The tobacco plant originally came from South America. Even though it is impossible to state exactly when it was brought to Cuba, it can be said that it happened between 3000 and 2000 B.C. The common name for the tobacco plant is the result of a mistake and seems to have first been recorded in Christopher Columbus’s journal for November 6, 1492: “ My messenger, Rodrigo de Xerez, reported that after a march of about 12 miles they had discovered a village with about a 1000 inhabitants. The natives had received them ceremoniously, and had lodged them in the most beautiful houses. They encountered many men and women carrying some sort of cylinder in which sweetly smelling herbs were glowing. The people sucked the other end of the cylinder and, as it were, drank in the smoke. Natives said they called these cylinders tobaccos”. Clearly then, the Carib word tabaco meant the reed pipes in which the natives smoked the dried leaves; and over the years, tabaco, the ancestor of tobacco, came to designate the leaves themselves and the tobacco plant.

On 1493, upon returning to Europe, the Spanish envoy, Luis de Torres, having lit up these peculiar tobacco leaves acquired from the New World, was arrested and condemned to 10 years imprisonment for sorcery.

On 1519, Cortez arrives in Mexico and is confronted by the Aztecs, who are also tobacco smokers, but these enjoyed their leaves in pipes.

On 1525, the first documented praise of tobacco written by Jean d'Ango, a famous shipbuilder, read: “Yesterday I met an old sailor and I drank a jug of Brittany wine with him. While drinking, he suddenly pulled out of his wallet a wide clay object which at first I thought was a schoolboy's inkhorn. You would have said it was an inkhorn with a long pipe and a small mouth; he filled the wide end with brown leaves which he had crushed in the palm of his hands, set fire to it by means of a tinderbox, and the very next moment, having put the pipe between his lips, he was blowing smoke out of his mouth, which I found quite astounding. He apprised me that the Portuguese had taught him this trick, which they had learned from the Mexican Indians. He called it 'smoking' and said that this smoking sharpened the mind and produced happy thoughts.”

On 1530, tobacco served as the first currency of trade for African coastal slaves.

On 1542, a Dominican priest named Bartolomé de Las Casas, wrote in his Breve Relación de la Destrucción de las Indias (A Very Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies) the most accurate description of the tobacco: "They were dried herbs rolled up in a certain led, also dried, forming a kind of paper fusee like children make for the feast of Pentecost. People lit them at one end, sucked the other, and absorbed the smoke by breathing it in. This smoke...prevented them, they claimed, from feeling sleepy. These fusees, or whatever we may call them, they themselves called tobaccos“.

On 1556, the first tobacco seeds were planted in Angoulême, France by André Thevet, a Cordelier monk.

On 1560, Jean Nicot discovers the mysterious healing properties of tobacco leaves and cures the Queen, by administering tobacco in the form of snuff, of her severe migraines.

On 1567, Jean Liébault, the son of a famous printer, in publishing, Agriculture and the Rustic House, he officially refers to the tobacco plant as Nicotiana, a clear homage to Jean Nicot who first acquired and studied the plant from the royal gardens in Portugal.

On 1580, the English bring tobacco to Russia and the Italians bring the plant to Turkey.

On 1590, tobacco reaches Japan through the Portuguese navigators.

On 1595, the Indian Mogul Empire is presented with the tobacco plant as is Morocco, Persia, Egypt and the Philippines.

On 1610, Sir Francis Bacon writes that tobacco use is increasing and that it is a custom hard to quit.

On 1612, John Rolfe, the famous husband of Indian princess Pocahontas, introduces tobacco into Virginia.

On 1623, following a decree by British King Philip III, the island of Cuba becomes the dispatch hub for tobacco to the entire Spanish Empire to include, Costa Rica, Mexico and the Canary Islands.

On 1717, King Philip V established a royal monopoly on tobacco-growing in Cuba. This has gone down in history as the Estanco del Tabaco. Tobacco-growers who opposed the onerous law lost their lives.

From 1729 to 1796, Catherine The Great was an avid cigar smoker. To avoid soiling her fingers with tobacco stains, she is credited as being the first to put a band around a cigar.

From 1748-1753, Cuba exports an average of 800 tons of tobacco to Spain.

