Most aficionados have probably had the chance to experience a well-aged cigar over time. Just like fine wine, premium cigars also get better with time and there is absolutely nothing that comes close to tasting a cigar that has reached its flavor pinnacle. In essence, there are numerous benefits pinned to aging cigars including in humidors. However, cigars are consciously manufactured to taste great as soon as they hit the shelves, if the tobacco aging processes undertaken are anything to go by. To completely understand how these cigars are aged, it is paramount to note that plant matter changes with time and cigars are created from plants.
How Do Manufacturers Age Cigars?
Such changes necessarily don’t have to be for the better. A cigar may improve or deteriorate after two years or so of aging thus essential to perfect the art of tobacco timing. In essence, most premium cigars from the Caribbean arrive at the selling point in prime smoking condition attributed to the tobacco’s considerable age. The tobacco and cigars in particular, are handled meticulously by manufacturers to avoid any type of damage whatsoever.
Before you smoke a cigar, manufacturers indeed go a long way in making sure that the tobacco is optimally fermented and totally cured. These processes are done during the three years or so, baling stint inside the huge warehouses. Essentially, manufacturers store tobacco in large bales for two or more years for the premium sticks as this is considered to be enough time for the tobacco to ferment into enhanced flavors. However, the master tobacco brewers will regularly check the tobacco’s condition every now and then to guarantee positive changes.
Once the baled tobacco is ready, manufacturers then proceed to roll the cigars carefully. Once this is completed, the cigars are then rested for another three months or longer, in large aging rooms to achieve the prime smoking state of every cigar. It is essential to note that tobacco morphs very slowly and ample time is needed if the pinnacle state is to be achieved.
Why Is It Important For Manufacturers To Age Cigars?
Would premium cigars really taste the same if they weren’t aged? The answer is no. Note that when the tobacco entailed in these cigars is left to rest, the moisture and oleoresins will evenly migrate across all leaves hence facilitating a more even burn and mild changes in flavor. This process is commonly referred to as marrying in the tobacco realms. Most cigar smoking enthusiasts have probably heard of the term ‘cigar complexity.’ It is used to refer to when aficionados pick up more subtle flavors masked by the more powerful ones in the tobacco. Basically, it is the art of blending flavors in a cigar, or better yet, facilitating multiple layers consisting of varying flavors.
Essentially, flavors become less distinct or even change completely as the tobacco continues to age. If you have experienced a well-aged cigar, you will likely find it difficult to pick up the subtle flavors that were once very distinct. The aging process enhanced by manufacturers, go a long way in toning down these flavors and blending them into rich cocktails that are consistent. In essence, this is exactly what makes premium cigars smooth and consistent. All said, most manufacturers certainly work at guaranteeing the quality of premium cigars by properly aging tobacco in large bales within their warehouses. These processes are designed to ensure that every cigar achieves its prime smoking condition prior to shipping and hitting shelves of tobacco stores. The aging process is therefore a paramount component of cigar manufacturing as seen above.
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