The time machine does not exist (sorry, Doc and Marty McFly). But! Don’t tell that to cigar makers. In fact, some heavyweights in the cigar industry are experimenting with regenerating tobacco seeds that date back 30 to 50 years. Imagine! Being able to enjoy a cigar your grandfather used to smoke. In an effort to bring back the aromas and flavors from yesteryear, cigar crafters have taken to harvesting tobacco made from heirloom seeds. They do this by archiving the seeds from memorable crops. The process is very simple. The seeds are stored in jars, classified by seed type, farm, and year. Then, they are placed in vault-like refrigerators. The seeds are kept for a later date to create hybrid and experimental seeds.
Growing tobacco from heirloom seeds is tedious and expensive. For the most part, these seeds do not yield a large crop, the tobacco might lose its original flavor profile, the plant does not grow to a proper size, or it falls victim to diseases. It is why most manufacturers who make cigars from heirloom seeds release them as special editions. General Cigars was able cultivate the seeds used to grow the tobacco that was used to make Macanudo cigars. These seeds date back almost 60 years. They used them to create the Macanudo Mao a limited edition cigar that was released in 2016.