On 1779, Pope Pius the VI grants a German tobacco manufacturer the first permit to produce and market 'tobacco sticks' (bastoni di tabacco).

On 1788, cigar production and distribution begins in Germany. Cigars are seen as the ultimate sign of well-being and bourgeoisie.

On 1810, The United States joins the cigar trade rolling one foot long 'stogies' in Pennsylvania.

On 1816, France joins the cigar trade, then Austria, who names their cigars, 'Virginians' in to the United States.

On 1817, a royal decree removed the monopoly, permitting free trade between Cuba and the rest of the known world as long as it was through Spanish ports.

No slaves were used in tobacco-growing. Immigrants from the Canary Islands worked in the tobacco fields, laying the foundations for a very special breed: the Cuban Farmers. The 19th century provided the final reaffirmation of Cuba’s tobacco production. In 1859, there were nearly 10,000 tobacco plantations and around 1300 cigar factories in the capital.

Original Cuban Factory Codes

This information has been kept secret by Habanos and to date no credible interpretation of the current codes is available.

BM -- Briones Montoto - Formerly “Romeo y Julieta” - Address: Belascoain 852, Havana.
CB -- Carlos Balino - Formerly “El Rey del Mundo” - Address: San Carlos 816, Havana.
EL -- El Laguito - Address: 2302 Calle 146, Marianao, Havana.
FL -- Por Larranaga - Address: Carlos III no. 713, Havana.
FPG -- Fernando Perez German - Formerly “Partagas” - Address: Industria 520, Havana.
FR -- Miguel Fernandez Roig - Formerly “La Corona” - Address: Zulueta 106, Havana.
HM -- Heroes de Moncada - Address: 13402 Ave. 57, Marianao, Havana.
JM -- Jose Marti - Formerly “H. Upmann” - Address: Amistad 407, Havana.
TLP -- Lazaro Pena (group of factories in San Antonio).
CFGS -- (regional facility in Cienfuegos).
PR -- Pinar del Rio (regional facility).
SS -- Sancti Spiritus (regional facility).
VSC -- Villa Santa Clara (regional facility in Santa Clara).
TTB -- Granma (regional facility in Bayamo).
TTH -- Holguin (regional facility).

International Commercialization

Sales in the world market are conducted by Habanos S.A. through a network of exclusive dealers of all cigar brands owned by Habanos in the territories they are entitled to deal in. Habanos S.A. has sale-and-purchase agreements for those territories outside the exclusive dealership boundaries.

Commercialization in Cuba

Sales in the Cuban market are carried out through chains of hard-currency domestic retailers all across the national territory. Some of those chains are:
Caracol S.A., Cubanacan S.A., Cubalse, Cimex, Habaguanex S.A. and Gaviota.
Each and every one of these chains have sale outlets scattered in all provinces and ranked in keeping with their categories.

The Magic of Cigar Making

The Cuban archipelago is very close to the Tropic of Cancer. Its western region—where the best tobacco in the world is grown—has a relative humidity of 79 percent, an average annual temperature of 25¼ C. (77¼ F.) and a particularly favorable amount of rainfall.

In addition to these special climatic features, the chemical composition and agricultural properties of the soil in Cuba’s tobacco-growing areas couldn’t be bettered. Add to all this, the experience and care that Cuba’s tobacco workers put into each of the many steps that go into making an Habano. They, too, are absolutely necessary to maintain the product’s top quality.

The cultivation process begins in the seed bed, an area in which the seeds are planted under the best conditions for their germination and later development and where the seedlings remain for 40 days, until they are ready to be transplanted to the fields. The seedlings are planted in stages, beginning in October. The leaves are picked between 45 and 80 days after planting. Later, the leaves are taken to the curing barns, where they are dried and fermented. Even in the barns, it's not uncommon to see tobacco men ignore the thermometers and thrust their arms into the steaming stacks of leaves. In the sorting houses—which are of great economic and social importance—skilled workers (the vast majority of whom are women) gently and delicately select, classify and sort the leaves.

