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purposes and smoked it for pleasure. Tobacco was brought back to Europe by
Christopher Columbus. The early colonist began cultivating tobacco which eventually
expanded into full fledged farms and plantations.
Large cigars were smoked in Cuba since the 16th Century.
Making hand rolled cigars is a rather involved process. Once the Tobacco is harvested it
must go through a fermentation process to prepare it for smoking. The Tobacco leaves
are brought in from the fields, sorted and hung in special barns to dry. Then they are
moistened and packed in huge bales and placed in special rooms to ferment. This
process ammonia and its nicotine content is reduced.
After the fermentation process the Tobacco must still be aged before it can be used.
When the leaves are ready they are taken to the cigar roller. Here the roller chooses from
different leaves to make his blend. He then rolls them into a bunch and places them in a
wooden mold to shape them and compress the Tobacco.
Once the cigars have set in the press long enough the roller removes them and proceeds
to roll the wrapper leaf around the molded cigar. He then adds the finishing touches such
as an end cap and cutting the end flush. The wrapper holds the cigar together and gives it
a neat clean look.