The tobacco leaves gradually take on the brown color that we know in cigars during the drying stage. They are put to dry high on poles for nearly three months during which the chlorophyll they contain is gradually broken down by enzymes. They thus lose their initially green color. Optimal drying conditions involve a temperature of 80.6 to 89.6°F (27 to 32°C) and a relative humidity of 80 to 85%.