Cigar & MoreThe humidor ZKes 453

Design, Quality & Innovation

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Cigar devotees often refer to themselves as aficionados to express the personal and intense satisfaction they derive from celebrating one of life‘s pleasures. Achieving this is, however, reliant on a humidor.

What is equally important to aficiona-dos as savouring cigars is their pas-sion for collecting and nurturing cigars from their preferred countries of origin. They always want their cigars ready and waiting in perfect condition for when the precious moment comes to enjoy them. Storing and maturing ci-gars is a major facet of collecting them because it‘s an established fact that

cigars, like wine, unfold their aroma and can even appreciate greatly in value when properly stored. The prime requirements a humidor needs to fulfil are accurate tempera-ture control, adjustable and constant humidity and simple handling. Liebherr‘s new humidor is the ideal solution for storing cigars in boxes as well as loose cigars.

The perfect climate for your cigars

Store your treasures under ideal conditions.................................... 12A constant temperature is vital for your cigars ............................... 18The right humidity to savour cigars at their best............................. 24Don‘t expose your cigars to any unnecessary risk .......................... 30Making your cigars feel at home ..................................................... 36

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Nowhere is better tobacco grown than in Cuba. But even here, only a few select tobacco plantations are suited for growing the high-quality leaves used for making Habanos.

In the same way as a fine wine owes its distinctive character to position, earth and microclimate, so the nature of a Habano is closely linked to the soil in which the tobacco used for making the cigar is grown.Habanos are made in plantations en-joying first-class status (Vegas Finas de Primera) from leaves of the very best quality. In most cases they are made by hand in elaborate processes handed down from generation to gen-eration, which have been preserved almost unchanged since they evolved in Havana nearly two hundred years ago.

Cuba – a true tobacco paradise

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The top plantations have drawn on their planters’ expertise to develop their own, special style of cultivation.

Work on Vegas Finas de Primera is tough and arduous. A single planter may be in charge of over a half a mil-lion plants which he has to keep under surveillance and check over 150 times during the vegetation period. Work begins during the hot months of June and July and continues without respite for nine months. For shade-grown tobacco under cloth (tabaco tapado, wrapper tobacco), the span of time between sowing the seed and harvesting is about 17 weeks; for sun-grown tobacco (tabaco de sol, for filler and binder) it takes about 16 weeks.

The planter’s skill is key

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Tobacco plants grow best in loose, well-tilled soil. Therefore the fields are repeatedly, very carefully ploughed in a certain pattern and to a certain depth, using animal-drawn ploughs so as not to compact the soil.

The seedlings are reared in special nurseries and are covered with straw for protection. After 45 days, the seed-lings in the nurseries reach a height of about 13 to 15 cm and are large enough to be planted out. About 18 to 20 days after transplant-ing, the soil is banked up around the base of the plant to promote the de-

velopment of strong roots, a process known as aporque. As each plant reaches the desired height, the top bud is removed (desbotonado), en-couraging the plant to grow large leaves. The planter has to keep check-ing each single plant to remove the side shoots (deshije).

Good tobacco requires careful husbandry

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Cigars are often called treasures or gems, highlighting that premium cigars are high-quality and delicate luxury products.

The ideal interplay of temperature and humidity is vital for storing your cigars in perfect conditions ensuring aroma retention and proper maturing. Humid-ity is far more important than tem-perature though because if a cigar has dried out it quickly loses its aroma and its flavour is compromised. While it is possible to recondition a cigar, lost aroma cannot be restored. Cigar devotees aspire to define the storage conditions for their treasures themselves so as to allow their cigars to mature as they see fit. The storage environment of the cigars must be under control at all times. The cigar devotee must be able to place absolute trust in his humidor and its microclimate.

Store your treasures under ideal conditions

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Plant cultivation, harvesting and drying the leaves is just the be-ginning of a long story that culmi-nates in a finished Habano: the result of intense, painstaking work. Everything has to be done at exactly the right time.

