What goes into cigars?  The answer to this question is the key to assessing the quality of a specific cigar.  All but the thinnest cigars include three elements:  (a) the filler tobacco at the center, (b) a binder leaf which holds the filler together and (c) the outer wrapper, which is rolled around the binder.  Cigars which are made by hand (as opposed to machine-made cigars) use ‘long filler’ tobacco:  leaves which run the length of a cigar.  In a handmade cigar, the filler, binder and wrapper are combined manually by hand to create a cigar.  The ‘cap’ is the last item constructed onto the cigar by the roller.

 Let’s examine the three tobacco’s that comprise a premium cigar a little closer:

WRAPPER – WHAT IS IT?

The wrapper is like the expensive wrapping paper with which you would wrap an important gift.  It is made up of half a tobacco leaf and is rolled around the body of the cigar.  The wrapper of a cigar is carefully selected not only for its taste, but for its beauty.  (The wrapper can contribute up to 70% of the total flavor of a cigar.)  It must be flawless, for the wrapper is all you see when you look at a fine cigar.  The wrapper should not be dry; it should not flake or crumble when touched.  The quality of a cigar is often judged by it’s wrapper.

Generally speaking, the lighter the wrapper color, the milder the taste (i.e., Connecticut Shade).  The darker the wrapper, the more full-bodied the cigar will be (i.e., maduro wrappers). Cigars are usually described as ‘mild, medium or full-bodied’ (just like referring to wines).   Cigar novices will prefer a milder cigar while an experienced cigar smoker may prefer a darker wrapper for a fuller bodied taste.

 Although there are approximately 100 different wrapper shades identified by all the major manufacturers, the two most popular are Connecticut Shade wrappers (from the State of Connecticut, USA) and a maduro wrapper. 

 Connecticut Shade is the most expensive tobacco in the world!  This wrapper gets its name from where and how it is grown.  The fields where the wrapper plants are grown are covered by tents made of translucent material.  The tents filter and diffuse the sunlight before it reaches the plants.  This makes the leaves smooth, with a thin and fine texture and a delicate red-brown color.  Under the cover of the tent, beneficial heat and humidity are trapped, creating a tropical growing environment.  The tent also protects the plants from wind, rain and hail.  Connecticut Shade is world famous for its smooth complexion, wonderful light brown shade and a delicate, smooth, yet complex flavor.

The term ‘maduro’ comes from the Spanish word for ‘ripe’.  The leaves are said to be ripe because they come from the top of the tobacco plant and are the last to be picked; therefore, they are darker, thicker and richer than their brothers from the lower part of the plant. 

Maduro wrapper cigars are easy to identify because they are dark brown to black in color.  The dark brown color comes about because after harvesting the leaves are arranged in large square piles called ‘bulks’.  The pressure from the weight of the bulks and bacterial action create heat and fermentation; the tobacco is said to ‘sweat’.  As the tobacco sweats, it becomes progressively darker and sweeter to the taste; impurities are driven out.  Once a pre-determined temperature is reached, the bulk is broken down, re-stacked, and the process is repeated again and again until the desired color and taste are achieved.

Another popular wrapper comes from West Africa and is called a ‘Cameroon’ wrapper.  These wrappers are darker in color than a Connecticut Shade but not quite as dark as a maduro.  Cigars made with Cameroon wrappers offer a taste in the middle of a mild-bodied Connecticut Shade and the fullest-bodied maduro cigars.  The traditional farming methods and the rich soil of Western Africa give this wrapper a distinctive rich taste and dark brown color when properly aged.

 BINDER – WHAT IS IT?

If you were to remove the wrapper layer from a cigar, the next layer you would see is called the binder.  The binder does just what the name implies – it binds the cigar together.  Binder tobacco is not seen by the cigar smoker.  Because it is not seen, the tobacco used is not selected for its flawless beauty, but rather for its function.  Binder tobacco is picked for its strength, flavor and burning characteristics.  Good binder tobacco acts as a fuse; it insures a long, slow, even burn while the cigar is being smoked. 

 FILLER – WHAT IS IT?

Filler tobaccos are the innermost leaves of the cigar.  The leaves that make up the filler tobaccos make up the majority of the volume of the cigar, but oddly, they do not contribute the majority of the flavor of the cigar.  (The wrapper contributes the majority of the cigar’s flavor – up to 70%.) 

 All quality, premium cigars use ‘long filler’ leaf.  This means that the filler leaves are whole and intact.  Inexpensive machine-rolled cigars use ‘chopped’ or short filler tobacco.  Chopped filler uses broken leaves and tobacco scraps.  The use of long filler leaves is evidenced by the long cylindrical ash that grows on a premium cigar.  The ash of an inexpensive cigar, using chopped or short filler flakes, drops off like a cigarette ash.

 The last component that goes into the construction of a cigar is THE CAP.  The cap is a small circular piece of tobacco that is applied over the ‘head’ of the cigar.  (The head is the round, closed end of the cigar that you put in your mouth.)  The cap gives a nice finished look to the cigar and also serves to hold the tail end of the wrapper leaf closed.  The head also helps keep the cigar wrapper from unraveling when the cigar is cut for lighting.

Cuba had historically been the leading country from which premium cigars were exported to the United States.  However, in 1962 the United States Congress enacted the Trading With the Enemies Act and a trade embargo has since been enforced against Cuba.   Since that time it is illegal to bring Cuban cigars into the United States.

