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Many cigar brands are offered today in the tobacco industry. Some are made by companies that have centuries of history, while others are new to the business. Some offer sticks that are puros from the country of choice, such as Nicaragua or the Dominican Republic. This means that all of the tobacco from the binders, blend, wrapper and fillers are all from the same place. Others offer blends from one area while the binder might be from another. Other areas that are rich in tobacco producing fields would be Honduras, Mexico, Brazil, the Philippines, the United States, Cameroon, Indonesia and Cuba.
Many of the cigar brands that exist today are from heritage Cuban seed tobacco. This means that as the founders migrated to other countries upon leaving Cuba, they brought tobacco seed with them. This seed has been masterfully cultivated for many generations. This is as close as one can get to a Cuban offering, at least in the United States. Some of the different lines that are offered include these favorites:
* Gurkha, by Alec Bradley
* Cohiba, by Davidoff
* Camacho , by Ashton
* Arturo Fuente, by Don Pepin Garcia
* Rocky Patel, by El Rey del Mundo
This is a rather short list of the many cigar brands that are actually available for the aficionado. There are many more offered. Some are mild and others are strong. Some are full bodied while others are medium bodied.
Some of them will have flavor profiles that include an array of tastes, while others will have a single most dominant profile. Many will sport flavors such as pepper, cinnamon, spice, and mint. Other common flavorings are leather, hay, grass, oak, and pine. Tea is often found as a component, as is licorice. Citrus and other fruits like cherries and raisins are another taste note. Chocolate, cocoa, butter, cream, coffee, mocha, and different liqueurs are sometimes found in several of the cigar brands. Nuts such as almonds or cashews are often noticed as are peanut and walnut flavors. Honey can sometimes be detected. It is also quite common to find notes such as caramel, bread, floral tastes, and marzipan.
Many of the flavor profiles are very complex and offer up so many different taste sensations that it is important to pair the smoke with the right type of drink to accentuate the flavor notes to their fullest potential. Others offer a steady taste of three or four notes that are consistent throughout the smoke, from the pre-light draw to the nub.
Many of the available offerings can be purchased as singles, by the box or by the case, while others are more difficult to find. This is usually indicative of the companies that are considered boutique producers. All this really means is that they will only offer small batches of their various lines. The reason that the batches are small is usually due to the fact that they are handmade and hand rolled. Quantity is not nearly as important to many of these companies as is producing a good quality product.
Company recognition is the key to building a good reputation. The emphasis is on the quality of the tobacco leaves and not how many a factory can roll out at a time. There are so many cigar brands available today that it might seem like a bit of a challenge to choose one’s favorite. Of course, many aficionados would say that this is the best excuse for trying them all.
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