From bench to box

Each torcedor, or roller, specializes in one particular size and only the most experienced torcedor is permitted to roll the larger sized cigars.

To begin, there are 3 leaves integral to the composition of a Habanos:

The Filler Leaf: The calculated blend of these 3 filler leaves depends entirely on the varying House flavors.
Ligero: Full-flavored leaves from the top of the plant.
Seco: Medium flavored leaves from the centre of the plant.
Volado: Milder flavors from the bottom of the plant.

The Binder Leaf: This leaf encases the filler leaves to form a "bunch", which is then placed into a wooden mould to further set their shape.

The Wrapper Leaf: This leaf always remains a little moist to ensure a perfect stretch around the filler and binder leaves. The cap is cut separately and wound around the head of the cigar to close off the open end and secure the wrapper.

Finally, using vegetable gum, a small disc of tobacco is secured to the head of the cigar, which is then guillotined to length.

The Batches: Each batch of cigars is labelled with the torcedor’s number, the type of cigar and the date of manufacture to facilitate a strict quality control. Cigars are tested for combustion, color, rolling quality, dimensions and the finish of the cap. Torcedors are paid per cigar.

Color Classifications: Cigar wrappers naturally display around 12 different colors and up to 72 different shades. Ensuring that each box is consistent in color is a great task accomplished in by the Escogedores (choosers) who work in pairs to color-match the wrappers.

The Anilladora: The anilladora or bander manually applies the band to each and every cigar making sure the bands line up perfectly within the box, which is also entirely hand-crafted.