Smoking cigars is a choice of lifestyle that involves two senses; taste and smell, boosting the characteristics of a sweet cigar. The delightful flavors and quality start with the wrapper adding its own aroma, separate from the scent of the smoke. Depending on the maker of the cigar most sweet cigar wrappers are dark in color, because they still contain some of the natural sugar that’s removed during the fermentation process producing a lighter leaf color. Experienced smokers can find naturally sweet cigars from the growers, who cultivate a natural leaf production, while others infuse the leaves with flavors adding a more enriched smoking experience. As a fan of cigars, there is no doubt about the distinction between the two sensations and like people, each cigar has its own unique characteristic enhanced by the selection of the leaves, and the technique of the roll, adding to its quality.
The first characteristic is presentation, typically on darker leaves just a slight appearance of the tooth on the outer wrapper may occur with smooth visible veins within the leaf. The tooth is caused by sun exposure, which releases the natural oils in the leaf, but does not affect the quality of the smoke. The smoothness of the wrap is the skill of the hand roll, especially for higher quality cigars. Today, the industry can accomplish a smooth roll using a machine.
Sweet flavor enhancers can be found in both the dark to light wrapper colors and flavors can range from creamy, caramel or chocolate. Depending on the composition of the cigar, the smoking experience with flavors will vary with a deeper hint of flavor in the beginning, diminishing towards the end. The quality of a good cigar provides the essence of flavor for the entire time from the first draw to the last.
One of the most overlooked characteristics for cigars is the rating. Although each smoker has their own preference when it comes to selecting a cigar, it’s still a good idea to consider the opinion. Experts around the world sample test cigars for quality construction, smoke experience and overall sensation that accompanies a well rolled cigar.