Cigar is a tightly rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco which is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the smoker's mouth. Explorer Christopher Columbus is generally credited with the introduction of smoking to Europe.
In the 19th century, smoking cigars was common, while cigarettes were still comparatively rare. But for the past decades, smoking cigars has become an art more than merely a high society lifestyle.
Just like wine, producing a high quality cigar takes a lot of time. A cigar's outermost leaves, or wrapper, come from the widest part of the plant. The process is quite long, starting from curing, a process of heating and shading the tobacco, fermenting process to make the leaf die slowly and gracefully. This is where the flavor, burning, and aroma characteristics are primarily brought out in the leaf. Once the leaves have aged properly, they are sorted for use as filler or wrapper, based on their appearance and overall quality. And quality cigars are still hand-made.
Cigars are composed of three types of tobacco leaves, whose variations determine smoking and flavor characteristics, they are: wrappers, fillers, and binders.
Smoking a cigar itself is another different art. It’s more like a ritual. The first step in smoking a cigar to smoke is to "open" the cap to create a little air hole. It is recommended to use wooden matches or a regular disposable lighter, while paper matches or a lighter that uses liquid fuel will contaminate the flavor of the cigar. You do not inhale the smoke into your lungs like a cigarette. You pull it into your mouth to taste it and then blow the smoke out of your mouth.
