An Evening with a Cigar Maker . .

That's how Diebel's advertised this event, and that's what I got! Unlike other cigar parties, there were no more than 50 or so people in attendance at any given time, so you really DID have an opportunity to talk with the "man of the hour." In a little over an hour I learned more about the cigar business than I could have ever read. At one point Manuel took a paper napkin and showed me how the various parts of the leaves are selected, how the parts of the leaf are used in rolling a cigar, how the flavor changes are determined. "It's like mixing a drink." he said. "Only we deal with solids, not liquids . . much harder."



I was fascinated, and he was more than happy to answer all my questions, and even threw in some great stories surrounding the trials and tribulations of the cigar business over the years. It goes without saying that I had a great time, but I did!