Havana nights, yes! But Cuban cigars are illegal in the US. Have been since 1962. For a while, 2016-2020, there was an exemption for personal use, but that was revoked. With Cuban cigars outlawed, the next best thing is Antonio Cortada hand-rolling your cigar. His family plied their trade in Cuba for generations. Antonio grew up three hours east of Havana and learned cigar rolling from the family business. He’s been in the United States for 22 years and has not lost the torcedore knack of producing a first-class cigar.
What is a first-class cigar? Great question. For starters, first-class cigars use whole tobacco leaves rolled full length to form the center of the cigar, not too tight, not too loose. Full rolled-leaf centers, called long-leaf filler, contrast with chopped leaves in inexpensive cigars whose centers are pressed together like cigarette tobacco. Think pressed wood versus solid wood. Big diff.
A wrapper leaf goes around the center roll. The wrapper leaf imparts about 60-80% of the flavor. It is elastic, smooth and has a sheen from natural oils. The best wrapping leaves still come from the Connecticut River Valley whose farm fields are dotted with tobacco drying barns—barns with spaces between the side boards allowing airflow to dry bundles hung from the rafters. The filler in the center determines strength. Strength relates to physiological punch. Strong cigars give smokers a buzz, even make the room spin. Strength and flavor are distinctly different characteristics of a cigar; flavor comes from the wrapper, punch from the filler.
Tobacco curing, meaning fermentation, softens the smoking experience. Fermenting releases impurities, like ammonia compounds, allowing tobacco to develop mellow and complex flavors much like grape fermentation creates a fine wine. Like winemaking, starting with excellent leaves and terroir makes a difference, but fermentation is where the magic happens and cigar brands develop their distinctive flavor profiles.
Fun Fact: Torcedores hand-roll cigars. Some claim the high lithium content in Cuban soil creates a euphoric effect, but this is more speculation than fact. Squire Cigars at 1305 G Cleveland Ave. in Santa Rosa is the place to buy cigars. Fuente, Davidoff, Aladino and Romeo Y Julietta are premium brands.
Antonio Cortada, who can be reached at co**********@***il.com, can be hired for private events where cigar aficionados appreciate a freshly hand-rolled cigar.
