Cigar & More The humidor ZKes 453 Design, Quality & Innovation
The perfect climate for your cigars 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 aficionados as savouring cigars is their passion for collecting and nurturing cigars from their preferred countries of origin.
Cuba – a true tobacco paradise Nowhere is better tobacco grown than in Cuba. But even here, only a few select tobacco plantations are suited for growing the highquality 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.
The planter’s skill is key 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 million 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.
Good tobacco requires careful husbandry 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 seedlings in the nurseries reach a height of about 13 to 15 cm and are large enough to be planted out.
Store your treasures under ideal conditions 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. Humidity is far more important than temperature though because if a cigar has dried out it quickly loses its aroma and its flavour is compromised.
The processing of the leaves – a long journey begins Plant cultivation, harvesting and drying the leaves is just the beginning of a long story that culminates 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.
Processing by natural fermentation 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 contain more ethereal oils. The fermentation is decisive for the quality of the cigars.
A constant temperature is vital for your cigars 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 fluctuations of temperature change unnecessarily in volume, even if the humidity stays constant. In most cases of “uncontrolled storage”, both values fluctuate, which is particularly dangerous.
Selecting and sorting 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 governing 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 selected as the binder.
The art of the torcedores All Habanos – with very few exceptions – are made by the same method 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. 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).
The right humidity to savour cigars at their best 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 conditions comprises the valuable aroma of cigars. In Liebherr’s new humidor, three different control circuits with four fans ensure the perfect climatic storage conditions. Setting the humidity want- 24 ed is very easy.
Quality assurance 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.
Guarantee of origin When something is as famous as a Habano, it is not surprising that counterfeiters try to fake original brand labels and products. A guarantee 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 additionally bear the Habanos seal as a globally protected mark of the denomination of origin.
Don’t expose your cigars to any unnecessary risk 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 cigars. 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%.
Tasting as the last link in the chain 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 checklist 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 normal character of the brand or size, the tasters recommend adjustment to the blend.
Enjoying a Habanos Take your time to light your cigar. Nothing can detract more from enjoying a Habano more than lighting it incorrectly and puffing too often. 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 scissors or the punch cutter. Always light your cigar with an odourless flame. Use a butane gas lighter, a wooden match or a cedar spill.
Making your cigars feel at home 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 replenishing. 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.
How size and shape influence flavour Every brand has its own distinctive 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 flavour intensity increase. The initial flavour of the figurados is mainly influenced by the wrapper and binder.
40 All illustrations reduced to 70 % of original size Lonsdale D: 16.67 mm L: 165 mm Lancero D: 15.08 mm L: 192 mm Doppel-Corona D: 19.45 mm L: 194 mm Churchill D: 18.65 mm L: 178 mm Dalia D: 17.07 mm L: 170 mm Petit Corona D: 16.67 mm L: 129 mm There are altogether 32 different Havana brands with over 220 different shapes and sizes (vitolas). Here are the twelve most important ones: Corona D: 16.67 mm L: 142 mm Robusto D: 19.84 mm L: 124 mm Torpedo D: 20.64 mm L: 156 mm Figurado D: 17.
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.
