Smoke Inn Blog
Every person who smokes their first premium cigar remembers the experience for the rest of their life. They’ve existed on cheap cigars but splurged for their birthday, anniversary, or just because they wanted to.
It was exhilarating and unlike any other cigar they smoked before. The taste was heavenly, and you could tell it was made of quality tobacco. Many people wonder what makes a premium cigar brand.
If you ask people that don’t smoke them often, the most obvious response is the price, but you get what you pay for. Smoking a premium cigar is an experience all its own, and we’ll tell you all why premium is worth every cent.
Nothing Compares to a Hand Rolled Premium Cigar Brand
Have you wondered why a hand-sewn blanket costs more than one mass-produced on an assembly line? The answer is quality. There is nothing wrong with anything mass-produced, but when they crank out thousands of items a day, how can you provide quality assurance?
Many great cigars are mass-produced by machines, and they cost less because of it. It doesn’t matter if the tobacco is of top quality or not because when making that many there are bound to be quality issues.
You get one that’s perfect and then another that has no balance. The next one has little flavor or it’s too bitter. This is because there is no way to keep the quality when mass-producing.
Hand-rolled cigars are one of a kind. Each one is hand-rolled by a person and the quality that comes with years of experience is evident in each one. It’s a matter of pride for the roller that their cigar meets the highest of quality standards.
They are as much an artisan as any painter, sculptor, or seamstress.
Smoking a Cigar Is all About Tobacco
When you order a steak, does it matter what kind of cow it came from? If you expect Kobe beef and you end up with the cow down the block, you’ll be disappointed. The same goes for cigars and tobacco.
Lower quality cigars use tobacco filler, which is ground up tobacco leaves and includes everything from the stalks to scraps that normally wouldn’t be included. Low-quality cigars are like the hot dog of the cigar world. They taste OK, but you probably don’t want to ask what is inside it.
The filler causes unbalanced flavor and bitterness. Why do they do it? It’s cheaper to do it this way…hence why they cost less. Cheaper does not mean better.
What is a premium cigar? It’s the best tobacco available. Every place tobacco is grown has a unique flavor because of how it’s grown. It’s why Cuban cigars are so expensive and wanted by cigar aficionados. You can’t find that flavor anywhere else.
Premium cigars use actual tobacco leaves that go from one end of the cigar to the other. This gives you a nice even taste from beginning to end. They’re also usually from the same place, so you don’t get a mix of geographies like you might with filler.
You get the same great flavor from the first long draw to the last. They come from limited batches or from unique farms that grow a limited crop.
When you see the higher price tag, expect a better flavor and a higher quality stick. If you’re interested in getting a variety, check out our samplers.
A Fine Cigar Is Like a Fine Wine
Age plays a big part in how a cigar tastes. Cigars made from a fresh crop don’t have the rich flavor that comes with age. The same way wine tastes better as it ages, so does a cigar. The key is making sure it’s stored in the right conditions.
A cigar that sits in your drawer at home for a year isn’t going to taste great. A proper cigar must age at the right temperature and humidity in a humidor. A premium cigar is made and then stored until it’s aged perfectly.
Mass-produced and low-quality cigars have no aging. The crop is cut, processed, and cut into filler. A cigar that isn’t aged doesn’t have the rich flavor associated with higher quality ones. If you want a fine wine, you wouldn’t choose from straight from the vine, but an aged variety.
Cigars need to be aged to perfection, so you can have the ultimate experience.
Cost Cutting Leads to Poorer Cigars
Take a good look at a premium cigar and compare it to a lesser one. Can you see the difference? One of the biggest costs of creating a cigar is wrapping and preparing it for that first light.
Mass-produced cigars have a dull appearance, and the wrappings aren’t tight, leading to less smoke and may not be made totally of tobacco leaves. It’s too expensive.
People tightly wrap hand-rolled and premium cigars, so they are tight and even. This eliminates loosening and burns evenly with great smoke from start to finish. They’re also oiled to give it a glossy, smooth look. The wrapping of a premium cigar is 100 percent natural, so you know its quality.
When you inhale the rich smoke from a premium cigar, there is no mistaking it. You can survive on the less expensive ones but splurge on yourself every now and then with a premium cigar. Cost-cutting measures to provide a cheaper cigar take away much of what premium cigars are known for.
Premium Cigars Are Worth the Cost
If you’re a cigar aficionado and want to increase your collection or enjoy the finer aspects of a premium cigar brand, then take the information above to heart. There is nothing like the experience of smoking a premium cigar.
Once you have your first, you’ll have a hard time going back to the less expensive mass-produced varieties. When it comes to pairing a premium cigar with a high-quality whiskey or other drink, you complete the experience.
If you want more information about our line of premium cigars or telling the difference between a machine-made and hand-rolled cigar, then please feel free to contact us today.
