Cigars have been smoked since the early 10th century: they were even more popular than cigarettes in the early 19th century. Then something changed, I think it was some psychological experiment that caused the change. Would it be odd to suggest that if certain individuals were to be masters of psychology they'd used it to brainwash society?

Tobacco leaves are harvested and left to age in a controlled manor. The leaves are left in heat and shade to reduce the amount of water and sugar levels thus stopping the leaves from rotting. This method is called curing and is a method used to try marijuana leaves too. The curing process for tobacco can take anywhere between 25 and 45 days; after that the tobacco leaves go threw a process called fermentation: fermentation kills the tobacco leaves peacefully. This process is important for the final taste and aroma of the plant. The leaves are then sorted by size to determine whether or not that should be used as the inside of the cigar or the wrapper of the cigar. Once the leaves have matured to the manufacturers standards they are used in cigar production.

Cigars are composed of three types of tobacco leaves, whose variations determine smoking and flavor characteristics:

Cigar Wrappers

A cigar's outermost leaves, or wrapper, come from the widest part of the plant. The wrapper determines much of the cigar's character and flavor, and as such its color is often used to describe the cigar as a whole. Colors are designated as follows, from lightest to darkest:

• Double Claro - very light, slightly greenish (also called Candela, American Market Selection or jade); achieved by picking leaves before maturity and drying quickly; often grown in Connecticut
• Claro - light tan or yellowish. Indicative of shade-grown tobacco.
• Natural - light brown to brown; generally sun-grown.
• Colorado Claro - mid-brown; particularly associated with tobacco grown in the Dominican Republic or in Cuba
• Colorado - reddish-brown (also called Rosado or "Corojo")
• Colorado Maduro - dark brown; particularly associated with Honduran or Cubagrown tobacco
• Maduro - dark brown to very dark brown
• Oscuro - a.k.a. "Double Maduro", black, often oily in appearance; mainly grown in Cuba, Nicaragua, Brazil, Mexico, and Connecticut, USA

Some manufacturers use an alternate designation:

• American Market Selection (AMS) - synonymous with Double Claro
• English Market Selection (EMS) - can refer to any color stronger than Double Claro but milder than Maduro
• Spanish Market Selection (SMS) - either of the two darkest colors, Maduro and Oscuro

A common misconception is that the darker the wrapper, the fuller the flavor. If anything, dark wrappers add a touch of sweetness, while light ones add a hint of dryness to the taste.

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