SMOKE RINGS
www.smokeringscigarbar.com
Perdomo Cigar Factory Tour
http://www.smokeringscigarbar.com
This is great video footage of a cigar roller placing the wrapper on a Perdomo cigar in the production room of the Perdomo Factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. Filler, binder and wrapper tobacco leaves of various types and regions are combined to create cigars with the distinct flavors and aromas that define a brand. The wrapper is the tobacco leaf that is on the outside of the cigar, covering the filler and binder bunch. You hear Nick in the video refer to the “chaveta” she is using – the traditional knife used to cut tobacco leaves.
Our tour was led by Nick Perdomo who explained every step of cigar-making over 3 days. Before reaching production, seeds were germinated in green-houses, the plants transplanted into fields once they are viable, harvested, cured in the curing barn, then fermented and aged for many months. The process is labor-intensive with every phase completed by hand.
Here are some great pictures that show the conditions in the facility. It is a large, clean well-lit area. Workers are seated at tables in pairs and production is non-stop. People are paid based on the number of cigars produced, not by the hour. The quality control process is constant and consistent as supervisors inspect the work being done. Also, every cigar goes through draw-testing to ensure that the amount of air that would flow through the cigar once lit is not too great (hot) or little (plugged). If the cigar fails the draw test, it goes back to the person who rolled it. Also, cigars are constantly ring gauge tested to ensure that each is the correct, uniform size and will fit properly in the boxes – made on-site in the box factory. The entire system is highly organized and efficient – a very impressive operation that was amazing to see.
Please feel free to post any comments or questions you might have!
SMOKE RINGS 
Pingback: Perdomo, Esteli and Nicaragua 101 – SMOKE RINGS