Part 2 in the Cigar Series… and a review of a new Pa. brew from Beaver Brewing.

Here I will give a brief history of some common cigar types and sizes. There are other that will be touched on in later posts, but for now it will give you some idea of what's out there and it's a good place for you to start your journey. In Part 3 will get into Growing and Harvesting, and some Popular Cigar Families in the industry as well as a more in depth look into Fillers and Binders. Stay tuned..... Some Growing Regions:  1. Cuba 2. Dominican Republic 3. Honduras/Nicaragua 4. Mexico 5. USA (Connecticut) 6. Central African Republic – Cameroon 7. Indonesia The Cigar Process: Similar to Wine From seed to cigar it takes between 2 – 3 years Growth 18 weeks Fermentation 6 weeks Aging 18 – 24 months Cigar Rolling: Tobaccos are blended and bunched (2 – 4 different tobaccos) to create the filler. The filler is rolled in a flat somewhat elastic leaf of tobacco known as the binder. Rolled into a bunch, the tobacco is put into a wooden mold and pressed into shape for about an hour. The roller then wraps the bunch in a wrapper leaf which is supple, very elastic and visibly pleasing. The cigar is capped and trimmed to uniform size. The finished cigar is then aged at the very least 21 days and many factories age the finished cigars up to 6 months to let the different tobaccos marry together. Cigar Wrapper Shades: Although manufacturers have identified over 100 different shades, only six are of great distinction. Double Claro - Also known as “American Market Selection” (AMS) or “Candela”, this is a green wrapper. Claro – This is a very light tan color, almost beige in shade; usually from Connecticut. Colorado Claro – A medium brown found on many cigars, this category covers many descriptions. The most popular are “Natural”, or “English Market Selection” (EMS). Tobaccos in this shade are grown in many different countries. Colorado – This shade is instantly recognizable by the obvious reddish tint. Colorado Maduro – Darker than Colorado Claro in shade , this color is often associated with African tobacco, such as wrappers from Cameroon, or with Havana Seed tobacco grown in Honduras. Maduro – Very dark brown or black; this category also includes the deep black “Oscuro” shade. Tobacco for Maduro wrappers is grown in Connecticut, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Brazil. Cigar Anatomy: Head – Part of cigar that is cut. Foot – Part of cigar that is lit. Shapes and Sizes: Length x Ring Gauge Length = inches Ring Gauge = diameter stated as 64th of an inch Cutting Styles: Guillotine – Single, Double and Scissor. Used to cut the end off, leaving a slight curvature of the head. V-Cut – V-cutter - Cuts a v-shaped valley in the head. A popular way to cut a cigar when a cutter is not available. Punching – Cuts a perfect circle in the head and pulls a small portion of tobacco out. Lighting Your Cigar: Don’t ever let flame touch foot of your cigar. Turn your Cigar while lighting, this assures of a even light and burn. When embers appear - blow through cigar to remove any unwanted odors that flame may have caused (butane, lighter fluid, sulfur). Now for some Beer news!!!! A new release upcoming from a NEW Pennsylvania Brewer.....Beaver Brewing Company, located in Beaver Falls. From their website (http://www.beaverbrewingcompany.com/) "We aren’t a microbrewery…we are an artisan NANO-brewery. Beaver Brewing Company has a 1.5 Barrel system that ensures that every beer is LITERALLY hand crafted. Every batch is tested before it is bottled to make sure you are getting the freshest and best tasting beer money can buy."

It’s coming!!! The 724.

7 Hop Varieties
2 Hour Boil
4 Malts

By the way, there will only be 724 Bottles of this made for the 2011 limited release! This is an Imperial Pale Ale and more than likely will be the only time you’ll see a Beaver Brewing Bottle of beer. They will all be hand inspected for quality and numbered out of 724.

Want to score a free case of it? If you can correctly guess the 7 hops varieties in the beer (and be the first 1 to do so) you score a free case of this stuff! 1 entry per person must be over 21.
Look for this in late summer months…

Just email dan@beaverbrewingcompany.com

Best of luck Dan....We'll be looking forward to sampling some of your craft brews!
Enter your guess now…..get a head start on the masses!!

Enjoy you Sunday!!!

Cheers!

Bill