Most leaves are dried in traditional tobacco barns where they are strung on thread in pairs and hung on poles to dry. These are gradually raised to the roof as drying progresses. The air circulation and incidence of light are monitored constantly to achieve the natural temperature and humidity regulation sought after and, if neces-sary, the conditions are finely adjusted. This is vital to guarantee uniform drying in a process taking some 25 days.

The processing of the leaves – a long journey begins

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The dried leaves are packed into bundles (gavillas) and taken to the fermentation house

where they are stacked in piles and covered by palm leaves (yagua) or cloth. The fermentation process is triggered by the residual moisture in the leaves and by the generated heat. The leaves from the upper part of the plant take longer to ferment because they are denser in structure and con-tain more ethereal oils. The fermenta-tion is decisive for the quality of the cigars. It reduces the acid and protein content of the tobacco leaves and

promotes the development of their aroma. Everything which might impair cigar enjoyment at a later stage is degraded and eliminated. In this way, the smoke of cigars made of fer-mented tobacco contains significantly less nicotine and tar than smoke from tobacco leaves that have simply been dried. Furthermore, fermentation re-duces the inherent flavour of the filler leaves and the colour of the wrapper leaves becomes more consistent.

Processing by natural fermentation

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In addition to a higher humidity, a higher temperature always prevails in the countries of origin of cigars. For storing cigars in temperate zones, the height of temperature set in the humidor is less important than its constancy.

Cigars exposed to permanent fluctua-tions of temperature change unneces-sarily in volume, even if the humidity stays constant. In most cases of “un-controlled storage”, both values fluc-tuate, which is particularly dangerous. Fluctuating temperatures also involve the risk of mould and rotting, meaning the cigars are no longer fit for smoking and high loss is incurred. By separating temperature control and humidity control, Liebherr frees the cigar aficionado from the bothersome task of continually checking both

readings. The temperature can be set to the level wanted, ranging between 16°C and 20°C, at the touch of a but-ton. The temperature is immune to the influence of sun rays in the summer, heating in the winter, or unheated rooms during holidays. The integrated temperature control ensures that the set temperature stays constant in the humidor without changing the humid-ity. An incorporated fan sees that the temperature is uniform throughout the humidor.

A constant temperature is vital for your cigars

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Finally the moment comes when the leaves are sorted according to the purpose for which they will later be used. Size, colour and texture are the three criteria gov-erning the selection process.

The leaves are categorised according to their flavour characteristics and how they lend themselves to the blend (ligada). The leaves from the bottom of the plant are called volado. The thickest and best of them are se-lected as the binder. Leaves from the middle of the plant contribute aroma and are of medium thickness. They are classified as the seco leaves. The leaves from the top of the plant are the ligero, they are the thickest. Following selection and resting, the leaves are packed in tercios and transported to the warehouses where they undergo an ageing process, just like good wine.

Selecting and sorting

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All Habanos – with very few exceptions – are made by the same meth-od as the cigar rollers, the torcedores, and their female counterparts, the torcedoras, have practised for a long time. No machine can replace their skilled hands.

The tools: a wooden board, two

cutters – a special blade (chaveta) and a disc-cutting tool (casquillo) -,

a guillotine, a pot of flavourless natural vegetable gum (goma) and a template to check the length and girth (cepo) of the cigar.

And most important of all: skilled hands.

There are four categories of cigar rollers and only the few of them in the top category are allowed to make the larger and more complicated Habanos shapes and sizes (e. g. figurados). It takes many years to perfect the art of traditional cigar rolling and over the years there has been only one change: meanwhile it is mostly women, the torcedoras, who make the cigars.

First the cigar roller gathers together the leaves of the filler, folding and aligning each leaf to ensure a straight passage for smoke. Then all the leaves are placed with their tips (which are less strong in flavour) towards the foot or lit end of the cigar so that the fla-vour will intensify as it is smoked.

Now the cigar roller forms the cylindrical bunch (bonche) by rolling the filler into the binder. Once made, the bunches are pressed in a mould for at least 30 minutes to set their shape. Then the cigar roller trims the wrapper.

