Late year box codes

[Eric]

Todd & I were talking about this at the HERF and thought I'd throw it out there...

It seems that some of the top cigars have a late box code, specifically Nov-Jan months. Is there a consensus of this? And if so, does it have anything to do with the time of harvesting season? IIRC, cuban tobacco harvesting occurs in the beginning months of the year. This would make cigars made later in the year have some age on it?

Thoughts?

 

[Kingston]

My guess is that Cuba ramps up production for the Holiday season, as many of the top cigars are bought as gifts. Lots of Montes (especially #4) and Cohibas with DEC codes.
Just a humble guess.

 

[Eric]

Didn't even think about that :smile:

 

[GuyMcBeerdrinker]

that, and the fact they close down the factories for over a month for the christmas holidays. gotta push a lot of boxes out to last until late january when they crank the production again.

 

[the nub]

I haven't noticed 'better' boxes with later date codes. Just the same, I don't think it could be linked to the harvest, since leaf made into cigars does not follow a calendar cycle, i.e. 'exactly' 24 months or 26 or 28. There are so many processes that can vary the overall time. Coupled with the fact that when it arrives at the factory to when it hits the rollers has no set time period.

 

[N2Advnture]

I have noticed better smokes from Nov04-Apr05 but it mostly better amounts of fill and less spongy. They may have gotten used and adjusted the new draw machines.

 

[Kingston]

Just to clarify: By "top cigars" I was referring to popular cigars not necessarily the best cigars.

 

[joshua]

I haven't noticed 'better' boxes with later date codes. Just the same, I don't think it could be linked to the harvest, since leaf made into cigars does not follow a calendar cycle, i.e. 'exactly' 24 months or 26 or 28. There are so many processes that can vary the overall time. Coupled with the fact that when it arrives at the factory to when it hits the rollers has no set time period.

Yeah I was checking this out last night:

This first part of the process, called curing, takes between 25 and 45 days and varies substantially based upon climactic conditions, as well as the construction of sheds or barns used to store harvested tobacco. The curing process is manipulated based upon the type of tobacco, and the desired color of the leaf. The second part of the process, called fermentation, is carried out under conditions designed to help the leaf die slowly and gracefully. Temperature and humidity must be controlled to ensure that the leaf continues to ferment, without rotting or disintegrating. This is where the flavor, burning, and aroma characteristics are primarily brought out in the leaf.

By the time the tobacco is cured and aged properly, it might be nowhere near when it was harvested.

 

[N2Advnture]

Yeah I was checking this out last night:
By the time the tobacco is cured and aged properly, it might be nowhere near when it was harvested.

From my understanding, 18 months on average between harvet and being shipped out.

 

[cvm4]

Good info. guys...I always heard 2 years from harvest to box. I believe I saw it on cwise or vcc; it might have been hawkan that said it.

 

[Wasch_24]

Don Alejandro stated it in Aiz's interview.

I think that one possability may be that the 'to be rolled this quarter' tobacco is staged in advance of the rolling. Since the box codes are the date the box is prepared to leave the factory, in theory, the box codes from October to January could potentially be staged, rolled, and boxed in the hot months of the year.

This could cause an acceleration in the initial fermentation and have a net positive effect on the cigars once they get some age on them. :dunno:

 

[cvm4]

Damn good theory Todd...So you're saying they would box'm in the summer and then stamp them NOV/DIC/FIM, etc. before they leave the factory?

 

[Wasch_24]

Yeah, pretty much. Let's say it takes three months for a "bale" (or what ever it is called) of a variety of tobacco leaves to be made into a cigar. The life cycle of a box code of October could look like this:

Staged in May/June

Bunched/Blended in July/August

Rolled in August/September

Sorted and Boxed in September/October

Now keep in mind I have not watched any of the various cuban cigar videos going around so I could be way off base on this.