My parents and my aunt and uncle were down visiting for a week so we tried to find a few new places to visit. A very good friend of ours is operating a cigar factory and invited us for a visit. We arrived on a training day and were able to follow through all the steps in making a fine cigar.
The first steps involve treating, preparing and sorting the leaves into piles and letting them cure.
Here are my favorite two kids in front of a sorted tabacco leaves.
The next step the leaves are rolled up in a little machine, cut to length and placed into wooden forms.
When the form is full the set is put into a press for a few minutes.
A final piece of leave is used to make a cap on the cigar.
This guy has to test the cigars. Now there is a job somepeople would love.
The final product. The Benavides factory produces several different sizes and styles of cigars and custom manufactures to suit the buyers taste. The tabacco is all grown in the Dominican Republic from cuban seed. I don't have the contact info for the place at hand but if anyone is interested send me an email.