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That's what I thought walking into the traditional Roll Your Own seminar on the last day of the Big Smoke weekend. Ernesto Perez-Carrillo and Michael Giannini of El Credito Cigars Inc., makers of La Gloria Cubana, laid down the gauntlet, or rather the razor and wrapper, for cigar smokers to try to craft their own cigars. But it's a feat, judging by the results, that proved more challenging than many, including myself, would have expected. Attendees sat at stations throughout the room, each of which was outfitted with a glass of water, a cutting board, a razor blade and a cup of natural glue made from corn syrup. The challenge was to make one handmade cigar — that's it. Everyone was given a bunch, the filler and binder leaves of the cigar, and asked to finish the cigar by rolling a leaf of wrapper tobacco around it, just as torcedores have been doing in cigar factories for generations.
The audience of rollers followed step-by-step the example of Leo, El Credito's master roller, whose every movement was projected on two big screens flanking the stage in front of the auditorium. "Treat the wrapper as you would a baby," advised Carrillo from the front of the room. "It's very delicate." The first step was spreading out the wrapper, which required a steady hand. The thin, crumpled piece of brown tobacco had to be smoothed to a silky sheet with a careful kneading from the roller. "This is a key part, " said Giannini. "If not done right, the cigar will look like a shar-pei dog." If a roller is too rough, the wrapper will tear. Too gentle, and the wrapper will never become smooth, thus dismissing it to the local kennel. Once stretched, the leaf is cut into a half-moon shape, with continual dabs of water to keep it moist. A precise cut is required, although accuracy can be an issue. They weren't serving booze to the rollers, but some of the lines I saw looked like the product of someone who had one too many cocktails.
Some, most likely horrified by the creations of those around them, abandoned the idea of making a professional-looking cigar and went right for the creative prizes, which have become a tradition at this seminar. One roller won a prize for "The Rastafarian Cigar," which he made with shredded bits of tobacco to form a dreadlock wig. Another crafted the "Mini la Gloria Cubana," a pint-sized version of the original. Each took home a box of autographed La Gloria Cubanas.
And me? Let's just say I'll stick with my day job. Filed by Michael Moretti |
You look at a cigar, and it seems very basic. There are no wires, gears or complex moving parts. Take some tobacco, roll it into a cylindrical object, and you're there…right?
This particular wrapper was an Ecuadoran leaf, aged since 1998. "The wrapper is the most important part of the cigar. Sixty to seventy percent of the taste comes from the wrapper," said Carrillo. "The bunch gives the cigar its structure."
After cutting, the wrapper is rolled around the bunch, using the glue to hold the edges, and then twisted tight at the cap. This was the real test. The well-groomed wrapper would fit taut around the bunch, making the finished product a delectable sight. Some did this very well, which was remarkable for relative novices. Others (like myself) failed miserably, producing less than impressive smokes. Like Dr. Frankenstein with a scalpel, I created an abomination that looked more like E.T.'s finger after four hours in the swimming pool than it did a cigar.
First prize for the best cigar went to Gene Baker of Grand Rapids City, Minnesota. He took home a box of La Gloria Cubana Corona Gordas autographed by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, a box of La Gloria Cubana Serie R No. 7 Maduros, and won a weekend trip back to next year's Big Smoke Las Vegas as a Roll Your Own judge, courtesy of Cigar Aficionado. In addition, Baker will attend El Credito's National Cigar Rolling competition in Little Havana Miami in January.