I've been mourning the destruction of the tobacco industry in Jamaica for a long time, but research into the subject raises a question: Am I mourning the tobacco flavor itself or the
additive that gave it its special flavor?
"A special fermentation additive (bethune) was used to create a unique flavor profile that was slightly sweet. Bethune is a mixture of different ingredients -- including rum, native herbs, wine and vinegar -- that was sprayed on the tobacco leaves after they had cured. This was the secret ingredient that gave Royal Jamaica cigars their unique, slightly sweet taste."
Jamaican cigars are now made in the Dominican Republic but they don't appear to utilize the bethune recipe that made Jamaican cigars special. It doesn't sound too hard to do. Why not?
Mmmm..."native herbs" was part of that secret recipe. Maybe they have trouble getting the "native herbs"? :smoker:
*P
I have a feeling that Jamaica has plenty of its native herbs around. ;-)
I like sweet cigars.. as long as it's not unnatural tasting.. like those sweet tip ones that taste like chemical sweetener. Can you still find these cigars you speak of anywhere? I'd be interested to try one.
:smoker:
I really love that emoticon. Makes me wanna smoke one right now.. too bad humidor is empty.
QuoteProph - 9/21/2007 4:54 PM
I like sweet cigars.. as long as it's not unnatural tasting.. like those sweet tip ones that taste like chemical sweetener. Can you still find these cigars you speak of anywhere? I'd be interested to try one.
:smoker:
I really love that emoticon. Makes me wanna smoke one right now.. too bad humidor is empty.
If your humidor is empty, you must not know about cigarbid.com. The cigar I described was not sweet. The effect was so subtle I only recently learned about the additive. They are no longer around.
There are plenty of sweet cigars, high-priced, cheap hand rolled, and machine made.
I know about cbid.. I have a few bids open right now. I just have a very low budget set aside for that pursuit, as it's not a priority.
I smoke 'em almost as fast as I get 'em. I only recently decided to smoke more often than once every few months. I joined the COTM club at CI.. and I'm pondering a few others. And, I was seriously researching and planning opening a Hookah bar here, but I decided it wasn't that feasible for me atm. I realized I didn't care much for watching others smoke all day.. I'd rather enjoy a cigar on my own in peace.. or with a few guys/girls and some interesting conversation.
Too bad all those no-smoking indoors laws spread around so quick. I don't like hanging out in bars.. or cigar shops.. I like a more private setting with ppl I know and not just a room with a leather couch and convo with the cigar shop owner cause he's bored.
Can you recommend a sweet cigar that is 100% natural..? I refuse to smoke anything machine made or that has any kind of chemical sweetener added.
I'm with you Proph. Not a huge fan of smoking a cigar in a crowded public spot with a bunch of folks I don't know. I'd much prefer a smaller group of good people I know.
For a sweet cigar you might try the Baccarat line. They have a pretty sweet taste to me.
-Paul
I've not tried Baccarat yet.. though I have an open bid on cbid for a 5pack of Candela wrapped Baccarats..
"Can you recommend a sweet cigar that is 100% natural..? I refuse to smoke anything machine made or that has any kind of chemical sweetener added."
Now you are raising the question of what's natural and what's a chemical. A common sweetener in cigars is all natural stevia. Drew Estate adds stevia to a salad of natural herbs.
Profesor Sila sweetens the head with stevia. Where do you draw the line?
I draw the line at: if it comes directly from a plant or animal without processing of any kind it's natural.
Of course there are chemicals in everything, when I say chemical, I mean manmade or in some way modified by man. (like pasteurization, homogenization, etc.)
So..
One COULD argue cigars themselves are then unnatural. But, they do age if left in nature, so it's not that far off from natural. The leaves aren't added to or taken from deliberately as far as I know of, just stored and let sit to do their thing.
I'm a pretty simple guy. I would take natural to mean that it is just not flavored - no additional flavors added by man. All natural flavors from the leaf.
I think you might like the baccarat as well. They can be pretty sweet.
JF
I just read that Greyfied uses their own bethune recipe. If only I could afford one.