|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Facts About Tobacco
CIGAR EVALUATION
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
To obtain the information for this series of
articles, the author serves his apprenticeship with John Vogel,
director of the farm and factory of
Tabacos de la Cordillera, in Santa Marta de Puriscal, Costa
Rica.
Vogel's 40-year career as a graduate genetic engineer has
garnered him something unique in our industry. Vogel worked for
20 years as a project leader in the R & D department of the
world's largest cigar producer. He followed this with 20 more
years as an agronomical consultant to the industry. Over the
second two decades, he collected a cache of over 40 varieties of
genetically pure, principally
Cuban seeds that stretch back over 60 years , from which
sprang the real Havanas we old-timers still recall. In short, he
has seeds from Cuba's Golden Age of tobacco development, and he
knows what to do with them. This is the second in this tutorial
series, following the article on leaf evaluation (Smokeshop
magazine, June 2005).
|
|
| |
* * * * *
|
|
| |
The precious seeds have germinated
and flourished, the harvest has filled the curing barn with
emerald-green leaves, the cured leaves have fermented and aged,
the sorted and prepared leaves have been transformed into
finished cigars. Now, it is time to evaluate the final product,
in all its genetic diversity. Vogel has harvested and processed
several lots of experimental tobacco from special plots on the
farm. Following our previous evaluation of the cured leaves, he
has blended them into groups of cigar samples, identifying each. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
The evaluation involves several weeks of daily
homework, as it involves about 30 different groups of cigars,
with 3 cigars per group ... torpedoes, Churchill, 64-ring
behemoths. Each bundle of 3 cigars is wrapped in bond paper, as
lower-grade wrapping paper has an odor of its own, especially in
Costa Rica's 80% humidity, and we don't want it to taint the
wrappers. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
We use
analysis sheets for each group of cigars, which are
identified only by a group number. The French/Swiss testing
worksheet we use breaks down each cigar's overall
characteristics into specific elements, and assigns them
numerical values. The major categories are Wrapper and
Construction, Draw, Aggressiveness of Smoke, Burning Qualities,
Taste, and Flavor. The sheet also has provisions for describing
the character of the body, flavor, and aroma; and space for an
essay on smoking impressions. This protocol is a most thorough,
objective and definitive standard for testing, and it
disciplines us reviewers to achieve these ends. We apply
numerical scores to the various categories, weighting them in
relation to their importance to a smoker's satisfaction. For
example, a wrapper's sheen and uniformity of color are
admirable, but don't affect the performance much, so they are
given less weight than the all-important flavor. We not only
evaluate the smoking performance; Vogel wants me to rate the
appearance and construction, evidence of workers' skill and
care. A theoretically "perfect" cigar would earn a total score
of 20 points; one merely multiplies the score by 5, to convert
this to a 100-point scale. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
The first few categories in the analysis sheet
are straightforward: shape, size, wrapper color, sheen , and
evenness of wrapper color. The wrapper's texture is graded: fine
to medium, coarse, veiny ... the last is where the annoying
"wire veins" we discussed last time appear. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Rolling, the next entry in the Construction
category, rates how uniformly the wrapper leaf and cap are
applied, as well as the bunching job. The former reveals how the
cigar will feel to the lips and fingers; the latter affects
draw. That concern is reinforced in the next section, called
Draw. The reviewer notes draw from too easy, through easy (the
ideal) to medium, into hard and even plug. A lumpy, too-soft or
too-hard body also betrays a poor bunching job. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
More full-bodied, resin-packed cigars like
Havanas can be more aggressive on the tongue and upper throat,
but anything more than "mild" bite is undeniable. In testing
Tabacos de la Cordillera's cigars, I learned the resinous
coating on the tongue can result from smoking the cigar down too
far. Vogel explains, "Cuban tobacco ... especially pre-Castro
leaf ... is loaded with flavor, but one usually wants to quit
them when between one-half to one-third length." Or, as the
saying goes, "A gentleman stops smoking at mid-point; only a
brute smokes down past a third." |
|
| |
|
|
| |
A cigar that burns unevenly is also a sign of a
poor bunching job. The culprit is usually an off-center ligero
leaf, which is extra-resinous and thus burns more slowly than
the surrounding filler tobacco ... the coal advances more slowly
on the side nearest the ligero. It can also be due to "lumber"
(slow-burning too-large veins), mismatched burn rates between
binder and filler, or tobacco of uneven texture. A cone-shaped
coal ... after knocking off the ash ... identifies the presence
of ligero in the center (hopefully) of the bunch. A narrow "burn
zone" ... the black ring of burning wrapper adjacent to the coal
... means a fine leaf texture. A wide zone is less desirable,
especially if a black, charred "lip" of wrapper extends out over
the coal. A light gray ash generally indicates a proper balance
added minerals; a smooth, firm ash is equally admirable.
Castro's Havanas, interestingly, seem to all produce dark gray,
streaked ashes. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
You sense taste ... salty, sweet, bitter, or
acidic ... on the tongue alone, and not by sense of smell. Don't
try to taste these in the smoke itself, rather in the residual
taste on your tongue that builds as you reach the mid-point of
your cigar. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Flavor consists of combined taste and smell ....
revealing complexity, balance, subtleties, and aftertaste. This
is where you also evaluate the character of the smoke's aroma.
According to Vogel, "To detect the flavor nuances, divert the
tiniest bit of it through your nasal passages as you let the
bulk of it escape your mouth." |
|
| |
|
|
| |
The analysis sheet describes the character of
the body, as well as defining what one perceives in the flavor.
The commonly-recognized nuances are listed ... earthy, grassy,
woody, peppery, etc. Though in vogue and entertaining, you'll
not find descriptions of "leather," "chocolate," "nutmeg," or
other flavors no one I've ever talked to could discern. What
does leather ... whether smoked or chewed ... taste like,
anyway? |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Aroma, though of special interest to Vogel, is
tough for me to evaluate. Keep in mind, even the finest cigar's
aroma turns sharp and unpleasant at about midpoint, especially
Cuban cigars. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Body and flavor, each noted for its abundance or
paucity, are rated separately, being unrelated. Many smokers
confuse the two, but a cigar can be mild-to-medium in bodied,
but loaded with flavor and aroma. On the other hand, I have
noted many a Cuban that had robust body but little flavor. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
I have found it best to smoke the three samples
of each group consecutively, before moving on to the next group.
The first sample gives me an overall impression. With the
second, a definite impression is formed, and I pencil in the
ratings. The third usually confirms and fine-tunes my previous
evaluation. I usually smoke the samples after a satisfying meal,
when I have time to reflect. I freshen my palate with pekoe tea
or black, unsweetened coffee ... this boosts the taste buds'
sensitivity to the flavor of both the cigar and the beverage. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
And so, the testing and note-taking continue, in
pursuit of the elusive "20." Not every blend is a winner ...
pre-Castro Cuban or not. Some are acid, some bitter. Some ...
the more resinous ... start out delicate and fragrant, but
"turn" before midpoint. But, my overall sense is one of
excitement, as I experience the quality and consistency of these
cigars, knowing the next Cuban Revolution is in store for
premium cigar lovers. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
© Copyright Unastar SA, 2005
Reprinted from Smokeshop magazine, August, 2005, with permission
from author Dale Scott |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
