Blending, is it an art or is there more?

[YvanheTerrible]

Had a discussion in a different forum that gravitated around the art and science of tobacco blending. Seemed like it was considered art foremost. Even though I agree that the art portion of blending is mainly what is needed for home rollers like me, I personally often end up making my life more difficult than what it needs too be.

I see tobacco blending the same way as I see beer or wine making, cooking and food fermenting etc.. there is a very large art portion to it but find it interesting to try to understand with my limited education what science goes on in the background, the processes etc.. not sure what science can be found in the “blending” part of the cigar production but am looking forward to find out.


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[webmost]

I don't think it is either art nor science. I aver that it is a serendipitous combo of experience and luck. Experience is what allows you to say "I think a touch of Olor would liven this Vuelta Abajo," and have it work out. Luck is when this particular batch of Olor matches the batch that you were sold last time, that you liked so much, or the batch which was recommended to you.

You will have many chime in with the new trite observation that everything is a matter of taste. This is true but not helpful. You will know what you like when you taste it. But to say so does not help you get there. The truth of it, however, weakens the science argument. Bliss, for example, believes that seco/viso/ligero should conform to a mathematical proportion. I, on the other hand, am a seco sicko. His blends may work for me; but not his primings. His primings formula is as close to science as I have seen here.

Some things most can agree on. For example, Indonesian leaf does not play well with others. I am using some now to bind CT Broadleaf leavened by a half leaf of Corojo. It's rare to find a blend like this which can use it.

My first advice would be: Don't blend too many leaves at once. It's damn hard to determine which variety in a seven leaf blend does what. Let's say you have seven varieties of filler, three of binder, four of wrapper, in your repertoire. Do the math... How many combos can you produce?

Start with puros.

 

[Jim D]

Blending Thread

I'm going to use my first blend (#1) as a wrapper and vitola size example of how a blend can change with these variables. The blend (proportions) lovingly known as Brazilian Villain #1: 1 Nicaraguan ligero 2 Brazilian viso 2 dominican seco Dominican binder Now, today I'm trying one wrapped in...

www.botl.org

Certain ratios seem to be good starting points as a reference. See if the info linked above helps out.

 

[blisscigarco]

It's obviously both. Science is acquiring knowledge through empirical testing/experience. There is nothing inherently fixed about it. If the subject matter is continually dynamic, as with tobacco, then the science of it requires continual empirical testing. We all know this. Last year's batch of Corojo Viso is not the same as this year's. Science requires us to try this year's if we want to learn about this year's.

Art is the subjective application of that knowledge. As webmost said, there's a lot of luck in this art: you might get lucky and have an early success trying to apply what you've learned. Or you might not. The more you learn from the science side the more likely you are to get lucky on the art side. Or you might just get lucky with your first or second time at bat, with little/no previous knowledge. But there's probably something scientific underpinning that; "I've enjoyed Brazilian tobacco before," leading to intuition: "I should try blending some Brazilian with something." That's art.

 

[Dltarnnr]

Had a discussion in a different forum that gravitated around the art and science of tobacco blending. Seemed like it was considered art foremost. Even though I agree that the art portion of blending is mainly what is needed for home rollers like me, I personally often end up making my life more difficult than what it needs too be.

I see tobacco blending the same way as I see beer or wine making, cooking and food fermenting etc.. there is a very large art portion to it but find it interesting to try to understand with my limited education what science goes on in the background, the processes etc.. not sure what science can be found in the “blending” part of the cigar production but am looking forward to find out.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Excellent topic, I'm just finishing my 2nd batch of leaves and the only thing I changed was the wrapper and with luck hit that sweet spot. Sometimes overthinking gets me in trouble so am perfectly happy with the art side of this hobby. My Grandfather loved cooking and would have us kids in the kitchen chopping away . My Grandmother and Mom weren't always pleased with his palette but I ate everything he cooked. That's art

 

[Gdaddy]

Quality, good tasting leaf is most important. It can then be blended into a superior smoke. You can't take bad leaf and somehow blend it together into a good cigar. Like the saying... "you can't polish a turd".

 

[Cigary43]

One only has to do some research as well as conversations with those who have spent a large portion of their lives in this endeavor to really understand it. I lived in S. Florida for a few years and one of my favorite things to do was ride my motorcycle down to Miami for the weekends and getting to know the Cuban Community where the old men who migrated here from the tobacco plantations would finally talk with me about this hobby of ours....they just don't trust anyone with their knowledge and expertise so they were apprehensive at first but I gradually worn them down after a few months.

Hobbies are just that.....hobbies where you either make it a profession or you just dabble in them and enjoy it for what it is. When it comes to being a professional blender....trust me....it's generational where secrets abound and passed on. It's not just a matter of planting a seed and watering it and then harvesting....there's more error than trial in the process of blending and growing tobacco....why do you think these great Companys guard their techniques and processes? I think it's great that our BOTL will take on blending...rolling...etc. because it's something akin to a labor of love....like a motorcycle fan who loves touring like I do but let's be real....I don't build them...I ride them and don't profess to being a motorhead and create works of art. The real people who dedicated their lives and family life to Cigars are amazing people and to be trusted to have conversations with them about cigars....is one of the sweet slices of life. Watching them play dominoes...laughing...remembering how things were in their lives...how they raised generations and raise their glasses of libations and toast each others successes and failures over generations was something I will never forget.

 

[DanielStauffer]

True, blending of cigars is an art that comes by experience of mixing various heart-loving flavors. This is the reason why handmade cigars are more popular than others.