The bunch is laid on the wrapper and rolled. After this, a section (so-called flag) is cut from the spare wrapper to form the cap of the cigar (la perilla). It is wound round the head to close off the open end.

Then a small disc of wrapper is cut out with the casquillo and secured on the flag with the colourless and flavourless vegetable gum. Finally, the cigar is guillotined to length.

The art of the torcedores

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A true cigar aficionado knows straightaway whether a cigar has been stored properly.

Cigars should be stored at a humidity between 68% and 75%. Every hour, every day in the wrong climatic condi-tions comprises the valuable aroma of cigars. In Liebherr’s new humidor, three dif-ferent control circuits with four fans ensure the perfect climatic storage conditions. Setting the humidity want-

ed is very easy. In most conventional humidors, any change of humidity is automatically accompanied by a change of temperature and vice versa. Thanks to the separately controlled circuits, both values can be individu-ally governed in Liebherr’s humidor using the MagicEye control system.

The right humidity to savour cigars at their best

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The entire process of making a Habano is accompanied by strict quality control. Cigars not living up to the quality standards are rejected and do not become Habanos.

Rolling room supervisors keep the work under constant surveillance. The supervisors, themselves experienced cigar rollers, also monitor the work of every department, the techniques used, the manufacturing quality and the dimensional accuracy. The finished cigars are collected in bundles of fifty and labelled with the number of the cigar roller, information on the brand and size, and the date. The next day the bundles undergo a separate qual-ity control process in which inspectors check the weight, length, diameter and firmness of the cigars, the way they are made and their outward ap-pearance.

Quality assurance

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When something is as famous as a Habano, it is not surprising that counterfeiters try to fake original brand labels and products. A guaran-tee seal was used for the first time in 1889 by order of a king of Spain. In 1999 a red serial number and an emblem visible only under ultra-violet light were added as part of an extensive change to the system.

Since 1994 all cigar boxes addition-ally bear the Habanos seal as a globally protected mark of the de-nomination of origin. Licensed import-ers can also add further individual seals on their own responsibility. Since 1960 all boxes are stamped with the words Hecho en Cuba (made in Cuba) on the underside of the box.

Since 1994 the underside of the box-es have also been branded with: Habanos S.A. (the name of the Cuban state trading company). There are also two ink stamps to be found on the underside of the boxes: a code indicating which factory made the cigars and the date on which the Habanos were packed in the box.

Guarantee of origin

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Cigars are natural products and therefore – in much the same way as foodstuffs and drinks – are reliant on being kept in perfect, hygienic surroundings.

If they are not stored properly, mould or rot, mites or other parasites are often the ‘death sentence’ for fine ci-gars. They are almost always due to improper storage. While mould is more likely when temperatures are too low, rotting occurs when temperatures are too high and humidity is above 80%. Liebherr’s humidor provides the per-fect hygienic conditions for keeping cigars safe and sound. While the afi-cionado can decide himself on the temperature and humidity for ageing and keeping his cigars, the materials from which the humidor is crafted of-fer maximum hygiene integrity. Spanish cedar wood is also used for cigar boxes and is therefore the natu-

ral environment for cigars. All the wooden parts can be taken out of the humidor and cleaned separately. The plastic used for the interior and water reservoir is insusceptible to mould or rot and is easy to clean. The stainless steel housing and the glass in the door pose no hazard either, while being aesthetically pleasing and robust. A high-quality activated charcoal filter ensures an optimal air flow. The control display of temperature and humidity can be read outside the hu-midor, making it unnecessary to open the door for keeping a check. The hu-midor is opened only for putting in or taking out cigars, reducing the risk of introducing spores and parasites.

Don’t expose your cigars to any unnecessary risk

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Every factory has its own team of tasters (catadores) who meet every day to test a few cigars and score them according to a 6-point check-list for draw, burn, aroma, flavour, strength and overall quality.

