Cuban Cigars GETTING THE BEST A fine Havana is a rare feast to the eye, nose and taste buds. All it asks for in return is your unburied, undivided attention. You will enjoy your cigar all the more if you smoke it in relaxed surroundings. Either in solitude or with close friends who share an appreciation of Havanas. Havanas start to give pleasure from the moment you set eyes on the beautifully embellished cedar wood box. Lift the lid and pause a while to savor the unmistakable aroma. The sleek rows of perfectly matched cigars smile up at you. Colour graded dark to light, left to right, the writer, Peter Mayle, aptly described them as "looking as prosperous and well filled as a group of investment bankers after a killing". There is pleasure, too, in honoring the rituals associated with the way you cut, light, smoke and eventually part with you Havana. These rituals will slow you down and help you to unwind so you get full enjoyment of what the world acknowledges to be a supreme form of pleasurable indulgence. KEEPING HAVANAS: To keep Havanas ready for smoking, they should be stored between 16 degrees Celsius and 18 degrees Celsius and at a relative humidity of 65 %. Given the vagaries of our climate, you will be well advised to invest in a humidor, which is a cabinet fitted with a moisture THE CONDITION TEST: Before you light up the Havana of your choice you may wish to check that it is in good condition. Hold the cigar between your thumb and index finger and squeeze gently. It should feel slightly springy to the touch. The wrapper leaf should feel like silk with the sheen of the natural oils present. Some people make a great show of rolling a cigar next to their ear. “Listening to the band”, as it is termed in the trade, serves no useful purpose and risks ruining the cigar. CUTTING: Use a guillotine or special scissors to cut off most of the cap. Make your incision almost to the full width of the cigar but leave part of the cap intact to avoid the wrapper unraveling. Think again before piercing the end with a match or cocktail stick. It compresses the tobacco into a lump which impedes the draw. There is no need to remove the band at this stage. When the cigar has warmed up you can take the band off without damaging the wrapper. LIGHTING: An odorless flame from a butane gas lighter or match, after the head has burned, is best. Use a petrol lighter or a wax match only if you want the cigar to taste of petrol or wax. Lighting a Havana is far too important to be rushed. First char the open end in a flame to prepare it for even ignition. Now gently blow on the glowing end to ensure that it is burning evenly. Then place it between your lips and draw the flame into the cigar while rotating it with your fingers. The fatter the cigar, the more time and care, must be devoted to bringing it to life. RE-LIGHTING: If your cigar goes out, you need not abandon it. Re-light it by applying a flame to the perimeter to burn away the wrapper which will resemble the rim of a tiny volcanic crater. Then, re-light as with a new cigar, first blowing through it to clear out any stale, residual smoke that may linger within the filler. return to http://cubanmadecigars.com/ |
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