Once cured and fermented, the tobacco must be aged. The bales, either wrapped in burlap or stored in huge boxes, sit in vast, temperature-controlled warehouses for up to two years, and sometimes longer. Once primed and ready, the transformation of the tobacco from a pile of leaves to a cigar depends almost totally on the touch and feel of human hands. The leaves are broken out of the bales and "cased," a technique that moistens the leaves so they become supple and ready for manipulation. Some factories use a technique in which the leaves are bathed in a fine mist of water; others use huge rooms with extremely high humidity. The leaves are usually prepared a day in advance.

After they are cased, the leaves are deveined, either with the aid of machines or simply by workers delicately pulling the stem down the middle of the leaf. The leaves are separated by strength or tobacco type. A supervisor, or blender, will prepare the exact proportion of leaves to be used in a cigar, usually arranging the leaves into different boxes that are then placed on the rollers' desks. The rollers receive instructions on how much of each leaf to press into the cigars they are making that day.

Depending upon the factory, some cigars are made from beginning to end by the same person; a good roller in this setup can make 100 to 150 cigars a day. In other factories, two bunchers (workers who create the filler/ binder unit) are teamed with a roller, who places the outer wrapper on the cigar; in that setup, a team may make 250 to 300 cigars a day, or even more in smaller sizes.

The bunch is created by the cigar maker taking the three or four different leaves in the blend and pressing them together in his or her hands, folding the leaves over on themselves to form cylinders, leaving a narrow passage through the center of the cigar that will ensure that the cigar draws properly; in some factories, the maker places the filler leaves in a roller's aid called a Temsco machine, a cigarette-style rolling device. The binder is then applied, either in the machine or by hand-rolling it around the filler leaves. The entire package is placed in a wooden mold, a form with slots that approximate the size and diameter of the cigar being made. After a mold is filled, the top half of the form is placed over it and the mold is taken to a manual hydraulic press. The bunches are usually pressed for 30 to 45 minutes, with the mold given a quarter turn at intervals to prevent tobacco ridges from forming where the mold halves meet. At this point, some factories also put the cigars on a special machine to suck air through the cigar and check the draw.

The mold then goes to the roller, and the outer wrapper leaf is rolled around the bunch. At each step, the cigar makers are checking the bunch with their hands for hard or loose spots and uniformity of the leaves. Any defects bring swift rejection. When the cigar is almost complete, a cap is applied to the head, or smoking end, of the cigar. The cap is usually a piece of tobacco sliced off the leaf before the cigar is rolled. In another technique, the roller fashions a cap from the protruding end of the wrapper leaf, called the flap or flag. Once the cigar is finished, the maker places it on top of his rolling desk and a supervisor inspects the cigar by hand, rejecting any cigar that he suspects of being improperly rolled or filled. In some factories, bunches of 50 cigars are weighed together; if the weight varies by a predetermined amount, usually a couple of grams, all 50 cigars are returned to the roller to be redone.

After they're rolled, the cigars are placed in an aging room where they remain for a minimum of 21 days. This permits the tobaccos to "marry," or blend, and acquire balance. Some companies age their cigars for up to six months or more before shipping.

Once the aging is finished, the cigars are spread onto tables. They are sorted by hand into groups of 25 that will go into the same box. The process requires a keen eye for color, as there may be as many as 20 slight color variations. A sorter may also reject cigars if they have any visible flaws, such as cracks or blemishes. The cigars are then nestled into boxes made of cardboard or Spanish cedar (depending on the packaging style, some cigars are wrapped in cellophane), sealed and shipped.

The next hand to caress the cigar's wrapper should be the smoker's, the final gentle touch in a cigar's life.

Cigar Basics

A premium or super-premium cigar is a cigar made by hand and should be consistent from one cigar to the next. Premium cigars are constructed from three parts - the filler, the binder, and the wrapper. These leaves are picked, stored, and aged intact, and are obviously handled with great care. Rolling long filler cigars takes great skill to insure that it burns evenly and smoothly. The next part of the cigar in the binder that consists of several layers of leaves that encircle the spirals of filler. As the name implies, it forms the filler into a circular shape, so that the next, and final component, the wrapper, can be applied.

Most cigars are between 32 and 52-ring size. For example, a cigar that is called "8 x 48" is 8 inches long and 48/64ths of an inch in diameter. The girth determines how much of the cigar’s burning tip is exposed to air. The fatter the cigar, the slower and cooler a cigar smokes because more of the filler is exposed to air. The shape is the length balanced with a particular ring gauge.

