Tobacco Cultivation Regions: Cuba

As their name suggests, Cuban cigars are made using tobacco leaves that are grown and treated in Cuba. The filler, binder and wrapper may come from different areas of the island but every Cuban cigar uses 100% Cuban tobacco. They are considered to be premium quality due to the excellent growing conditions from Cuba’s climate however, many forget that one of the main reasons for top quality smokes from Cuba is the skill and standards of the Torcedors. They are highly-regarded, skilled cigar rollers and possibly the best in the world at what they do. Renowned both in Cuba and by cigar lovers around the world, many Cuban cigars are rolled by hand using impressive and delicate techniques. This is definitely the case with top brands like Montecristo, Cohiba and Partagas.

It is believed that the tobacco plant arrived in Cuba from South America between 2,000 and 3,000 B.C. It was named ‘Cohiba’ ,a name now synonymous with the cigar brand. 

When it first arrived, tobacco was used for medicinal purposes as well as being incorporated into religious ceremonies or social gatherings. It was later planted as an agricultural crop for more widespread use.

While the introduction of tobacco to Europe is credited to Christopher Columbus’ expedition to the Americas, it was in fact his ventures to Cuba that led to the introduction of cigars. The journey in 1492 discovered early examples of tobacco being dried, twisted and then rolled up inside palm leaves to be smoked as a cigar - from there it didn’t take long for the rest of the world to get a taste for this pastime. Spain quickly became the leading country of tobacco smokers before it spread around the world!

Up until the 1800’s tobacco leaves grown in Cuba would be sent over to Spain, where it was their factories responsibility to roll the leaves into cigars. It was later discovered that rolling the cigars before they are shipped across the world increased their longevity! And thus increased the number of cigars available to be sold. Not long after this discovery, factories started to be built in Cuba and by 1859 over 10,000 tobacco plantations were found with 1,300 factories in the capital alone.

The 1800’s is considered the golden age for Cuban cigars, with many of the popular brands we associate with Cuba establishing themselves during this time - Big names like Partagas, H. Upmann and Romeo y Julieta all began trading. Unlike many other crop harvesting jobs around this time, tobacco plantations did not use slaves as the plants were considered too fragile. It is believed only a free man would be able to take enough pride in his work to handle the leaves with the careful touch they require. Farmers started bringing in immigrants from the Canary Islands to work in the fields.

A major change came around 1960 with the rise of Fidel Castro. He took control of the industry, nationalising all of the factories and their brands. At this time, Cohiba became the first national company, and it remains Cuba’s biggest brand to date. 

Many of the leading figures in the cigar industry found themselves in exile, many moved to neighbouring countries like the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua to start up rival businesses. The 1962 trade embargo between Cuba and the US gave even more power to Cuban cigar rivals as cigar makers had to find tobacco from other sources.

To this day the Cuban government controls the cigar industry in Cuba, this ensures a level of quality across all cigars as well as equal regulations and labelling which makes it easier to detect fakes.

Types of Tobacco Leaves:

There are three types of leaves found in any tobacco plant - Ligero, Seco, Volado. Every Cuban cigar requires all three of these leaves in some form, how each leaf is used affects the aroma, flavour and overall smoke ability of that particular cigar.

The upper-most part of the tobacco plant produces the Ligero leaf. It takes much longer to mature than the others but is considered the most flavoursome due to its ability to enhance the boldness of a cigar's flavours. Some cigar aficionados argue that the Ligero leaf is the one that produces the spiciness while others believe it’s responsible for producing a lot of smoke.

The most popular type of leaf is the Seco. They come from the midsection of the tobacco plant and are the thinnest leaves of all; however, despite it’s slender appearance, Seco has a huge impact on the aromas of the cigar. It is also responsible for producing light flavour profiles and thus a milder smoke. The Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo de San Juan delivers a light flavoured smoke with enjoyable hints of almonds.

At the bottom of the tobacco plant is the Volado leaf. It has very little to offer in terms of flavours and aromas which means it’s mainly used for burning properties. You shouldn’t think this is a useless leaf however as without it your cigar won’t burn evenly at all. Cohiba really utilises the Volado so you get an even smoke every time.

Written by Oliver Partington