The cigar production
After harvesting the individual tobacco leaves are sorted according to size and structure and are pulled individually on threads and hung up in wooden huts (ranchos) on the fields for drying. During the next eight weeks the tobacco leaves are moved by the wind. They dry out and change their colour from green to brown. Afterwards they are packed in bags and are taken to the further processing. First the tobacco leaves are stacked in large, rectangular, approximately 1.20 m – 1.50 m high heaps (burros). During their fermentation process they develop a natural heat of up to 60 °C. Now the tobacco has to be turned over constantly, so that it does not overheat. During these approximately eight weeks, chemical reactions separate bitter materials, nicotine and nitrate of ammonia. By sweating the colour of the tobacco becomes darker and the starch in the tobacco transforms into sugar.
Subsequently, the tobacco leaves are sorted according to size, colour, quality and strength and are ripped. The middle stalk of the plant is removed. The ripped tobacco leaves are stacked a second time for fermentation and are moistened. The ambient temperature in these halls is natural and approximately 30 °C. The humidity amounts to approximately 85 %. After the fermentation process the tobacco leaves are naturally dried by air and packed in bundles. During the storage of these bundles from 6 to 15 years the tobacco goes through further small, mild fermentation processes and matures up to the processing to the cigar.
Depending on size and melange (league) of the cigars, tobaccos from different classes and of different ages are brought together for processing to the tabacalera. In particularly good years (as with champagne) class cigars are produced, which are made out of very mature and intensive tobaccos.
Before cigar production the tobaccos are moistened with a water atomizer, so that they are well ductile. The insert of a cigar is folded slightly, so that a perfect puff is ensured. From this so called Spanish book filler (special folding) the puff channels of the cigar result.
Depending on the cigar type the portion of Piloto Cubano and Olor Dominicano is precisely specified. Depending on the strength and expression portions of Seco (lower, milder) and Ligero (upper, full in flavour) become part of the plant blends.
Since our cigars are traditionally handmade, particularly the cigar roller, Torcedor, need much experience. The larger and more individual the form of the cigar, the more important is the abilities of the Torcedor. This also reflects in their social standing. Once the filler and binder tobacco are brought together, the cigars are put into a press (bonges) to get their form. After approximately two hours the wrapper is folded around them with nature glue and a cap is put on one end. The wrappers which are from Connecticut, USA are grown in the shade and therefore have a fine even structure and colour.
The cigars are cut according to their length, weighted and checked for errors. Then they are sorted according to their colour and bound in a quantity of 20 pieces. The largest enemies of the tobacco and the cigars are besides the blue mould, the white fly and the tobacco beetle. In order to kill the possible larvae of the tobacco beetle, the cigars are frozen for the duration of six days at -25 °C.
Afterwards the cigars are stored in special seasoning rooms for another three to six months, before they are labelled and packed in cedar bins or bundled. After mounting of the Chambrair quality seal under supervision of a customs official, the cigars are packed in insulated boxes for cold and warm weather and are flown to Germany. Here they mature in the Chambrair climate chambers with the same climatic conditions as in the Dominican Republic up to the day, on which they are called up for delivery to the customer.
