CigarsLover Magazine I 2023

The Second Row
A technique for checking the second row of boxes
without removing the cigars from the upper floor
by John Jeremy
When purchasing a box with cigars arranged in
two rows, as in the case of Cuban habilitadas,
the sight is immediately drawn to the top row,
the one closest to the opening of the box. The
eye immediately sees all the mastery of the escogedor
who has taken care not only of the selection by shades of
color of the band, but the positioning of the products inside
the box, from the lightest to the darkest. Subsequently
we then move on to sniffing the cigars, sometimes even to
picking up some, to check the foot, the filling, the manufacturing
and the state of humidification.
Sometimes, wanting to check or even just take a look at
the bottom row of the box, you could be in the difficult
difficult position of not knowing how to properly proceed,
since it would be a matter of removing the whole top row,
without altering the order of the specimens which would
ruin the color selection. One way to properly inspect the
second row you should proceed by removing the first cigar
from the box (to the right or left it doesn't matter) and
moving all the other ones towards the center, so that on
the right and on the left it is possible to reach the cedar
sheet that separates the two floors. Once grabbed, just lift
it, showing extreme caution in keeping the cigars still. This
is an effective but extremely delicate procedure.
There is another way, certainly not simpler to perform, but
at least safer for the integrity of the cigars since it does not
involve taking even one from the box. Once the box has
been opened and any bofeton has been tipped outwards,
the lid is partially closed, leaving a gap of about an inch
between the closure and the box. At this point, the hands
28 #1-2023 CigarsLover Magazine