Plowing  
In summer, the grower plows the soil many times to attain a very smooth soil for the planting season.

Planting
After two months the seeds have become little plants 15 cm high in the nursery. In October they are gradually planted in the fields and two months later the plant will have reached its full growth. During this time they are daily checked to eliminate noxious elements and the buds are trimmed to obtain bigger leaves.

The plants of the "Creole" variety grow exposed to sunshine. They produce the leaves that are used for the Havana's filling. The "Corojo" variety only produces leaves for the covers, and they are protected from sunshine with enormous tents fixed to hundreds of wood poles.

The harvest
50 to 60 days after planting the laborious work of harvesting by hand begins. The Corojo may have up to 9 pairs of leaves, and harvesting is done by levels, from the bottom up, at a weekly rate.

Drying
All Creole and Corojo leaves are carried to drying houses. The process will take about 50 days while the leaves are cured exposing them to air, and humidity and temperature are constantly controlled. Finally the leaves will have changed color, from green to a shade of reddish brown.

First fermentation
The cured leaves are packed and carried to fermentation houses. The tobacco's humidity will produce a first fermentation that lasts around a month. Temperature control is key to this process. At the end the leaves will be classified by color and type, and part of the central vein will be removed. They have been wetted earlier in a process called "moja" (damping).

Second fermentation
The leaves are piled again in huge basins known as "donkeys". The "donkey" temperature should be less than 420 Celsius. This second fermentation lasts about one month. The tobacco's aroma is now much finer.

Baling
The leaves are transferred to shelves in order to lower the humidity level. After a few days they will be baled in a special packing known as "tercio", made from the royal palm's fibrous tissue, where they will finish their ageing process. They may be kept in this manner for several months, or even years.

The trip
The "tercios" are delivered to the different factories, mostly in Havana, where the leaves are classified and processed according to type. The ones destined for the outer cover are wetted first thing in the morning, so the "despalilladoras" can remove the central vein, dividing each leaf in two. Then they are classified again by color, texture and size. The leaves for filling are aged differently: the "volado" (blown), which helps combustion and the "dry", which gives aroma, will be aged for one year. The "light", which offers strength, will take more than 2 years. The "capote" (inner cover), which covers the filling, doesn't need so much time.
The leaves, in the precise blend of each brand, are given to the "torcedor" (twister), for cigar manufacturing.

The "torcido" (cigar manufacturing)
Placed in enormous rooms, the "torcedores" develop their singular ability to roll the Havanas, using only a cobbler's knife, a small guillotine and vegetable glue.
A strict quality control will discard the imperfect ones and the rest are stored for three months in cedar shelves at 16 to 18oC, and a relative humidity of 65%.

The picking
The pickers classify the Havanas in more than 70 different shades, and place them in the boxes from left to right and from darker to lighter. The women who place the rings will respect the chromatic order.

Engraving
The cedar wood boxes are decorated following each brand's tradition.

Seal of Guarantee
The guarantee seal is placed in the front face of the box. The "Habanos S.A.", "Hecho en Cuba" (Made in Cuba) and "Totalmente a mano" (Totally handmade) labels are placed in the bottom of the box with the manufacturer's code and the manufacturing date. A small "Habanos" label seals one of the front corners of the box.