Are Cigars Sometimes Dyed – Or Not?

stephen_hannibal

kuzi16

Krieg

Alex Svenson

Im jumping on a plane and dont have long so here is a short answer...yes many do this. It is not a dye but they will soak tobacco in water then wipe the natural colored water over wrapper to even color. A true maduro is actually quite ugly. Some people may even steam their wraper to even the color. This is an accetable process so long as the wrapper is fully fermented and it is being done for asthetics. However, some unsavory companies do this to make a not fully fermented maduro look darker and use it as a short cut which is very bad. So it all depends. As for the bleeding, all tobacco bleeds, the daker ones more so than the lighter and sometimes it is not the wrapper, it is tar. Just my quick 2 cents. Some guys in the DR actually use Mineral Oil on the outside of their wrappers to make them look oilier. It isnt harmful per say, but yet another process. In terms of seeing cigars rolled in the factory and assuming it is died, the rollers who roll maduro have to wet the thick maduro wrappers to make them pliable. Often times, this creates serious tobaccco bleed on the hands and looks like die but it is alll natural.

laker1963

Thanks Alex. More informative reading. Have you ever thought of writing a book about your life experiences in the cigar indusrty Alex?

rwheelwright

I read an article a few years back that stated that in the 1990s there was a maduro craze and most manufacturers could not keep up so they started dying their leaves. This is what gave a lot of people hte impression that maduro cigars were much stronger than non maduros. I forget where I read this. if I can find the article, I'll pass it along.

zoom6zoom

docbp87

I will try to find a post Saka made on this subject on one of the major forums he posts on. It was really informative, and went in depth about the different processes used (both natural, and unnatural) to achieve really dark leaves. Needless to say, it seems Drew Estate does not use any shady methods to get those gorgeous, dark wrappers the 9's and T-52s have.

kaelaria

Different than the one already posted?

docbp87

kaelaria:

Different than the one already posted?

Nope, same post. It was originally posted by Steve Saka on another forum though. Looks like someone copied and pasted it onto SocialCigar.

Alex Svenson

rwheelwright:

I read an article a few years back that stated that in the 1990s there was a maduro craze and most manufacturers could not keep up so they started dying their leaves. This is what gave a lot of people hte impression that maduro cigars were much stronger than non maduros. I forget where I read this. if I can find the article, I'll pass it along.

I think you are referring to an article I wrote for the Cigar.com Catalog called the Truth About Maduro. I don't recall the issue however. It is definitely something I have harped on. It was really bad in the 90's, just a bunch of shameless cigar makers.

Alex Svenson

laker1963:

Thanks Alex. More informative reading. Have you ever thought of writing a book about your life experiences in the cigar indusrty Alex?

I was working on one but writing a book is a lot harder than writing short little articles. I never realized how hard it is. Maybe Ill get around to finishing it.

t_evan50

Alex Svenson:

laker1963:

Thanks Alex. More informative reading. Have you ever thought of writing a book about your life experiences in the cigar indusrty Alex?

I was working on one but writing a book is a lot harder than writing short little articles. I never realized how hard it is. Maybe Ill get around to finishing it.

You work on the book. I'll take over and run things at Ccom for a while. It would be my pleasure to help YOU out.

docbp87

Alex Svenson:

laker1963:

Thanks Alex. More informative reading. Have you ever thought of writing a book about your life experiences in the cigar indusrty Alex?

I was working on one but writing a book is a lot harder than writing short little articles. I never realized how hard it is. Maybe Ill get around to finishing it.

That would be awesome. Would thoroughly enjoy reading that. Just from the small tidbits here and there that I have read from you Alex, the knowledge you have to is vast.

JudoChinX

docbp87:

Alex Svenson:

laker1963:

Thanks Alex. More informative reading. Have you ever thought of writing a book about your life experiences in the cigar indusrty Alex?

I was working on one but writing a book is a lot harder than writing short little articles. I never realized how hard it is. Maybe Ill get around to finishing it.

That would be awesome. Would thoroughly enjoy reading that. Just from the small tidbits here and there that I have read from you Alex, the knowledge you have to is vast.

I'd buy and read it!

kuzi16

id imagine it would be hard. especially if you are trying to have it read like a novel as apposed to a "cigar 101" style book.

Krieg

laker1963:

Thanks Alex. More informative reading. Have you ever thought of writing a book about your life experiences in the cigar indusrty Alex?

I'd definitely buy it. I'm sure it would be a #1 Best seller!

xmacro

Bob Luken

Bump