To read part one click
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(Based on the book of Didier Houvenaghel " From Soil to Soul")
3) Defects to the touch
Cigar too dry or too moist
A balanced level of humidity is needed for the cigar to yield fully all of its aromatic potential.
If too dry, it will probably have a dusty taste. if the cigar is kept too long in dry environment, it will cause irreversible diminution of the aromas due to evaporation of the essential oils and waxes.
If too moist, it will certainly be more aggressive as during combustion it will produce irritant compounds.
If you feel that the wrapper is overly moist, it will surely burn slower than the binder and the filler resulting in tunneling and diminish the enjoyment of the smoke
Tight or loose cigar
A cigar is too tight or too loose when the constituent leaves have been packed too densely or not enough. These will affect the draw.
Irregularity of the torcido
This defect in the rolling causes disparities in the diameter and/or in the density of different sections in the length of the cigar.
The combustion and draw of the cigar are usually adversely affected
Bunch line
A real ridge running the whole length of the cigar, this line is caused by having too much raw material in the bunch, by a badly handled pressing or by a defective or imprecise press.
In the first case the draw will be too hard. On the two other cases, the defect will be visual and the enjoyment will be scarcely affected.
Azocado Tobacco
The cigar is significantly harder at one end. Two reasons :
- Rolling error with the use of a larger binder leaf than the standard use for the model rolled.
- The possible presence of too much matter at the hard end
Hard Cigar
The hardness of the cigar can be the result of an excessive humidity level in the filler at the time of rolling or of defective maturity of the leaves. In this case, the leaves dry out after being rolled and this causes hardening.
Bad Symmetry in the head
This is a result either of a defective press or of an error in the torcido, caused by a bad cutting out of the head, which was incorrectly positioned when the cigar was being finished off, and/or was handicapped by the presence of too heavy veining.
4) Defects to the nose & the ear
Lack of aromas
The defect of a cigar made up of leaves with deficient chemical constitution, particularly lacking oils, waxes & resins. The absence of all or part of these aromatic components of the leaves can be caused by :
- the variety of plant used
- the poor quality of the soil
- excessive exposure to strong sunlight
- inadequate drying
- unduly prolonged or too hot fermentation
If the cigar possesses satifactory aromas when it is rolled but loses them later on, the likely causes are :
- inappropriate storage conditions, particularly an excessively dry atmosphere
- contact with a material whose aroma wipe out those of the cigar
Dusty smell
This odor is emitted by leaves which have undergone intense fermentation, either too rapid or too strong
Ammonia smell
Some of the leaves may have not been enough fermented, so the leaves have a higher than usual concentration of irritant substances.
if the smell is too strong in a box of cigars, it means it has to be discarded. This odor in a box is usually the sign that the fermentation was halted prematurely. The cigars had therefore no time to rid themselves of their excess moisture and to eliminate the traces of ammonia from the fermentation.
Smell of wood
Cigars which have been too much in contact with too highly scented wood will have their aromas obliterated by those of the wood.
The sound
Excessive or nonexistent crackling respectively indicate that the wrapper is too dry or too moist.
5) Defects in the cut
The cut
It should be clean to ensure that the foot is perfectly flat. A badly execute cut can cause the wrapper to unravel. Similarly, cutting a cigar which is too dry may cause the wrapper to come undone.
The first mouth
During the raw tasting, by which the cigar lover gets his first impression of the internal aromas of the cigar, he may perceive some unpleasant odors, the most frequent ones being dusty or slightly sharp. The complex bundle of aromas may also be unbalanced.
The presence of these unwanted smells is unfortunately confirmed most of the time only when the cigar is lit.
5) Defects in the lighting up
Irregular lighting
A cigar which is not evenly lit will suffer from unbalanced initial combustion. This defect may rectify itself as the combustion zone progresses, but in some cases it causes major problems and obliges the smoker to intervene to sort out this bad start.
This irregular lighting can be of two kinds :
- partial lighting of the cross-section of the cigar, some leaves take and others remain unlit, resulting in a crooked combustion zone
- filler leaves burning too intensely in relation to the binder and wrapper. The combustion being better and more quickly establishe in the centre, will makes an hollow cone.
