FROM BARN TO BENCH When it comes to preparing Havana's precious leaf the tobacco masters of Cuba hate to be rushed. Like an Englishman a Havana needs time. Take curing for example. By opting to have the Vuelta Abajo leaf air cured, as opposed to having it sun or flue cured, some might say that curing Havana wrapper leaf takes ten times longer than it should. Thank goodness the Cubans don't see it that way. An even more striking example of their refusal to rush things is their willingness to leave filler leaves to mature in barrels. Not just for months but years. When perfection is your aim a few more years is not a long time. AIR CURING: All Havana tobaccos are air cured. It is a natural, time consuming process demanding constant supervision to ensure that the temperature and humidity remain within limits. Very different from the flue curing process used for cigarette tobaccos. Air curing takes around fifty days to complete. First the leaves turn yellow. Then, through oxidisation, they assume the golden brown we all know and are ready for their first fermentation. FIRST FERMENTATION: The leaves are packed in bundles called Gavillas and taken to the Fermentation House. Here they are placed in Pilones, or piles, over three feet high. Sufficient moisture is present to start the first fermentation which lasts for up to thirty days. This reduces the resins in the leaves and they assume a more uniform colour prior to the stripping and classification. STRIPPING & CLASSIFICATION: Then to prepare them for handling, the leaves undergo a Moja, or moistening. The wrappers are sprinkled with pure water to avoid any staining and are left intact after a preliminary classification. Stripping and final sorting is carried out much later at the factory in Havana. Filler and binder leaves are moistened with a mixture of water and tobacco stems. The thickest parts of their stems are stripped out. They are then fully classified according to size, colour, texture and type of leaf. SECOND FERMENTATION: The leaves now classified, are re-bundled and stacked in much larger bulks, called Burro. The sheer size of a Burro, combined with the moisture retained from the Moja, triggers off a much more powerful fermentation which lasts up to sixty days. The tobacco undergoes a chemical change enhancing its flavour and aroma whilst eliminating any remaining impurities. AIRING AND PACKING: After the rigours of the second fermentation the leaves need to rest on airing racks for a few days. When fully recovered they are packed into bales known as Tercios, traditionally made from the bark of the Royal Palm tree called Yagua. AGEING IN TERCIOS: While the Tercios are stored in warehouses, awaiting a call from the cigar factory, the tobacco leaves undergo an ageing process which refines their flavour and aroma still further. They are now ready to leave their cradle, the Vuelta Abajo, and travel to Havana on the next stage of their gradual transformation into fine Havanas. return to http://cubanmadecigars.com/ |
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