Today I was allowed to participate in a very exciting part of the cigar production: putting together the filler "recipes". I think this is the actual epicentre of production.
But one after the other:
Since yesterday I am no longer in Jicomé, where all the steps lead to the finished fermented tobacco, but in the Davidoff manufactory in Villa Gonzalez, where the production of the cigars takes place.
So the tobacco arrives from Jicomé, is unpacked and examined to see whether it is too dry or too moist for the filler. This department is called "Secado". Victor, my teacher, touched the tobacco leaves and quickly sorted them by "too wet" or "okay" for further processing.
Too wet means they're put on grids to dry. Fascinating how quickly he can assess the condition of the tobacco.
As soon as the leaves are in the right condition, they are allowed to go into the "Ligas" department. And that's where it gets really exciting.
Carlo, the supervisor, has the filler recipe lying on his desk (photographing was of course forbidden). The tobaccos are delivered to five different tables and then carefully weighed and packaged for the cigar rollers. It's hard to explain - just watch the little movie above. Anyway, I was allowed to mix and weigh.
That was fun! What I was allowed to mix? Davidoff Aniversario No.3 (four fillers, so only four tables), Davidoff Nicaragua Toro, also with four fillers and Davidoff Winston Churchill with five fillers, so five tables. Maaaaaagic!
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