Cigars
Chart
Chart
Wrappers
Country
Brand
Glossary
How many wrapper colors are there?
There are about a dozen or so, all variations of these basic ones, listed from lightest to darkest: Candela, Double Claro, Claro, Colorado, Colorado Maduro, Colorado Rosado, Maduro, and Oscuro.
The shade of the leaf used to wrap your cigar (wrapper), which can range from light green to almost jet-black, accounts for less than 20% of a cigar’s flavor. The wrapper does not necessarily indicate the kind of tobacco leaf used, and it doesn’t indicate whether the cigar is mild or full bodied.
Wrapper Shades:
Although manufacturers have identified over 100 different shades, only six are of great distinction.
Double Claro - Also known as “American Market Selection” (AMS) or “Candela”, this is a green wrapper.
Claro – This is a very light tan color, almost beige in shade; usually from Connecticut.
Colorado Claro – A medium brown found on many cigars, this category covers many descriptions. The most popular are “Natural”, or “English Market Selection” (EMS). Tobaccos in this shade are grown in many different countries.
Colorado – This shade is instantly recognizable by the obvious reddish tint.
Colorado Maduro – Darker than Colorado Claro in shade , this color is often associated with African tobacco, such as wrappers from Cameroon, or with Havana Seed tobacco grown in Honduras.
Maduro – Very dark brown or black; this category also includes the deep black “Oscuro” shade. Tobacco for Maduro wrappers is grown in Connecticut, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Brazil.
What is double maduro and oscuro?
Double maduro is a wrapper which is a darker brown than a traditional maduro wrapper. Sometimes they can be almost black; they are also called "maduro maduro" or "oscuro" wrappers.
In error, some supposed experts have stated that it means that the cigar has a maduro binder and maduro wrapper; this is untrue. There is no such thing as a maduro binder, per se. Nobody wastes good wrapper leaf as binder, plus a good wrapper leaf could seldom function as a binder, due to strength and elasticity requirements.
Also, some quasi-experts have stated that it means that the cigar has two maduro wrappers on it... this is another bit of errant information.
Basically, leaves are bulked to be maduros, which typically means they begin the process as higher-primed and thicker leaves. They require the additional duration and increased fermentation temps in order to make the leaves smokable. The result is a darker colored leaf. However, due to the natural differences between the leaves, some become darker than others in the process of naturally fermenting them. They are then sorted into maduro and double maduro based on color.
Now sometimes you can tell that certain leaves, by their grain and heft, will end up being double maduro wrappers, so as they are bulking the pillions, they try to stack these in differing burros. But until the process is complete, you can not be certain as to the final color.
In short, double maduro is JUST a reference to color; not maduro binders and not double maduro wrappers, as I have also heard stated.
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The Six Common Colors of Cigars Wrapper
Double claro, candela, jade, or American Market Selection (AMS) – after leaf is picked in the field it is artificially heated creating a light green hue. They are generally flavorless and bland wrappers.
Natural or claro – to protect the leaves from sunlight, which would cause a darkening of the leaf, the tobacco is grown under cheesecloth. Once fully matured, it is allowed to dry naturally and slowly, creating a light brown color. These leaves create a silky, tan wrapper with a light, delicate, and distinctly smooth taste.
Colorado claro or English Market Selection (EMS) – a slightly darker wrapper than a natural with a slight dark reddish hue. Has more flavor than a natural cigar, with a slightly spiced or nut-like taste.
Colorado – this is not a special variety of tobacco, it is usually grown in Connecticut, but the leaf has an oily reddish leaf with exceptional color and flavor.
Maduro or Spanish Market Selection – a very dark brown, oily leaf
with a sweet pronounced taste known for its fullness and richness.
Darkness is caused by leaving the leaf on the tobacco plant as long as
possible and left to air-dry naturally. After dried it goes through a
process in which it is treated with heat to draw out the oils and cook the
tobacco. The oils are then allowed to retreat back into the cigar. Each
time this process is repeated the leaf becomes darker and darker. The
wrapper sometimes has small veins and bumps on the wrapper because of the
type of tobacco used.
