UK Cigar Scene Magazine January Issue 13 | Page 13

The factory also makes a wide range of Mini
and Purito cigars which, despite their size still
have a wrapper, binder and filler like their larger
handmade cousins.

Single cigars are generally available in plastic
tubes and their light nature and the fact that
they are pre cut makes them ideal for new cigar
smokers and particularly popular for weddings.

The Guantanamera brand was created in 2002 and
the cigars are all made with short filler tobacco
from Vuelta Arriba in Cuba. The term short filler
denotes that the cigar’s filler leaves have been
blended and chopped before being held together
by the binder leaf and finally finished with the
wrapper. The cigars are all supplied pre cut.

This whole exercise has made me far more open
minded to Cuban machine made cigars than I
was when I started. I even plucked up the courage
to tell this story to the Cigar Merchant whose
customer I was concerned I had turned from a
Hoyo de Monterrey smoker into a Guantanamera
customer.

The range consists of four cigars, all classified as
light:

To my surprise he laughed heartily and
disappeared into the depths of his humidor and
returned with two aged cellophane wrapped
cigars. “I shouldn’t worry” he said “but do try these
beautiful old aged machine made cigars”.

Cristales (5 7/8” x 41) the largest cigar which can
be machine made
Minutos (4 3/8” x 42)
Compay (4 7/8” x 40)

I’m certainly looking forward to giving those a run
out when the weather gets a little warmer.

Puritos (4 1/8” x 29).
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