Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/550331
36 tobaccoasia Asian vs. other tobaccos At least two of the manufacturers we interviewed commented positively on the fact that Asia-grown tobaccos have come of age in terms of quality and no longer need to fear being compared with tobaccos from the traditional producing countries in the Caribbean, Central, and South America. As far as machine-rolled cigars are concerned, the vast majority of brands at least use some Asian tobaccos in their blends, if not even for binders and wrappers. Particularly vocal was China Tobacco Chuanyu Industrial's "Rafael", who said: "We think Asia-grown tobacco plays an important part in diversifying tobacco origins. Generally speaking, we use Asia-grown tobacco not only in cigar fillers but also as wrappers and binders, which makes our cigars firm and well-burning. While it is really difficult to [objectively] compare tobaccos from different origins, each one imparts its own characteristics. As a manufacturer, we try different tobaccos to develop new styles." Also very much in favor of Asian tobaccos was Arnold André's Wiljo van Maren. "We consider tobacco from Indonesia as some of the best in the world. This has to do with taste and quality in the sense of texture, color, leaf perfection, and burning qualities, all of which are particularly important attributes for the wrapper and binder. While mainly taste and burning qualities are also of importance for filler tobacco, it is being threshed anyhow, so [in the end] finding the right blend of different tasting tobaccos to make the perfect cigar might be even more crucial." For example, the small and thin Agio Tip cigars are fitted with an elegant mouthpiece and are the world's leading filter-tipped cigar brand, accord- ing to Getrude Stormink, the company's export and global travel-retail manager. "Our Agio Tip is the perfect cigar for a smoker whose priorities are smooth taste and comfort", she said, adding that in Asia the company currently markets two prod- ucts under this brand name, the regular-taste Agio Filter Tip and the sweet-tasting Agio Tip Sweet. "Both use a mix of Indonesian and South Ameri- can tobaccos." Mehari's is the world's third largest cigar brand and appreciated for its authentic taste and conve- nient size. Although classified as a cigarillo, Me- hari's are 30% larger than most other cigars in this format, which makes for prolonged smoking pleasure. Agio Cigars markets Mehari's Java with regular taste and a Java wrapper, Mehari's Ecuador featuring a mild taste and using an Ecuador wrap- per, and Mehari's Brasil, which likewise has a regu- lar taste but uses a Brazil wrapper. There also are Mehari's Sweet Orient, which are vanilla-flavored, and Mehari's Filter Sweet Orient, which are filter- tipped. To further venture into Agio Cigars' machine- rolled cigar universe, the company's Panter brand stands for easy smoking, thus appealing to a mod- ern consumer segment. In Asia, especially Panter Small (regular taste), Sprint (regular taste), Des- sert (coffee taste), and Arôme (vanilla taste) have proven popular products within the Panter range. Last but not least, Balmoral Dominican Selection are high quality cigars made in the Dominican Leave it to the Dutch Meanwhile, Dutch company Royal Agio Cigars, which was established in 1904, has developed its own comprehensive range of machine-rolled cigar brands, all of which sell exceptionally well both in- ternationally and in Asia. Wiljo van Maren, president, Arnold André Handelsgold Gold Label images courtesy of Arnold André GmbH & Co. KG images courtesy of Arnold André GmbH & Co. KG