Ok, I let me explain the title. Premium Cigars from seed to smoke are created by humans. From seedlings which are planted into the earth until the time you ignite a fine stogie about 300 sets of hands handle it. From seed, to plant, to gathering the leaves off the plant, to the curing barn, rolled, aged, banded and boxed, 300 sets of hands.
The phrase Premium Cigar has little to do with price. Definition is a long filler cigar bunched, bound, and rolled by hand. Machine made cigars consist of short chopped up filler with non tobacco ingredients added. Fine Cigars are all natural , only tobacco, even the wrapper is affixed with vegetable glue.
So now that we have established that humans play a huge part in creating our great smokes, let’s talk about quality control. One of the biggest challenges for every manufacturer is consistency. There is always some human error involved as we are not a perfect species. Sometimes a cigar will unravel, canoe, or be plugged. It is an unfortunate reality. For every box of cigars purchased you can expect a few bad ones, there is no way around it. Yes they have machines that help draw test each cigar, i have witnessed it at the Davidoff Factory, but even that is not perfect. Cigars like the humans who make them are not perfect.
How do i as the retailer handle it? I always try and make good on a poorly constructed stogie, especially to a loyal customer. I look at it as the cost of doing business. The manufacturer will also help by taking back unfit to smoke cigars, after all they are the manufacturer i am only the middleman. By the way there are always some who try and take advantage. For instance if a particular cigar is a bit tight or maybe slightly cracks they are looking for a new one gratis. Again one of the costs of business.
I think it is truly amazing that 80 to 90% of the cigars put to our lips are perfect.. Some are less than perfect but very smokable, and very few are not good at all. How cigar companies create the same tasting cigar year after after year with different tobacco crops is astounding. The best manufacturers perceive creating great cigars as an art, i tend to agree.