farmers with less cultivable land.
The tobacco grown naturally can be harvested either by priming or stalk cutting. In priming, the leaves are plucked as they reach the prime. The collected leaves are placed loosely somewhere or just hung to get ready for curing. The stalks are cut and split for drying in stalk cutting method. The plants are placed on big planks for curing.
Curing of the tobacco makes it ready for consumption. It takes one or two months to complete the air curing process. In flue curing, the leaves are exposed to high temperatures in the early stages itself so that their color lightens. Fire curing is done after a few days of drying. This alters the flavor of the tobacco leaves.
In natural farming of tobacco, the efforts put by the farmers allow them to reap great profits. But due to the paucity of people who have a good knowledge of the methodology to cultivate organic tobacco and the considerable effort they need to put in, production rates are fairly less.
Archive for the ‘Cigar Knowledge’ Category
Organic Tabacco
Wednesday, December 30th, 2009Smoking Cigars and Health
Monday, November 30th, 2009
Many people think that just because one does not inhale while smoking cigars, then you are not subjecting your lungs to all that nicotine and chemical compounds. In actual fact, the poisonous substances are absorbed through your mouth and throat making you very susceptible to oral cancer. Oral cancer can occur in your tongue, mouth or throat. Considering how dangerous any sort of smoking is be it cigarettes or cigars, you should really consider quitting or better yet don’t start.
Some people claim that smoking cigars is not as addictive as smoking cigarettes. Wrong again. Cigars do not have filters to filter the nicotine that goes through and in fact the nicotine level in a cigar is four hundred times more than an average cigarette given it height and width. According to research, cigar smoke also contains thirty times more carbon monoxide than cigarette smoke.
Even though most cigar smokers claim to only smoke occasionally, given the intensity of the handmade cigars, apparently just smoking five cigars a month can put in a cancer prone state. If you have cancer running in your family, then the risk becomes that much higher.
Many women seem to also have jump on board starting to smoke cigars. Some think it’s fashionable and akin to being one of the boys. Trust me it is not fashionable when you are lying in the hospital with mouth cancer. It is one of the grossest looking cancers one can endure. Even if you survived the cancer, you will probably never look the same again.
The Basics of Cigars
Monday, November 30th, 2009
Typical hand rolled cigars are composed of fillers, binders and a wrapper. Out of these, the filler gives the cigar its distinctive flavor. The quality of the filler varies in different handmade cigars. Long filler gives the best flavor and it contains mainly tobacco leaves rolled together. Short fillers contain other parts of the tobacco plant as well, giving a mixed flavor. The binders are mainly elastic leaves that keep the fillers together.
Wrappers are made of wide tobacco leaves and they confer the aroma to the cigars. A good wrapper must be oily and thick with a smooth texture. They come in various colors with the darkest being the strongest. Light brown colored hand rolled cigars are ideal for the starters as they are milder than the dark colored ones.
If you wish to enjoy cigar smoking by using the premium quality cigars, then the hand made cigars are ideal for you. Leaves for hand made cigars are picked and rolled by the cigar makers with care. As the leaves are of the superior quality, you will get the flavor of high quality tobacco. Machine made cigars, on the other hand, contain several other ingredients. Moreover, the particles are small so that it will bun rapidly.
Different brands of cigars come in varying lengths anywhere between four and eight inches. The length you select must be based on your needs. The longer you would like the cigar to last, the longer one you may choose. Thick and thin cigars again give the beginner the trouble of choosing the correct size. Thin cigars with light flavor will be ideal for the beginners. As you become used to smoking, you can try thicker ones with stronger flavors and blends. Within a short span of time, you will be used to the various flavors making you capable of selecting your special brand.
Choosing a Cigar
Monday, November 30th, 2009
Cigars have been popular all over the world, especially in the European countries. Despite the fact that they are addictive as well as harmful, the numbers of cigar users are increasing rapidly. Owing to their increased demand, newer brands are coming rapidly in the market. With too many varieties of cigars, it will be difficult to choose a brand as far as the beginners are concerned. Once you are able to find your favorite cigar based on your taste, you can well stick to the brand.
