Only when a leaf has matured according to the requirements of the overseer of the fermentation building, is it used in the production of a cigar.

The Thanshers cigar factory looks more like a residence than the source of Sri Lanka's very own brand of cigars. It is located 300m from the Kandy road where the Thihariya junction joins Warana road. The factory is not usually open to the public but the proprietor of Thanshers, Thasneem Lafir, has agreed to our visit.

Lafir welcomes us warmly and shows us into his office where there is a display of books, posters and pictures on all things cigar related. "At Thanshers," says Lafir proudly, "the entire process is done naturally."

We begin the tour with a visit to the building where cured tobacco leaves are stored in stacks five feet high. The leaves are purchased from tobacco growers in Dambulla. Lafir says the soil and the climate of the area are especially conductive to the cultivation of tobacco.

The average price for a kilo of tobacco is between Rs100-400, but this is dependent on variables including the climate, demand and market conditions. In contrast, tobacco from Indonesia and Java can cost up to Rs4,000 a kilo.

The tobacco leaves are harvested and then aged by the grower through curing. This combines use of heat and shade to reduce the sugar and water content.

Curing is carried out in thatched huts with the aid of natural air replacing the harsh light of the sun. The process takes approximately one month and is done to obtain the desired Claro (light tan/yellowish) colour of the leaf.

Once the farm curing is completed, the leaves are delivered to the factory where fermentation takes place in a dark but well ventilated building. During this, the temperature and humidity are controlled to ensure that the leaves ferment without rotting. This is where the flavour, burning and aromatic characteristics of the leaf are brought out. The process also reduces the nicotine level to a low 0.89% thereby enhancing the flavour.

The leaves are fermented for up to three years, during which they are regularly inspected, turned and also checked for deficiencies such as poor colouring and weak stems that appear as a result of excessive ageing.

Only when a leaf has matured according to the requirements of the overseer of the fermentation building, is it used in the production of a cigar. Thanshers' overseer is a master of his craft and looks as though he has spent all his life with tobacco. Clad in a white sarong and white shirt and wearing a turban, he is an institution at Thanshers. He keeps all the stock and technical details in his head in the traditional manner, without computers or ledgers.

When the leaves have aged to his satisfaction, they are sorted by an old woman who knows by touch what leaves to use as either filler (the tobacco that is smoked), binder (the first internal leaf) or wrapper (second exterior leaf). During this selection process, the leaves are continually moistened with wet goni (coir fibre sacks) and handled carefully to ensure each leaf retains its individual qualities.

In an adjoining building the leaves selected for the filler are cut and processed. This refining is done with an electric machine that looks set for the junkyard but a skilled technician keeps it running. The Dutch manufacturing company is said to want the machine back as it is now a valuable antique. Staff at Thanshers have made another refining machine that does the same function as the older machine but is quieter and more efficient.

A by-product of the cutting is a fine tobacco dust, which is passed on to snuff aficionados. The other waste goes to beedi (small local cigarette) makers. The factory supports local cottage industries: families roll beedi from which they derive an income, and these are quality controlled at the factory. The workers are all local residents and some have been with Thanshers for generations.

The next section is a well-lit room with open windows providing a steady breeze where around 50 women busily roll cigars. Standing at wooden tables, they each have a basket full of binder and filler beside them. The binder is placed on a canvass rolling mat and the top end of the mat is stuffed with filler. This is then rolled into a cigar shape by a mini hand held rolling apparatus and the cigar is tightly secured with wrapper. The inside of the leaf is glued slightly at the 'biting' end of the cigar with pappa (a gummy paste made from flour and water)

The finished cigar is passed on to a man skilled in guillotining the tips, to make all the cigars the required length. An experienced member of staff conducts a strict quality control, looking for uneven sizes, discoloured wrappers and cigars with weak structure. He also counts each batch.

Quality control is undertaken at four stages, beginning where the tobacco is grown, and then during the curing process, followed by checks during the rolling and packing stages.

While waiting to be packed, the cigars are deposited into a large holding cupboard that is temperature and humidity controlled. Bands with a metallic finish are glued to the tip of the cigar, forming a ring around it.

The factory also manufactures the cigar packaging with carpenters producing cigar boxes made out of mango wood. These boxes are glazed with lacquer, left to dry and then logos are added and labels (also produced in the factory) are pasted on.

Thanshers are naturally processed and milder, they have less smoke and more flavour.

After the cigars are packed in the boxes and checked again, the boxes are sealed with the distinctive "Jolly Man" sticker. The labels have an old world charm; the design still remains as simple as it was in the beginning, just simple information.

The "Jolly Man" is an image that has been on Thanshers boxes since the company's founding in 1903. It is believed to represent a Greek merchant although later the features were modified to reflect the then owner of Thanshers. The name was chosen as an amalgamation of the names of the founding partners, Thambaiya (a Tamil) and Sheriff (a Muslim). It was first called Thambsher and even today older smokers call it that. The name was changed to Thanshers after an internal disagreement over collaboration with manufacturers from Holland.

The original, now defunct, factory was in Dam Street, Colombo, near the port. Local demand for the cigars was lucklustre at the beginning, and the product was sold mainly to Greek seafarers. The factory was moved to Thihariya as it was the late Prime Minister S W R D Bandaranaike's constituency and he valued the welfare of his constituents.

Nine types of Thanshers cigars are exported to more than seven countries including the Czech Republic (the largest importer), Spain, Switzerland, Holland, Germany and the United Kingdom. The greatest demand is for the Corona King and Corona Leader varieties. Other varieties include the Cigarillo, American Planters, Havana, Prince of Wales, Venilla and the Corona Mini. They range in price from Rs300 for a box of 10 Cigarillos to Rs2,000 for 10 Corona Leaders.

Thanshers also produces a black cigar; the process is the same except for the leaf that is used, which comes from Batticaloa and Anuradhapura. The leaves are buried under soil for around one week and cured with smoke to trigger off a rotting process, and then sun dried. The finished product is a cigar with a black leaf and a potent taste. Fishermen throughout the country adore these black cigars and are the only customers for it.

Nine types of Thanshers cigars are exported to more than seven countries. The greatest demand is for the Corona King and Corona Leader varieties.

Although there are negative aspects in smoking, Lafir is keen to highlight the positive impact of cigars. "Celebrities all over the world have embraced cigars in favour of cigarettes and pipes which are on the way out. With all the major Indian film stars enjoying cigars, it has now more than ever become associated with leisure and prestige."

When asked to compare Thanshers with Cuban cigars, the proprietor says, "Cubans are much stronger and processed with alcohol, whereas Thanshers are naturally processed and milder, they have less smoke and more flavour."
