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Smoking History

The Best Aged Cigars, From 30 to 60 Years Old are Refined, Stylish Powerhouses of Flavor





by James Suckling



The cigar's wrapper has an opulent dark brown color; its texture is silky and flawless. A large band, slightly yellowing and oily like the surface of an old painting, encircles it with the name "Belinda" printed in block letters. Perhaps most striking is its ornate style with a red background and a gold crest of a leaping lion, a key and… Continue

The Last Word on Tobacco Beetles





By Jason Sheftell



It eats like a pig, breeds like a bunny, lives fast and dies young. It worships tobacco and heat. It's cosmopolitan. It's Lasioderma serricorne, better known as the tobacco beetle, and it loves nothing more than to hatch in your humidor and feast on your cigars.



No bigger than a pinhead, the tobacco beetle makes cigar lovers around the world tremble. One generation of its offspring can take a sizable bite… Continue

Restoring Dry Cigars



You discover a box of your favorite cigars that you left in a closet for six months, and the cigars are as dry as a bone. What do you do?



First, have patience. Put the cigars in a humidor that hasn't been charged in the previous week. Let them rest in the slightly dry humidor for a few days so the cigars absorb some humidity. Then, partially fill the humidification system, letting the cigars rest for another week before fully charging the humidity… Continue

Cigar Tobacco-Growing Regions



Cuba

Cuban tobacco is acknowledged as among the finest in the world. Cuba's best tobacco-growing area is in the Vuelta Abajo, part of the Pinar del Rio region area in western Cuba. In general, Cuban tobacco is strong and full-bodied, with spicy and aromatic flavors. It is also renowned for its suppleness. Most factories of premium hand-rolled cigars are located in or near Havana, the capital city.



Dominican Republic

The quality and… Continue

Cigar Manufacturing



The making of a premium hand-rolled cigar is a complicated process. In some factories, a leaf may be touched by human hands up to 40 times before the cigar is completed.



Growing the Tobacco

Cigar tobacco reaches the factory after a series of six-week periods; six weeks to germinate seeds before transplanting to a field; six weeks to grow the tobacco plant to maturity; six weeks for a complete harvest, followed by a series of periods of… Continue