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Raúl Valladares Díaz, , head of layers and an advisor to the Chairmanship of Tabacuba Entrepreneurial Group

The niceties of the island nation’s soil and weather, the loving hands of harvesters and dryers in the field, coupled with the dedication and scientific breakthroughs applied to the process are attributes boasted by Cohiba brand’s latest ripe line Habano.

A genuine, world-known Cuban cigar is singled out –to a naked eye- by the quality of its upper layer, one that good smokers pick up immediately for the motley colors and unmatched beauty of the leaves that, according to experts, are rigorously aged to dress Habano for success and come up with a product whose exclusive aroma, taste and even burning combine to make it the world’s finest cigar.

For Raul Valladares Diaz –a man with over 50 years under his belt in the realm of tobacco- there are several factors that make Cuba the land of such an exceptional tobacco layer. “This island’s nature (soil and weather), the love that farmers put in the growing and drying processes, as well as the devotion, dedication and breakthroughs provided by the Tobacco Research Institute in the care and conservation of our brands.”

“Another element that plays a role in this result,” he says, “is the fact that we count on a unique benefit technology for the entire country in the growth of covered tobacco –which guarantees the layers that we obtain- a job in which quality is the name of game and a provide a benchmark to rigorously gauge and control all processes involved.”

Cuba has worked in recent years in the development of state-of-the-art technology to treat the newest varieties of covered black tobacco in the fields of Vuelta Abajo (Pinar del Rio) and Partido (rural Havana), as well as the latest plantations raised in the tobacco development areas, a system that also includes technological breakthroughs in both the growing phase and the industrial process.

Today, the new benefit system for covered black tobacco combines –depending on convenience- the traditional fermenting process in stacks (totally natural) with controlled fermenting in chambers. The latter generates a perfect environment to clinch a desired fermenting level, better uniformity in the entire process and, above all, a chance to slash by half the time required by the stack fermenting method.

According to Mr. Valladares Diaz, head of layers and an advisor to the Chairmanship of Tabacuba Entrepreneurial Group, the qualitative level that makes a difference between Cuban layers and its peers from other parts of the world has to do with the niceties of soil and weather conditions, like the ones found in Vuelta Abajo and Partido, locations that have been producing covered tobacco for layers since the early 1900s.

He underscores that traditional competition among tobacco planters in these regions has helped them take their outputs up a notch and raise the quality of leaves for layers. Working traditions that dovetail with the application of technological and scientific breakthroughs in this major step of tobacco cultivation have paved the way for today’s higher qualitative levels.

As a matter of fact, the country has pieced together a far-reaching research program in a bid to obtain dark layers through a natural fermenting and aging process in keeping with market demands worldwide. Its positive outcomes have no doubt prodded producers on the island nation to use Cuba’s exclusive ripe layer to create Cohiba brand’s ripe line cigar, due out in this 9th Habano Festival.

All Cuban layers exclusively destined to the making of hand-rolled cigars across the country boast paramount quality for each and every type, and the ripe layer –to be exclusively used for this new Habano line- is no stranger to that superb quality.

Mr. Valladares Diaz pointed out the whole layer output is in the bag –with all quality requirements in place- to meet the demand of Cuba’s Premium cigar-making industry. “We’re ready to take on any challenge in terms of market growth, even cope with the tremendous challenge the industry will face once the U.S. trade and commercial embargo on Cuba is lifted. And all this will be done without sacrificing the quality of our hand-rolled cigars.”