by Steve Saka

You are right, but it can be a bit confusing. Maduro wrappers are typically created by sun aging, being allowed to ferment at higher temps, cooking, and/or actually dying. The result is an extra dark leaf with a different flavor and texture depending on which method(s) were used to create the chocolate brown wrappers. Currently Cuba uses none of these techniques on any of the wrapper leaf for their premium cigars, hence there are no premium Maduro cigars from Cuba. However, the term "maduro" is also used in the cigar industry to refer to the shade of color a wrapper leaf is and some Cuban cigars occasionally come with ultra dark natural wrappers that are "maduro" in color. Some prime examples are the wrappers you will sometimes find on the Bolivar and Partagas vitolas. Some of these cigars are maduro in color, but they are not true Maduro cigars.

Yes and no. Cigars seem to age some in the tubes, but mostly I think this is due to most tubes not having a true seal. In an absolutely sealed environment it is impossible for a cigar to have the necessary oxygen required for it to breath and age properly. You will note that on many tubes it mentions that a cigar will "remain fresh until opened" and personally I do not consider this an ultimately desirable goal. Tubes are great for protecting cigars for a few weeks, even months outside of a humidor if they have a good seal, but if tubed cigars are to be kept longer and you wish to ensure that they age properly I recommend you remove the end caps and place them in your humidor.

With all of that said I have smoked many tubos whose seals were intact for years and the cigar was quite tasty. But no matter what you do, always store tubed cigars in a humidor if you are going to have them for any substantial length of time since most seals are not perfect.

In the MOTT and in my own cigar vocabulary, "got soft" refers to a cigar that collapses and becomes spongy between your fingers as you smoke it. You will sometimes get one that collapses to the point of where you can almost squeeze it flat. The typically cause is that the cigar is underfilled and in almost all cases such cigars will taste harsh and unpleasant. Another cause is that the cigar is swollen from the moisture of being freshly rolled and has not had time to dry and shrink some. Again such a cigar will not be pleasant and will commonly be sour on the palate. Cigars really need 90 days or so to dry out after being rolled and sometimes it takes longer depending on the climate. Over humidified cigars can also go spongy depending on the roll, but more commonly they have a tough draw. And finally, regardless of how many places you have read it I am going to tell you 70/70 is not ideal for all cigars. Many cigar smoke wet at this relative humidity. My personal experience and taste buds find that 66-67% RH is much better than 70% RH.

That date/factory stamp is in the old code format. It translates to: 0/97 Villa Clara No. 4. The zero is confusing, but it most likely means September. Be forewarned, although we have published online both the old and the new codes it appears that Habanos S.A. has just begun releasing boxes with an even newer "new code" that we have yet to decipher.

On recent trip to Canada I came across some "special" "cuban" cigars. These had allegedly been prepared by Cohiba, Cuaba, and Montecristo for the millennium and bore white labels with gold and silver banding. Each had the same label which said:

On the band one side said CUBA the other HABANA. The Montecristo was a robusto, the Cohiba a torpedo, and the Cuaba a figurado.They all appeared to be of good manufacture and all appeared to be for sale at quality shops. None of the cigars bore the manufacturers name, and it goes without saying, that they were all extremely highly priced. Legitimate? What's the story? Thanks. - J.S.

Perfectly legit. Habanos S.A. introduced these three new vitolas as a special release in celebration of the new millennium at their Festival and Symposium in Havana in February 1999. The cigars include: Cohiba Piramide, Montecristo Robusto, Cuaba Distinguidos and will be sold in commemorative ceramic jars of 25. There are currently plans to only manufacture and sell 20,000 jars of these cigars worldwide. The jars come in glossy white "hat" boxes adorn with the appropriate artwork. The also have a special white ring with gold and silver trim like you described. To date, all of the cigars I have seen and smoked come with the new reddish Habana 2000 wrapper. Although these cigars were eagerly awaited by havanophiles they have been receiving mixed reviews, many smokers have noted they find them dull and flat on the palate while other cigar smokers have raved about them.

Photo courtesy of Cigars-of-Cuba.com

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