Even with the U.S. embargo of Cuban cigars, that tiny island nation continues to be the premier cigar manufacturing center in the world.  All Cuban cigars are called ‘Puros’ meaning pure.  A ‘Puro’ cigar is made purely of tobaccos from the country where the cigars were rolled.  This is by law (in Cuba).  In recent times, Cuba has been hit hard by nature and the collapse of the former Soviet Union, it’s former and primary supporter.  The resulting loss of economic aid from the former Soviet Union and a series of tobacco blights have combined to potentially undermine the consistency of Cuban cigar production and tobacco quality. 

In the year’s since the embargo, the legend and inaccessibility of the Cuban cigar has combined in the psychology of the American consumer, making the Cuban cigar a coveted status symbol that is difficult to compete with.  The best comparison to be made between illegal Cuban cigars and other legal ones is to compare French wines with California wines.  One is different than the other.  Is one better than the other?  That is a matter of opinion!

By Brad Berko

After leaving the field in 2004, Kennedy’s degree in speech communications prepared him to accept a position with the NFL Network as one of the hosts of NFL Total Access. 

Signed Cigar Lid To Brad, The CIgar King of Scottsdale. GREAT SMOKES!

We had a GREAT event on December 8th with SWAG Cigars and Colibri Lighters.

WOW!!

John Shottenstein, Councilman Vernon Parker & Brad Berko

Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane & Former Mayor of Paradise Valley Councilman Vernon Parker presented the CLUB with a proclamation declaring Dec 8th – ‘SCOTTSDALE CIGAR CLUB DAY’

It was our GRAND RE-OPENING.  We have expanded another 500 feet, added 4 more DirecTV’s (1 with XBox/Wii/PlayStation), Bar Tables, seating & card tables.

Brad Berko’s Scottsdale Cigar Club – …Where everyone’s a member!

• September 21st, 2010 12:11 pm MT

Don’t let the name fool you — even though it’s called the Scottsdale Cigar Club, everyone’s a member.

The creation of Brad Berko, who has been in the wholesale cigar business for over twelve years with BB Smokes, SCC opened as a retail store and lounge just over a year ago, in May 2009.

“I’m trying to create a cigar store that I would love to come to and be a member of,” Berko said. ”It doesn’t matter what your background is – everyone is in here to enjoy a cigar, plain and simple, and we want to make it very comfortable and enticing.”

Indeed, the Scottsdale Cigar Club is a very comfortable place to relax with a fine cigar. Four 50-inch television screen dominate one of the walls, with a number of comfortable leather chairs and couches throughout the lounge area. There’s also a good sized table where a card game can often be found or a spirited conversation between cigar enthusiasts.

As for what kinds of cigars the Scottsdale Cigar Club carries, Berko notes that he has “cigars that cater to everyone’s palates as well as their pocketbooks.” Indeed – they have cigars ranging from $3 to $30 and cover the majority of major manufacturers. While the humidor might not be the most notable in the Valley, there are plenty of choices to pick from, and almost any cigar enthusiast from newbie to aficionado should be able to find something to enjoy.

An avid golfer and supporter of the southwest section of the PGA, Berko has also installed a two-hole putting green in the front of his store if you feel like getting some work in on your short game while enjoy a stogie.

The Scottsdale Cigar Club also serves as the home of the Best Damn Cigar Show, which is heard every Sunday from 12 noon – 1 pm on KFNN 1510 AM in Phoenix. The show also recently celebrated its one year anniversary, and gives Berko a chance to showcase not just his own cigar store, but others throughout the Valley, as well as cigar celebrities and people who contribute to the cigar lifestyle.

Having just marked the store’s one year anniversary, Berko is already working on an expansion that will add approximately 1,000 square feet and come with more seating areas and options, as well as six new plasma screen televisions, expanded retail space that will allow Berko to add another 300 cigar selections, and 50 lockers that are available for rent. Currently, the Scottsdale Cigar Club offers humidified locker rentals with two sizes available.

The expansion will likely prove to be a valuable tool in bringing more people to the store. Located in an area densely packed with cigar stores, including Cigar King, 21 Degrees, Oggie’s Cigars, Churchill’s Fine Cigars and Scottsdale Cigars, as well as Stag Tobacconist and Ambassador Fine Cigars just a short drive away, Berko clearly has his work cut out from him in order to stand out from his competition. However, if he continues on the vibe of comfort and camaraderie that seems to be in place at Scottsdale Cigar Club, he should have no problem in the near future.

The Scottsdale Cigar Club is located in the Scottsdale airpark area, at 14525 N. 79th St., Suite H in Scottsdale. You can reach them at 480-946-7833.

They are open seven days a week,

Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 am – 11+ pm

Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 am – 9 pm

Friday through Sunday from 10 am – 7 pm

http://www.examiner.com/cigar-bar-in-scottsdale/scottsdale-cigar-club-where-everyone-s-a-member

TAILGATE with SCC

2 Hamburgers, Brats or Hot Dogs, Chips, Beverage and a CIGAR!

Only $15 – All Day

from 6-9PM

Come enjoy fine cigars, appetizers, beverages and OLIVA CIGARS & COLIBRI LIGHTERS!

Come in ~ have a nite off, bring your friends, enjoy some good company, and good times!

We had a GREAT time at the Mayan Palace! We traveled down to the Palace together with a fantastic group of members and friends.  Some played 3, some played 4 rounds of golf on one of the most beautiful courses in North America.  We ate in abundance and smoked in abundance as well.

Mayan Pool

October 22-24, 2010

Cuban Cigars, Golf, Fabulous Dinners, Beach and Pools.

Mayan Palace La Jolla de Cortes Golf Resort located near Puerta Penasca, gives new meaning to the idea of paradise. Endless stretches of white sands, azure sky and crystal-clear ocean waves are part of the beauty you’ll find at the La Jolla de Cortes Golf Resort. We played on the magnificent  Jack Nicklaus Designed course with 7 holes on the ocean.