Using pressure and moisture to create heat and initiate fermentation to remove the undesirable components of tobacco such as ammonia is helping the tobacco to become smokable and enjoyable. The style of pilón that Garcia and Rodriguez came across is smaller than the ones commonly found in modern day factories; they are smaller in terms of dimensions and are round, while most these days are rectangular. According to General Cigar Co., which owns the CAO brand, there are both positives and negatives to this old-world style: the smaller pilón takes longer to ferment tobacco because it generates less heat, but that longer time is believed to result in a greater reduction of ammonia and sugar content, which improve combustion. CAO’s blending team applied this time-honoured method for the production of the Pilon cigar, the result is a deep, rich, and silky smoke. The result is a collection of cigars that has a rich, deep colour and a superb depth of flavours with hints of oak, spice, creaminess, woodsy, and sweet notes.
