After the barn, tobacco is still raw. Fermentation is what makes it a cigar leaf. Hands of tobacco are stacked into pilones. Moisture, pressure, and the leaf’s own chemistry generate heat. Workers turn the pile so the inside does not cook and the outside is not left behind. Ammonia and other harsh compounds blow off. The leaf darkens and sweetens.
Ligero runs hotter and longer than volado. Maduro wrappers are often taken through more of this, or through a later heat, than a natural leaf. None of it is optional decoration. Skip it and the cigar tastes green.
Fermentation is factory work. Aging in your humidor is a smaller, slower cousin. See how cigars are made.