The tastes of people differ. Your favorite brand may not be appealing to another person. Hence it is of no use discussing with other smokers when you try to find out a good brand. A beginner can start with milder flavors of tobacco.
Tobacco preset in the cigars come in various flavors. The way in which the tobacco plant has been nurtured, the parts of the plant being used to make the cigars, the storage conditions, all influence the flavor. The storage conditions of handmade cigars affect their quality and they are affected by temperature and light. They are usually kept in a box called humidor where they provide the ideal conditions and humidity for the cigar to age. The white powder that forms over the cigars enhances their flavor.
Don’ts of Smoking Cigars
Monday, November 30th, 2009
Never ask someone for a lighter to light your cigar. Remember the art form, lighting a cigar is an experience one should go through for themselves. Don’t do it too slowly or too fast. Again relating back to the courteous behavior of the cigar smoker, it’s all a distinguished display.
Never use a cigar holder. It is unbecoming and generally not used by the cigar masters. It is just an accessory designed to make some extra money off the cigar smokers. Real cigar smokers will not disgrace themselves that way.
You should never smoke a cigar while working. Remember handmade cigars are for winding down and not for playing around. Given that it is an evening pastime for men after their wining and dining, hand rolled cigars are generally not smoked in a work setting.
You never snuff out a cigar. You let it burn off on its own. It will usually go out on its own after you have smoked it halfway. You never keep the un-smoked portion of the cigar. Also disposing a cigar is always done discreetly and in the right manner.
You should never relight a cigar if there’s less than one quarter of it left. Cigar smoking is an act of pride and abundance. You cannot consider wastage when it comes to cigars.
To summarize, smoking a cigar is a kind of culture you need to adapt into to be fully acclaimed as a cigar smoker. It is not for the weak minded and if you think, you can get away with inadequacy then you might as well smoke alone or better still stick to cigarettes.
I didn’t make the above up. Zino Davidoff actually created a set of guidelines for cigar smokers to follow way back in 1967 and up till now, these guidelines are adhered to religiously by cigar smokers all over the world.
Do’s of Smoking Cigars
Monday, November 30th, 2009
There is nothing hurried about savoring the aroma of cigar smoke and having a glass of whisky, talking to your friends and taking a puff again. Smoking handmade cigars is not just about getting relief from stress, it’s about the experience. One needs to learn and master the art of unwrapping a cigar, cutting or snipping of the end and lighting it. All of these takes time and is to be carried out in a gentlemanly way.
The right way to hold a cigar is to position it between your thumb and index finger. Notice how this is different from holding a cigarette which is usually held between the middle finger and index finger.
Wait at least 15 minutes after you have finished one cigar before lighting another one. This is to showcase the laidback attitude of the cigar smoker as opposed to the fidgety behavior of the cigarette smoker.
Cuban Cigars 101 Part 2
Monday, November 30th, 2009
The taste of the any cigar is influenced, in general, by the aging process of the tobacco leaves. The more they age, the more aromas they provide to the users. The aging technique of the tobacco leaves in the process of making Cuban cigars is another factor that confers superior quality to the brand.
Cuba’s climatic conditions and the nature of the soil influence the flavor of the leaves. In fact, Cuba is one of the nations that produces the best quality tobacco in the world. The favorable environments as well as the dexterity of the cigar makers enable the Cuban cigar to maintain the superiority over other manufacturers. Pinar del Rio and Sancti Spiritus are places in Cuba that are known to produce good quality tobacco.
As the demand for the Cuban cigars is very high all over the world, fake cigars are being sold under the name of Cuban cigars. Unless you purchase the handmade cigars from legitimate dealers, it is likely that you may get fake cigars instead of Cuban cigars. To avoid that, examine the cigar box closely to see any tampering or damages when you buy them. Also you must check to see if all the handmade cigars are neatly arranged and if they are of uniform length. The Cuban cigars will be soft with an extremely soft surface. In addition to these, the characteristic aroma of the Cuban cigars is enough to distinguish them from the duplicate cigars.
