Cigars flavored or infused. What you should know about them

Flavoring a cigar is nothing new. Almost all the mixtures that are used to make machine-made cigars have some type of ingredient to enhance their flavor, since the tobacco that is usually used is of low quality and therefore has little natural flavor.

So, to say that flavored cigars have been around for a long time is not a new. However, from the end of the 1990s they acquired an unusual boom, to the point that some data affirms that the sales of these cigars tripled between 1997 and 2007 in the US market.

So far, nothing would be exceptional if it were not for the fact that this growth took place in the segment of premium or artisanal cigars and not in that of machine-made cigars, as might have been thought. Before that, premium flavored cigars were very rare and most of the time what was added was liquor.

Although the idea of ??aromatizing cigars that underlies the process is the same, that is to say, incorporating into the tobacco a different flavor than the one produced by the leaves through the different stages of maturation to which they are subjected, not all the methods to do so are equal. Depending on the technique used, the differences in the product obtained are so significant that today a distinction is made between flavored cigars and infused cigars.

Flavored cigars

Most of these cigars are made by spraying them with a flavoring substance. Although there are many different flavorings, some of the most used are liqueurs such as brandy or wine, syrups from various sources and some extracts such as vanilla, coconut, coffee and chocolate. Obviously, the choice will depend on the manufacturer and the preferences of the consumer or the market that you are interested in capturing.

The most important thing to note in this method is that the flavor is added after the cigar has been made. To do this, the cigars are placed in a sealed room or container and are sprayed with the flavoring for a time, until the tobacco absorbs the flavor to the desired extent.

Cigars infused

An infused cigar is a cigar whose leaves are treated before production to add an additional flavor to the natural taste of tobacco. The tobacco leaves are hung in the curing rooms while they are sprinkled with different types of essences such as coffee, cognac, fruits or herbs, until they are gently moistened and acquire the flavor of the chosen ingredient.

Adding flavor by infusion requires a careful balance whereby additional flavor is delicately introduced while maintaining the natural taste of the tobacco. The new aroma should enhance the original flavor of the cigar without overpowering it. How this mixing and infusing process is successfully carried out to achieve the perfect result is a well-kept secret of the few premium cigar makers that make infused cigars.

 

Some of the most recognized infused cigar makers on the market are Drew State, owner of Acid Cigar, perhaps the most popular infused cigar in America, Alec Bradley, Rocky Patel, and Davidoff, just to name a few.

Although many smokers and knowledgeable experts have a strong rejection of this type of cigars, the truth is that sales have increased notably in recent years, and according to recent forecasts by renowned US global market research firms, it is estimated that the global market for flavored cigars will grow between 2021 and 2028 at an annual rate that, depending on the source, will be more than 6% or a little less than 11%.

A true revolution in the exciting world of tobacco.

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