In each session cigars of three to five shapes and sizes (vitolas) are tasted. In case of any deviations from the nor-mal character of the brand or size, the tasters recommend adjustment to the blend. The tasters are in the service of the Comision Nacional de Degustation, which is responsible for the blends (ligadas) of all Habanos.

Tasting as the last link in the chain

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You should cut the Habano exactly on the line where the cap meets the wrapper. There are several tools to make the cut: the guillotine, special cigar scis-sors or the punch cutter. Always light your cigar with an odourless flame. Use a butane gas lighter, a wooden match or a cedar spill.

Place the cigar between your lips and evenly draw in air until the flame reaches the cigar. Holding the flame about a centimetre away from the cigar, rotate the cigar slowly over the flame.

Enjoying a Habanos

Take your time to light your cigar. Nothing can detract more from enjoy-ing a Habano more than lighting it incorrectly and puffing too often.

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Liebherr’s humidor offers you and your cigars many advantages.

The electronic control system ensures exact compliance with the humidity desired. A warning light tells you in good time before water needs replen-ishing. If the climatic conditions in the humidor are changed by opening the door, the humidor readjusts them as soon as the door has been closed again. Integrated in the glass pane of the door there is LED lighting with dim function for optimally showcasing your cigars. An automatic alarm prevents the door from being inadvertently left open too long. The rear wall panel provides the op-tion to position the humidor on furni-ture or wall mount it using the two slots.

Making your cigars feel at home

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Every brand has its own distinc-tive nuance of flavour, but the different shapes and sizes also allow an array of variations in taste.

The larger the cigar, the more flavour it develops and the cooler is its smoke. Thicker cigars basically burn slower and produce a larger volume of smoke. The variety of aromas and fla-vour intensity increase. The initial flavour of the figurados is mainly influ-enced by the wrapper and binder. However when the burn reaches the main body of the cigar, the full spec-trum of flavours unfolds. Thinner ci-gars are often smoked more quickly; the nuances of flavour are concen-trated on the tongue and the impres-sion gained may well be of a sharper flavour.

How size and shape influence flavour

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Habanos – shapes and dimensions

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ratio

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red

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70

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f o

rigin

al s

ize

Pane

tela

D: 1

0.32

mm

L: 1

15 m

m

Tres

Pet

it Co

rona

D: 1

5.87

mm

L: 1

02 m

m

Figu

rado

D: 1

7.82

mm

L: 1

45 m

m Torp

edo

D: 2

0.64

mm

L: 1

56 m

m

Robu

sto

D: 1

9.84

mm

L: 1

24 m

m

Dalia

D: 1

7.07

mm

L: 1

70 m

m

Chur

chill

D: 1

8.65

mm

L: 1

78 m

m Dopp

el-C

oron

a D:

19.

45 m

mL:

194

mm

Lanc

ero

D: 1

5.08

mm

L: 1

92 m

m

Lons

dale

D: 1

6.67

mm

L: 1

65 m

m

Coro

na D

: 16.

67 m

mL:

142

mm

Petit

Cor

ona

D: 1

6.67

mm

L: 1

29 m

m

There are altogether 32 different Havana brands with over 220 different shapes and sizes (vitolas). Here are the twelve most important ones:

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Liebherr‘s humidor – The perfect climatic conditions for fine cigars

· Total net capacity: 39 l· Climate class: T· Voltage: 220 – 240 V· Connected load: 0.5 A

Features · Door: insulated glass door, Door hinges: right/irreversible· Colour/housing material: stainless steel· Lighting: LED· Type of control system: electronic· Temperature display: inside digital· Child lock· Lock· Fault: visual and audible alarm· Door open: audible alarm· 1 temperature zone· Temperature range: + 16 °C to + 20 °C· Humidity range: 68 % to 75 %· Activated charcoal filter· Number of shelves: 2· Spanish cedar wood· 2 presentation boxes· Wall mount possible· Power consumption in 365 days: 185 kWh

Dimensions · Height x width: 61.2 x 42.5 cm· Depth incl. wall spacing: 47.8 cm

Switch on – Fill – Enjoy

www.liebherr.com

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