Cigar Wrappers

Cigar wrappers can certainly tell you a lot about the strength, flavor, and make of the cigar. Whether you are looking for a light smoke, medium smoking option, or one strong and dark experience, cigar wrappers play a big role in understanding and determining what may be the best option for you.

DOUBLE CLARO - Green to greenish brown. The color is achieved by picking the leaf before it reaches maturity, and then drying it rapidly. Most commonly reviewed as very mild and almost bland.

CLARO - light tan. Usually this is the color of shade grown tobacco. Connecticut Shade wrappers are said to be some of the finest in the world. Shade grown tobacco is grown under large canopies to protect the tobacco from harsh sunlight. Neutral flavor and smooth smoking.

NATURAL - (also called English Market Select) Light brown to brown. These are most often sun grown, meaning they are not protected by canopies like shade grown leaves. Fuller bodied flavor than shade grown leaves, but still very smooth.

COLORADO CLARO - Mid-brown, tawny.

COLORADO - Reddish dark brown and aromatic. A cigar with this wrapper tastes robust and rich.

COLORADO MADURO - Dark brown, medium strength, and slightly more aromatic then the regular maduro. Usually gives a rich flavor, as found in many of the best Honduran cigars.

MADURO - Dark brown to very dark brown. These usually have more texture and veining than the lighter wrappers. They are often described as oily looking, with stronger taste - sweet to some palates with a unique aroma.

OSCURO - Extremely dark brown or almost black. They are the strongest tasting of all wrappers. These wrappers tend to be from Nicaragua, Brazil, Mexico, or Connecticut Broadleaf.

So what have we learned about cigar wrappers? Well, typically the darker the color, the sweeter and stronger the flavor is likely to be, and the greater the oil and sugar content of the wrapper. Darker wrappers will normally have spent a longer amount of time on the tobacco plant, or come from higher altitudes: the extra exposure to sunlight produces both oil (as protection) and sugar. They will also have been fermented for a longer period of time.

Cigar Wrappers

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