the whole thing

Tobacco, what an amazing crop. It is sun grown, shade-grown, and nurtured to be the perfect size leaf and texture as well as the appropriate stem and vein distribution. The location of the leaf on the plant also determines the taste and chemical composition of the leaf when it is tasted and smoked. The amount of shade (indoor) or outdoor (clouds) is also a factor as well as the chemical and fertilizer makeup in the soil. It seems that the same leaf even tastes differently when grown in different geographic locations.

The tobacco is fermented (two or more times) with the best tobacco being handled with the most care and the most time. One can even taste the depth of the taste associated with the care of the farmers and fermenters. Storage plays a significant role as the tobacco bales meld and blend and share a unified singularity of flavor and time adds it's hand in such a pleasant elegant way. We all know that time perfects wine, whiskey, and scotch - but it also adds depth and removes harshness from the tobacco. Some tobacco is aged in oak crates and others in more exotic containers (old whiskey barrels, for example...).

The blender is an invaluable asset to the product which is as artistic as it is tasty. Choosing the correct tobacco for the function and location within the cigar is key. Some is chosen for it's flammability and burn, others for it's specific taste.

The filler tobacco is the middle bundling, which adds some structural value and a good bit of taste, but is key in the burn and smoke provided to the connoisseur. The binder is the structural element that is key in preventing the expansion of the cigar as it heats up. Without a good binder, the cigar will not be fit to smoke. The wrapper is important to the merchant, as it is the part that the consumer will see. There are those who argue that the wrapper also provides 70% of the taste, but if it does - then it provides more to those who taste and chew on the wrapper as they smoke the stogie. Different wrappers do provide dramatically different flavors to the imbiber.

The other major role in cigar-making is the Torcedor. He constructs the cigar with such care as to mechanically make it an easily enjoyable and pleasant smoke. Too tight a cigar will draw too poorly and will make for a difficult time maintaining the combustion and lose the joy of a relaxing smoke. Too loose a cigar will smoke too quickly and as such will fail to allow one to enjoy an extended period of pleasure. Cigars crack and unravel if not roled properly, not to mention tunneling, flowering, and canoeing.

(almost) Last, but not least, is the person who is responsible to box, bundle, and store the cigars. The Spanish Cedar lined boxes are an example of a technique that adds significant flavor to, and preserves the cigars while they await the time when they will fulfill the purpose for which they were created. They wait patiently and never complain-understanding that the wait only enhances their good attributes and allows them to develop depth and uniformity in accordance with such as was desired by the Blender. They realize that their strength and flavor as well as their palatability are a function of other cigars with whom they are placed. The ones on the top of the box are smoked with a new fresh delight, the middle appreciated for the calmness and consistency of flavor, and the ones on the bottom savored slowly as the smoker looks back in fond reminiscence of an enjoyable box of stogies.

The merchant plays a role in his care of the cigars. He can baby and cherish them, and as so they will continue the aging experience in a profitable manner. His poor care can also ruin a great cigar. There is a paternal role in this endeavor. An excellent merchant may even be able to repair a damaged cigar, if it is done with a gentle and knowledgeable hand.

The cigar connoisseur is then responsible for the storage and care of his own cigars. He can treat them well and age them well and they will provide hours of pleasant enjoyment to his palate. He can combine them with spirits to enhance or tone them down and bring out other flavorful nuances. The timing of the smoke can also be key in the enjoyment of the stick. Whether it is the season, the climate, or the relationship of the timing to a meal - all these play a role in the experience. The company kept while enjoying the vice is a factor that can play a sizable role as well.

In all the process on can see the hand of The Maker as He guides the process thru crop placement, growth, harvest, fermentation, storage of bales, selection of mixes, gathering the filler, binding the filler, wrapping the outer leaf, dressing the stogie with a label, placing it with others in harmony in the situation that is specific to each, and caring for each individually from birth to finalization - when the realization of it's ultimate purpose is accomplished.

May we all come to appreciate the care of the Master Blender, Caretaker, and Nourisher of our (marathon and sometimes delayed) creation. May we value His hands and tender care, as well as His well appropriated delays, understanding that He knows the end from the beginning and has chosen us for a specific purpose, place, and time. May we palatable to those with whom we are exposed and impart the flavor that He has chosen for us to a broken weary and distracted world.