Lexicon
Fermentation
The controlled sweating of tobacco in large stacks, which reduces harshness and develops aromas.
After drying, the leaves are moistened and layered into man-high stacks called pilones, inside which heat builds up. Ammonia and bitter compounds break down while aromatic substances form and the leaves darken; over weeks to months the stacks are turned repeatedly so that every leaf ferments evenly. Tobacco that has been fermented too briefly betrays itself in the finished cigar through a sharp, acrid bite. After fermentation comes ageing in bales — and much later, in the finished cigar, box ageing.