This fourth part of Tobacco Leaves and Blends will attempt to conclude the series on the art of selecting and classifying tobacco leaves. Here we continue to see how it is possible to produce that great cigar whose flavor profile so predictably satisfies our palate time and time again.

Now that the leaves are classified all the way into their respective tiempos and sub-tiempos, their journey in the escogida comes to an end. The last step for the leaves at the workshop is to be bound, about forty leaves to a bunch, so that they can be transported to a curing warehouse, where they will be fermented until they are mature—anywhere from thirty to ninety days, depending on their type. In order to ensure the consistency of fermentation, the bunches are piled up in neat stacks, about four feet high, by their respective classes. Until this fermentation is completed, there will be a constant and precise monitoring of the air temperature and humidity.

Following this second fermentation, the wrapper leaves will be dried and taken directly to the aging shop, where they will be aged anywhere from months to several years. For aging, the bunches will be bound into manojos, consisting of four bunches each. These will be placed into wooden barrels, sacks, or (as in Cuban tobacco) square containers made of palm tree bark, where the manojos will go to rest and age.

Leaves destined to be filler and binder will go to the despalillo, where the hardened stem of each leaf will be removed. Following the despalillo, the leaves will undergo a final and rather heavy fermentation according to their strength. The ligero and medio-tiempo leaves (see part III) will generally require quite a bit more curing time than the volado and the seco, and so they will be sent to special centers designed for long-term fermentation. Once the final fermentation is completed, the leaves will be dried to less than twenty percent humidity, before being dispatched to their final resting place.

And so, at long last, the tobacco is ready for purchase by cigar manufacturers seeking to produce their particular blends. Of course, in Cuba, the leaves would be delivered, depending on their classification, to the various factories responsible for producing the different brands.

Well, this fourth installment of Tobacco Leaves and Blends brings this series to a close. Now there’s just one thing to do: light up this Punch Punch Corona that’s been calling out from my humidor…