Shapes are given names to establish a degree of universality in the industry. These descriptive dimensions are approximate, but here are some guidelines: Short is less than 5.5 inches. Long is greater than 6.5 inches. Thin is less than 42 ring size. Thick is greater than 47 ring. Manufacturers also add common adjectives to the shape name. Gorda, Grande, gran, larga, extra, doble, or double means they are adding on to the size. Petite, slim, finos, or demi means some sort of reduction to the size.

The shade of the leaf used to wrap your cigar (wrapper), which can range from light green to almost jet-black, accounts for less than 20% of a cigar’s flavor. The wrapper does not necessarily indicate the kind of tobacco leaf used, and it doesn’t indicate whether the cigar is mild or full bodied.

These basic wrappers are listed from lightest to darkest:

Double claro, candela, jade, or American Market Selection (AMS) – after leaf is picked in the field it is artificially heated creating a light green hue. They are generally flavorless and bland wrappers.

Natural or claro – to protect the leaves from sunlight, which would cause a darkening of the leaf, the tobacco is grown under cheesecloth. Once fully matured, it is allowed to dry naturally and slowly, creating a light brown color. These leaves create a silky, tan wrapper with a light, delicate, and distinctly smooth taste.

Colorado claro or English Market Selection (EMS) – a slightly darker wrapper than a natural with a slight dark reddish hue. Has more flavor than a natural cigar, with a slightly spiced or nut-like taste.

Colorado – this is not a special variety of tobacco, it is usually grown in Connecticut, but the leaf has an oily reddish leaf with exceptional color and flavor.

Maduro or Spanish Market Selection – a very dark brown, oily leaf with a sweet pronounced taste known for its fullness and richness. Darkness is caused by leaving the leaf on the tobacco plant as long as possible and left to air-dry naturally. After dried it goes through a process in which it is treated with heat to draw out the oils and cook the tobacco. The oils are then allowed to retreat back into the cigar. Each time this process is repeated the leaf becomes darker and darker. The wrapper sometimes has small veins and bumps because of the type of tobacco used.

Double maduro, oscuro, or maduro maduro – an almost jet-black wrapper with a very rich, pronounced, spicy flavor. The leaves go through an even more extensive processing than Maduro. Expect a bumpy somewhat veiny appearance.

The Anatomy of the Cigar

Cap, Head or Flag – A loose piece of tobacco applied with natural glue as the finishing touch to the cigar. Offers a nice appearance and, if applied properly, feels good in your mouth and prevents the wrapper from unraveling.
Body – main portion of cigar consists of Filler, Binder, and Wrapper.
Tuck or Foot – The business end of the cigar – the end that you light.

Storing Cigars

As the aromas and flavours of a wine develop with age so do those of exceptional cigars, provided, of course, they are stored at proper temperatures.

A cedar lined box, called a humidor is traditionally used for storage. The cedar helps flavor and age the cigar. Cedar also holds moisture well which helps keep humidity at a constant level.

Cigars kept at 70% RH and 70° F offer the best smoking experience. These levels are crucial to maintaining the perfect environment for your cigar. A dry cigar burns fast and has a harsh flavor. A damp cigar will be hard to keep lit and can grow mold while in storage.

Humidors should always close tightly, providing a seal that keeps the atmosphere inside at a constant level. A reusable moisturizer should be used to aid in the humidification. A gauge that monitors temperature and humidity called hygrometer can be helpful to keep optimal conditions constant.

There is a very simple way to calibrate your hygrometer, doing it yourself will assure you that it marks the correct humidity. Take a wet towel (not dripping wet, but wet enough) and wrap it completely around your hygrometer. Wait about half an hour, the reading should be of 98% or more, if this is so, your hygrometer is calibrated and you do not need to re-calibrate. If the reading is off, turn the screw on the back of the hygrometer until it reads 98%. You have properly calibrated your hygrometer.

It is recommended that you calibrate your hygrometer at least once a year, twice a year is ideal. Also, never use tap water instead of distilled water in your humidifier as tap water contains residue and minerals which can be deposited inside the hygrometer, causing bad odors and unpleasant tastes on your cigars.