Double maduro, oscuro, or maduro maduro – an almost jet-black
wrapper with a very rich, pronounced, spicy flavor. The leaves go through
an even more extensive processing than Maduro. Expect a bumpy somewhat
veiny appearance.
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Honduras/Nicaragua
Mexico
USA (Connecticut)
Central African Republic – Cameroon
Indonesia
Country
How do you know where a cigar is from?
A cigar's country of origin is classified by where it was rolled, regardless of where the wrapper, binder, or filler is from. Typically, the filler tobacco is usually grown in the same country as where the cigar is made. This is not an absolute rule, as cigars rolled in the US, (typically, Miami or Tampa regions) must import all of their filler. Another exception is Honduran and Nicaraguan cigars, as their native grown fillers are often too harsh to be used exclusively, and are typically blended with Dominican filler in order to produce an acceptable smoke.
Dominican Republic
In the last 20 years, the quality and variety of cigar tobacco from the Dominican Republic has greatly improved. Near the city of Santiago, live the majority of Dominican cigar makers. This area is the primary agricultural region in the northern half of the country. Since most Dominican tobacco is derived from Cuban seed varieties, it is quite full flavored and lends itself to the creation of unusually complex blends.
Ecuador
Ecuador produces high quality Connecticut and Sumatra seed varieties of tobacco. They produce both shade and sun grown tobacco leaves for both filler and wrappers. The tobacco is milder and less robust in strength and flavor that the original. The wrapper’s silky texture has a color similar to Connecticut and Cameroon.
Honduras/Nicaragua
A 10-year civil war and blue mold infestations have slowed the production of the high quality Cuban and Connecticut varieties of tobacco grown in these two counties. Both countries produce a full-bodied tobacco with strong spicy flavors.
Mexico
Mexican leaves are widely used as binders and filler in cigars. A variant of the Sumatra seed tobacco, Mexican tobacco is often used as a maduro wrapper because it can stand up to the cooking and sweating process that creates the darker leaf colors. Mexico is well known for its sun grown tobacco especially tobacco grown in the San Andres Valley. Mexican cigars are usually made with 100% local tobacco.
United States
The Connecticut River Valley produces some of the finest wrapper leaf tobacco in the world. This leaf called, the Connecticut Shade, is grown just north of Hartford. It has a fine brown to brownish yellow and very elastic leaf that creates a mild to medium bodied smoke. It is widely used on premium cigars. Connecticut Broadleaf, a dark almost black leaf that is used on maduro cigars, is another type of tobacco produced in the region.
Cameroon/Central African Republic
This area of West Africa is known for a high quality wrapper leaf, which is famous for its completely neutral flavor. This makes it an ideal tobacco for cigars with full flavored fillers. Cameroon wrappers are greenish brown to dark brown, with a distinct grain called “tooth”. Unfortunately, production has suffered from management changes and bad weather in recent years.
Indonesia
Tobaccos from the islands of Indonesia are known as Java or Sumatra. Sumatra wrapper leaves are often dark brown and have neutral flavors; these leaves are usually used in the manufacturing of small cigars.
What is a good way to tell the strength of a cigar?
In the past, tobacco plants of different islands and regions had their own distinctive strength and taste, but recently manufactures have imported different types of tobaccos and blended them with their native plants to create new tastes and strengths. Typically, the different sizes and styles of cigars within a specific brand share the same general taste and strength. This makes choosing cigars by brand as the best way to choose a general taste or strength. The strength of the cigar can vary from country to country. Below is a general guideline for cigars grown in the most popular regions of the Caribbean Basin.
|
MILD |
MILD TO MEDIUM |
MEDIUM TO FULL |
How do the strengths differ between brands?
MILD
|
Baccarat |
La Fontana |
Panter |
MILD - MEDIUM
|
Arturo
Fuente |
La Flor Dominicana |
Playboy by Don
Diego |
MEDIUM - FULL
|
Astral Gran Reserve |
CAO L'Anniversaire |
Montecristo
Cig des Arts |
FULL
|
Avo XO |
Don
Mateo Bundles |
Matacan |