Well, tobacco leaves, obviously. But there's more to it than that – a careful layering of different components, each with their own contributions to the flavor and structure of the smoke. There's an art form to rolling these up, and each layer contributes a little something different. Any cigar is made up of three basic layers:
The innermost layers of a cigar, which are essentially a bunch of leaves rolled together, are referred to as The Filler. The filler forms the biggest mass of the cigar and, when handmade, the strips of tobacco, known as the long leaf are lined up along the length of the cigar. Long leaf filler is best for premium cigars.
Wismilak cigars are blend of the highest quality tobaccos from the Besoeki region of Java which providing a smooth, flavorful smoke. This combination of the delightfully aromatic Java Besoeki tobacco creates an exotic tropical and harmonious experience.
All of the skilled cigar rollers at Wismilak work to prepare the perfect balance of binder and filler tobaccos resulting in a smooth combination of the two tobacco flavors. From the perfect blending and bunching comes the pleasing white color of the firm ash and the even burn rate that enhance the rich flavor.
Wrapped around the filler tobacco is the cigar’s binder. This binder gently encases the filler tobaccos to give the cigar its proper shape and size. Leaves used for this purpose are chosen because they have the strength needed to hold the cigar together firmly yet gently. Some of the world’s best binder tobaccos come from the Besoeki region of Java.
Java Besoeki binders are both classic and functional, giving the cigar excellent burning characteristics and a unique fragrance, harmonizing with the full taste of the filler tobacco.
Great care is taken to ensure that the binder tobacco leaves impart complementary flavor to the filler and wrapper. The binder gives structural stability to the cigar, and ensures an even burn. Wismilak Premium Cigars use the highest quality binders to provide a flavor that harmonizes with the other components, keeping the cigar’s shape intact to the last puff.
The outermost layer, as its name suggests, is the outer leaf that wraps the cigar. The quality of the wrapper is crucial to any cigar and can generally account for up to 70% of the tobacco by value, while contributing only 10% of the weight.
A good wrapper should have consistent flavor and steady burning qualities. Wrappers must be elastic, without coarse veins. This valued leaf of the cigar contributes significantly to the flavor and overall smoking experience.
Wismilak chooses wrapper that is extremely smooth with a hint of oil on its surface. The tobacco’s exceedingly close cell structure provides the cigar rich texture and beauty. The oily wrapper leaf indicates that the tobacco itself as well as the finished rolled cigar have been well humidified and cared for, making for a relatively cool burn and draw. Ultimately, a “cool” smoke is a tastier one, allowing your sense of smell and taste to sense the many nuances associated with the smoking experience one can only get from such a high quality cigar.