Cutting the Cigar

Once you have selected your cigar, you will need to cut the closed end. All Havana’s have a double cap over the head end - this end goes in your mouth. If you attempt to smoke a cigar the other way around, you will find that half way through it will unravel.

A cigar should be cut above the cap line, just before the curved end of the cigar begins to straighten. The objective is to create an aperture without damaging the overall structure. The cut should be clean and level to avoid difficulties with the draw and a risk of damaging the wrapper.

It is not recommended that you pierce the cap with a pin, as this will interfere with the passage of smoke, make the cigar overheat, and lead to unpleasant flavors from residues condensing at the point the cap was pierced.

Cap hole-punching devices do work well as long as the diameter of the punch is at least a quarter of an inch.

Wedge-shaped cutters are also not recommended, as these have a tendency to cut through all of the band on either side and the cigar wrapper can then unravel.

When using tools, make sure they are sharp, and that you expose enough of the filler leaves under the cap to allow the smoke uninterrupted passage.

Lighting Up the Cigar

Lighting a cigar is a ritual in itself.

When you light a cigar, use either a butane lighter (not one filled with gasoline) or a match. Otherwise it will taint the flavor of the cigar, and will ultimately impede the passage of smoke through the cigar with particles from the flame. Avoid matches with high sulphur or wax contact (don't use paper matches).

Always remember that a cigar must be lit with patience and tranquility. A poorly lit Habanos can quickly spoil the overall experience.

• Hold the cigar horizontally in direct contact with the flame, and slowly revolve it until the end is charred evenly over its entire surface. This will "Toast" the cigar and prime it for lighting.
• Put the cigar between your lips in a 45 - 90 degree angle, hold the flame about half an inch away from the end, and draw or puff slowly while rotating the cigar. Its end should now ignite. Ensure an even burn has taken hold.
• Gently blow on the burning end to make sure the cigar is fully lit. A Good cigar will light easily and burn evenly. A long solid cylinder of ash is a good sing of a quality cigar. Allow the ashes to gently fall or roll them off onto the edge of the ashtray.

Unlike cigarettes, cigars will naturally go out if left unattended. If it does, remove any clinging ash by tapping the cigar. Blow through the cigar to clear away any stale smoke. Re-light as previously described above. However, continuous re-lighting of cigars will affect the flavor, and if a cigar is allowed to cool, when re-lighting, the taste can become quite tainted and unpleasant (due to condensation of the smoke in the remaining part of the cigar).
There is no need to warm the length of the cigar before smoking it. This was done in the nineteenth century to burn off the rather unpleasant gum used on some cigars made in Seville. Today's handmade Cuban Cigars use a small drop of flavorless, odorless vegetable gum at the cap end of the wrapper leaf.

Connoisseurs often note that one must be very mindful when savoring a great cigar. A Habanos should be smoked slowly to ensure a harmonious marriage of the rich and savory aromas, simply relax and enjoy the moment

Extinguishing the Cigar

The final third of your cigar will be when the smoke is at its strongest. This is the time to part company before flavors become bitter and the effect of the cigar may become detrimental.

Leave the cigar in the ashtray to rest and allow it to die with dignity. Stubbing or grinding out the cigar will release foul odors into the room. Once the cigar has self-extinguished remove any butts and ash from the room before they start to give out unpleasant smells.

Word of Advice

Two cigars of equal brand and vitola are similar but never identical. Cigars may vary from year to year depending on the tobacco leaves, the factory, the season, the torcedores, etc.. . Also, cigar taste varies according to external factors - other than the cigar - occasion, environment, mood, food, liquor, etc… . You should pick a cigar for the amount of time you have available to smoke - large cigars are the perfect choice for sporting events or golf courses; small ones are the choice for a nice after dinner smoke at a cigar friendly location. As you experiment with different sizes you will find one that you are most comfortable with.

Drugstore Cigars

Most packaged “drug store” cigars are machine made and include non-tobacco ingredients such as paper, saltpeter (for burning) and PG of Glycerin (to prevent them from drying out).

Cigar Books and Magazines

• The Cigar Companion - New Edition.
• The Complete Guide for Habanos Enthusiasts - by Habanos S.A.
• An Enthusiast's Guide to Habanos - by Hunters and Frankau
• Holly Smoke - by Guillermo Cabrera Infante
• Cigar Afficionado Magazine

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