Mel Shah of Bombay Tobak has embraced his heritage in all of his cigars, naming lines and vitolas for Sanskrit terms. For his latest cigar, which he has said is its own stand alone line, he once again reaches into Sanskrit for Gaaja. Pronounced GUY-yuh, the new line’s name comes from Gaja, a word which has roots in Hindu mythology and refers to the elephant, a symbol frequently seen in that religious tradition. The elephant is a teacher and symbol of patience, which Shah felt was appropriate for this cigars release as he began working on in it in 2012. The four year development process was done with the goal of making a cigar that offers plenty of flavor but not overpowering strength, and Shah has tapped into tobaccos from four countries to achieve his goal. The wrapper is an Ecuadorian hybrid, while the binder also comes from that country. For the filler, Shah used tobaccos from the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru and one country not often seen on blend lists: Paraguay. Shah said that the leaf of Paraguayan habano hybrid tobacco was used as much for body as anything, though it helped to preserve the sweetness of the Dominican ...
↧