Q & A: How Cigars can Develop when Smoked and Why
Q.
Why do some cigars start out mellow-bodied and end up full-bodied? Is it because of nicotine or tar build up?
6/29/06 | by JH of Boston, MA
A.
Each leaf that is used to make a cigar is placed in accordance to how it will affect the overall taste and burn. When a cigar starts out mellow and becomes full, it is because of how the leaves are placed in the filler. A cigar can develop in richness and flavor as it burns. Depending on what tobaccos are used in a cigar, it can either offer a complex or straightforward profile to the aroma. A tobacco leaf has two ends, the tip and the stem. Traditionally in Cuba, cigars are made with the tip of the leaf, or the lightest part of the leaf towards the foot, and the stem end, which is the richest and thickest part of the leaf towards the head. When the cigar is smoked it will burn through the different flavor zones providing a consistent development of flavor.
by Dave