ADN Dominicano November Humidor Giveaway
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November 3rd - 30th
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Read on to learn more about the Andullo process and ADN Dominicano.
About the ADN Dominicano
La Aurora, the first cigar factory established in the Dominican Republic, pays tribute to Andullo, the oldest tobacco processing method in the country. With the advances in cigar making over the years, Andullo has become obsolete, but it is deeply rooted in Dominican culture, and we choose to honor its history.
It is difficult to date the origin of Andullo, but evidence dates the process back to the time of the Tainos, the Indians who inhabited the island of Hispaniola before the arrival of Columbus. At that time, the main purpose of Andullo was the transport and storage of tobacco, allowing the Indians to carry small portions with them.
The Process
Only certain varieties of seeds from the Dominican Republic and specific lands are chosen when planting the tobacco for Andullo.
Once the tobacco is ready to be harvested, the harvesters proceed to remove the first six leaves from the bottom of the plant. For Andullo, middle of the plant, up to the Corona leaves will be used. This is due to the strength, flavor and aroma that these priming's offer.
Gavillas & Sartas
The tobacco is tied together in bunches known as ‘Gavillas’. ‘Sartas’ are then formed by mounting 55-60 gavillas together. The sartas are then hung in the curing barn for a maximum period of 2 weeks. The main objective of this process is that the leaves acquire additional flexibility necessary during deveining and are pliable enough to be folded easily into the cylindrical form of Andullo.
Once the sartas are lowered from the curing barns the deveining process begins. Once the main stem is removed from the tobacco leaf the tobacco is then weighed for Andullo preparation. 30 to 32 pounds of tobacco is necessary to produce ideal Andullo.
Yaguas, Tightening, & Aging
Once weighed, the tobacco is then placed in ‘Yaguas’ which are palm tree leaves. These leaves assist in the organic process of curing, aging and fermenting the tobacco by providing it with a natural environment.
In the molding process, the tobacco is placed in the interior of the yagua and the rolling process begins. This process of tightening the tobacco together helps facilitate its fermentation and curing.
Once the Andullo is rolled the tightening process begins. This process is done with the use of ropes and is performed a minimum of 5 times to ensure that it is completely dry. The time necessary in between tightening is 3 weeks. If it is detected that there is too much humidity the Andullo may be tightened sooner to avoid stains on the tobacco.
After the second tightening the Andullo is unwrapped and tightened again. This process allows the Andullo to receive necessary oxygen and then the tobaccos are compacted again. Once again, the tightening facilitates the curing and fermenting to be homogeneous.
After the final tightening is when the Andullo is set for aging. It is during this process where the strength and flavor so unique to Andullo is formed