Within the same brand of cigar, do they use different blend of tobacco for each cigar size?

For example, within the Cohiba, are all Siglo cigars have the same blend of tobacco, just the size is different?

Or a Montecristo #4, #5 and the Montecristo A.

I understand how the size affects the taste, just wondering about the blend. ( I am not sure even if I understand the blend) I am assuming blending is using different parts of the tobacco "tree".

thanks

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MC4,

Great question. Among brands, there is a certain "profile" that those who determine the brands try to achieve with uniformity between factories producing the cigars, and from year to year, given the quality and character of crop yields. Some might think that a Monte 5, for example, is going to be the same as a Monte 2, just a different size. That is not the case.

With every size, there is a different quantity of tobacco, of course. The trick is to achieve a general thread of commonality given the materials that are used. But no...cigars are different within their lineage based on the type of cigar.

A little more: a cigar is comprised of the "tripa" or guts (consisting of seco, ligero and volado), the "capote" or binder, and the "capa" or wrapper. All the tobacco comes from the same plant, depending on where the leaves are situated, their density, and other criteria. The tripa is the secret to the blend.

"volado" is almost inert, and imparts little if any flavor, but it stabilizes the burn; "seco" gives the cigar its flavors and character and body; "ligero" is the force or strength. Depending on the mix of the type of tobacco, a blending expert can create different flavor profiles...and that, in turn, may depend on where the tobacco is grown! Perhaps a Bolivar Corona Gigante uses 2 parts volado from vuelta abajo, 2 parts vuelta arriba, 1 leaf ligero from Viñales, 2 "hojas" seco from Villa Clara. The mix is determined and then the tobacco is organized and distributed according to the desired mix among the factories and the rollers therein who will make a particular cigar.

What makes Cohiba Sublimes and Esplenditos so desired.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ryanh50:
What makes Cohiba Sublimes and Esplenditos so desired.[/QUOTE

The myth that they are "Special".

RyJ (or anyone else) - I've got a question that's been puzzling me for some time. Why is ligero called 'ligero'. As I understand it the leaf tends to be dark in colour and strong in flavour. And yet 'ligero' means light in Spanish, and can be used in terms of light colour and light flavour. What am I missing?

Excellent question MC4 and exeptional answer RyJ!

quote:

RyJ (or anyone else) - I've got a question that's been puzzling me for some time. Why is ligero called 'ligero'. As I understand it the leaf tends to be dark in colour and strong in flavour. And yet 'ligero' means light in Spanish, and can be used in terms of light colour and light flavour. What am I missing?

Being at the top of the plant it gets the most sun light.

quote:

Originally posted by kechke:

quote:

RyJ (or anyone else) - I've got a question that's been puzzling me for some time. Why is ligero called 'ligero'. As I understand it the leaf tends to be dark in colour and strong in flavour. And yet 'ligero' means light in Spanish, and can be used in terms of light colour and light flavour. What am I missing?

Being at the top of the plant it gets the most sun light.

Aha thank you kechke. So the different leaf types are called the same (seco/volado/ligero) when they are on the plant? Are they separated before or after curing? (I assume before as they go through different curing times no?)

did64,

Volado comes from the bottom portion of the Tobacco plant and is the first leaves that are "Primed" from the plant. Later, perhaps a week or so, the Seco leaves are "Primed", then as kechke mentioned the Ligero which are the top leaves of the tobacco plant and gain the most sun are primed last. The curing of the different leaves is kept seperate by the primings in the curing barns.