Cuban Cigars 101
Monday, November 30th, 2009
Cuban cigars have been deemed as the top-quality handmade cigars among the various brands available. They give the most pleasurable experience for the smokers. Due to the same fact, the business of exporting hand rolled Cuban cigars to various parts of the world has been flourishing for a long time. Many of the Cuban brands were enjoyed by the richer sections in the society. In the past, United States has placed several restrictions on the importing of Cuban cigars. Now they have relaxed a bit and it is possible to bring limited amount of cigars from Cuba.
The country produces around forty brands of cigars, all maintaining the unique characteristics. The lengths of the cigars vary from ten to twenty four centimeters. They come in different thicknesses-fine type, medium type and the thick variety. The thicker type burns pretty slow and the taste is not as strong like the other brands.
Due to the high demand of Cuban cigars, they are available only at exorbitant prices outside Cuba. But within the country, it is available for a cheaper rate as well. Usually, they sell Cuban cigars as boxes containing twenty five cigars. Many sellers allow the users to test the taste before making the purchase.
What makes the hand rolled Cuban cigars so special? Adherence to high quality during the processing of handmade Cuban cigars makes them distinctive from the rest. The manufacture of handmade Cuban cigars is a complex process. They select the best quality leaves for cigar making. After the cleaning and drying of the tobacco leaves, they are hand rolled to form superior quality cigars. Some of the popular brands include Cohibas, Montecristo and Partagas.
One can experience a variety of flavors from a single Cuban cigar. The variety of long leaves they use to make the different layers give the unique experience to the smokers. The makers do the task with extreme care and never has it been made using machines. Quality has been assured for the same reason.
Buying Cigars
Monday, November 30th, 2009
Cigar smoking has long been a status symbol for many people besides being a pleasurable activity. Handmade cigars come in diverse forms and tastes. A beginner in smoking will not have the adequate knowledge to select the right cigar. Instead of suggesting some brands, I will try to provide some information about cigars in general so that you can pick the best one yourself.
As you may be aware of, the nicotine in the cigar exerts its harmful effects on the body. Smoking is a proven cause of malignancies of various organs. Now let us leave that bad side for a while and speak of the beautiful side.
Cigars can be broadly grouped in to handmade cigars and machine made cigars. Experience shows that hand made cigars are superior to machine made ones. When they make hand rolled cigars, they use the picked and sorted leaves as such to confer them the true quality. Many of the premium quality cigars have been made by rolling the full leaves with hands. Smaller leaf particles are being used in machine made cigars making them inferior to the hand made ones.
The length of good hand rolled cigars is in the range of five to six inches and some times even more. You may select the length which is appropriate for you depending on the length of use. Handmade cigars come in various thicknesses and the thickness is measured in gauges. Thicker cigars contain more filler of various flavors. The color of the cigar also matters when you select one. Being a beginner, slender, light colored ones with a light flavor will be enough for you. Handmade cigars from Jamaica and cuban seed Dominican Cigars will give you a nice start with the mild flavors.
Identifying Counterfeit Cigars
Sunday, November 29th, 2009
The most commonly faked cigars are Cuban cigars. This is done for two reasons: because original ones are hard to come by and because their price is high and make for excellent business. However, almost any cigar can be reproduced. To identify a fake, keep the following in mind:
1. Look at the quality of the box and seal. New seals are usually multicolor, have watermarks and serial numbers. Poorly-designed labels may indicate a fake.
2. Look for stickers and burned engravings on the side or inside of the boxes of the handmade cigars. High-quality handmade cigars, especially Cuban cigars, do not have plain ink stamps. Ink is commonly used in fakes, though, because it’s easier to reproduce and imitate.
3. Look for factory and date stamp on the box. Fakes rarely include this, because a specific date makes it easier to identify a fake.
4. If it sounds too good to be true… if you find a handmade cigars selling for significantly less than the real price, ask yourself why.