However some combustion defects when perfectly lit, may be cause by insufficient combustible leaves or excessive humidity.
6) Defects in the taste
Unpleasant Flavor
Unbalanced and unpleasant gustatory and retro-olfactory perception caused by
- badly conceived blend with errors such as the use of unsuitable variety of tobacco
- an ideal blend not correctly followed by the roller
- an ideal blend but which includes one or more leaves suffering from aromatic defect
Too high Fortaleza
The fortaleza, or strength, is the consequence of the type of raw material chosen. Leaves from the upper part of the plant, being therefore thicker and richer than those at the base of the stem, will produce a stronger blend.
When too many leaves from the upper part are used, the cigar will be so powerful that the aromatic complexity will be overwhelmed.
Sharpness in the mouth
This sensation, which is often the result of a lack of fermentation of some of the leaves in the blend, is due to excessive levels of irritant substances. The sting is felt on the tip of the tongue at the moment the smoke enters the mouth
Stinging on the lips
A disagreeable sensation caused by insufficient fermentation of the wrapper. The irritant substances, which have not been properly eliminated by process, make themselves felt as soon as the lips get in contact with wrapper.
Slight acidity
Effects caused by a nutritional imbalance of plants rooted in soil having too high levels of magnesium, sulphur and copper.
Bitterness
This unpleasant sensation, which makes itself felt at the rear of the oral cavity at the entrance of the throat, is usually caused by the presence of a too large quantity of proteins, owing to incorrectly handled drying and fermentation.
This problem is encountered rather too frequently.
Poor aromatic profile
The cigar is boring and monotonous. The savor should be progressively transformed as the combustion goes. In some cases, this progression should be astonishing, while in others it is less marked. If it is non-existent, the cigar is flat and the reasons can be : empty, characterless tobacco, bad blending or incorrect positioning of the finishing leaves.
7) Defects in the combustion
Bad draw
Too great or too little resistance to the passage of air during a puff can be the result of any of several errors, but the most common is using too much or not enough raw material when making the bunch.
A hard draw can also be due to the presence of a knot caused by a bad positioning of the filler leaves or the fact that these were by mistake twisted when the binder was wrapped around them.
Heat in the body of cigar during a puff
This calorific diffusion is due to a high degree of humidity in the cigar facilitating the conduction of heat. The unusual high temperature can sometimes be felt in the fingers. The excessive moisture content will affect the quality of the combustion.
Disparate combustion ring
This unevenness is caused by the combustion on one side of the cigar being ahead of that on the other side because.
- the cigar was lit unevenly,
- the torcido is unevenly constructed, as the cigar was badly rolled, the density is not homogeneous
- the presence of a thick vein is slowing down the combustion
- there is too much moisture in certain leaves of the cigar
- a strong draught over the cigar is distorting combustion
However it is rare for a combustion ring to remain perfect all along the body of the cigar.
There is two way to correct it, to turn the slowest burning side up, the heat will accelerate the combustion and help to catch up or to use a lighter to re-light the slow burning part.
Cigar goes out
A problem in the combustibility can result in the cigar going out at regular interval. Reasons are :
- excessive quantities of proteins or chlorine in the chemistry of the leaves
- too high humidity in the leaves, above 15% of constituent humidity
- a too tight packed cigar with very restricted air flow
Tunneling
A cigar will have a crater type of shape when the leaves in the center burn quicker than those on the outside. The probable reasons are :
leaves have a poor combustibility
wrapper and binder leaves are a wrong porosity
a badly conceived blend of leaves
mediocre construction of the cigar
improper lighting of the cigar
a difference in the humidity levels of the wrapper, binder and filler leaves.
As the temperature is higher in the center of the cigar, the combustion is always easier along the axis of the cylinder.
Black ash
If the chemical composition of the leaves is inadequate, there will be incomplete combustion of the organic matter and the cigar will have trace of an unpleasant taste. An excessive quantity of carbon in the residue of this combustion will make ash black.
Ash falling easily from cigar
This defect is sometimes caused by a bad tecture of the leaves, but it is more often the result of a the leaves that were badly put together in the bunch.
(The end...)
