Making · Barn
Curing
Fresh leaf is still alive. Curing lets chlorophyll break down and water leave slowly. Color moves from green to yellow to brown while oils stay. Cigar leaf is usually air-cured, not flue-cured like many cigarette tobaccos.
The barn
A traditional barn is a tall wooden house with slats that open to the wind. Hands of leaf hang from poles. Wet weather needs air; dry weather needs the slats closed or the leaf shatters. The work takes weeks to months.
Wrapper leaf must stay whole, with fine veins. Filler can be rougher. It will be hidden.
Not ready to smoke
Cured leaf still smells green and often of ammonia. Burning it raw is harsh. Fermentation turns a farm product into blend material. In a factory those are different rooms and different temperature curves.