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Take a journey with OBT Cigar through time, tradition, and craftsmanship. This intricate process begins with the careful selection of tobacco, which is cultivated in renowned regions known for their fertile soils and ideal climate conditions. Countries like Honduras, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Costa Rica are celebrated for their contributions to the world of cigars, each offering tobaccos with unique flavor profiles and characteristics.
The journey of a cigar starts from the seed. After planting, the tobacco plants are meticulously cared for, with the leaves being harvested at the precise moment to ensure optimal flavor and quality. These leaves undergo a rigorous curing process, where they are dried in controlled conditions to achieve the desired color and moisture content. Following curing, the leaves are fermented, a critical step that enhances their flavor, aroma, and smoothness. This process can take from a few months to several years, depending on the type of tobacco and the desired outcome.
After fermentation, the leaves are sorted and aged. Aging allows the tobaccos to mellow and further develop their flavors, a process that can vary greatly in duration, with some tobaccos aging for up to several years. The art of blending these aged tobaccos is where the true expertise of the cigar maker comes into play, combining different leaves to create a harmonious and complex flavor profile. Some of the techniques used in the world of tobacco are here today thanks to local farmers, with generations of knowledge, meticulously caring for the tobacco plants, employing both age-old methods and modern techniques to ensure optimal growth.
Rolling the cigar is a skill that has been passed down through generations, requiring years of training to perfect. The roller must carefully construct the cigar, ensuring an even burn and a smooth draw. This includes selecting the right binder and filler tobaccos, as well as the wrapper, which not only influences the cigar's flavor but also its appearance.
The final step in the art of cigar making is the aging of the rolled cigars. This allows the flavors of the blended tobaccos to marry and mellow out, leading to a smoother, more refined smoking experience. Like many steps in the cigar-making process, patience is key, with some cigars aging for several years before they are deemed ready for consumption. It’s important to try to keep the freshness of your cigar waiting for the time to smoke so you can still taste all that flavor. Check out our selection of humidors to ensure maximum freshness.
The training process for tobacco rollers is comprehensive, blending on-the-job training with classroom instruction to equip them for highly-skilled careers in the cigar industry. This blend ensures workers gain a skills-based education that prepares them for quality jobs, while employers can build and retain a highly-skilled workforce. Apprenticeships are crucial in this field, providing a structured pathway for learners to progress from new starters to achieving higher and degree-level apprenticeships.
Apprenticeship programs are categorized into different levels, ranging from Level 2 (Intermediate) to Level 7 (Master’s degree equivalent), each corresponding to increasing degrees of complexity and skill mastery. At the outset, intermediate apprenticeships offer a foundational entry point, nurturing initial skills and improving retention rates. Advanced apprenticeships build upon this, equivalent to A-Level passes, paving the way towards higher apprenticeships that match the first year of undergraduate degree complexity or foundation degrees. The pinnacle, degree apprenticeships, allow learners to work towards a fully paid degree, balancing earning with learning, and avoiding student debt.
Each level of apprenticeship demands a specific set of roles and responsibilities from the apprentice, ensuring that they are not only well-suited for the program but also capable of achieving it. This structured pathway underlines the significance of the wrapper, binder, and filler selection process in cigar making, where each component's choice impacts the cigar's strength, burn, and flavor profile. The detailed training and apprenticeship system ensures that rollers are not just skilled workers but artisans capable of crafting cigars that are celebrated globally for their quality and flavor.
Each region known for tobacco production contributes uniquely to the cigars' final taste. Let us learn a little bit about the popular regions in the tobacco industry. Nicaragua, their tobaccos carry the legacy of the region's volcanic soils, offering robust and spicy flavors that echo the area's fiery spirit. In the Dominican Republic, the complexity and smoothness of the tobaccos speak to a rich tobacco heritage, cultivated over centuries. Honduras, with its rich, earthy tones, reflects the fertility of its lands, a crucial element in its tobacco cultivation stories. Ecuador's reputation for high-quality wrappers comes from its unique cloud cover, a natural gift that adds delicate nuances to the cigar's profile.
The craftsmanship involved in creating a cigar from these diverse tobaccos is an art form in itself, requiring a deep understanding of the intricate processes that influence the tobacco's journey from seed to smoke. This process is not just about technical steps; it's about embracing the stories, the history, and the intricate details of the tobaccos, culminating in a cigar that provides a distinct and fulfilling experience for aficionados.
In the world of cigars, each step from planting to rolling and aging plays a pivotal role in shaping the cigar's character, making the art of cigar making a testament to the skill, patience, and passion of those who dedicate their lives to this craft. As we savor the rich flavors and aromas of a finely crafted cigar, we partake in a legacy that has been cherished and perfected over centuries, offering us a moment of reflection on the beauty and complexity of this age-old tradition. At OBT Cigar we hope to introduce you to the smooth world of cigars and provide some insight along the way. Offering a selection of premium cigars, accessories, and gift packs, we have the solutions to your cigar smoking needs.
