? from a noobie

[southjerzgt]

im confused to growing tobacco in places of the world.....now what i believe is that we in the UNITED STATES grow tobacco down south in the Carolinas,Georgia and some parts of Virginia, now what tobacco is this used for and are there any American made cigars using American tobacco....thanks guys and what the hell is a Connecticut wrapper they dont it came from the state do they ??? i know your all getting a good laugh but honestly i have no wheres else to ask

[coryj]

The main thing I know for sure is that most of the tobacco grown in the South (and the US in general) is for cigarettes.

[dunng]

Connecticut wrapper is grown down the road from me - traditionally in the Connecticut River Valley...

[tuneman07]

I am pretty sure Connecticut wrappers have to be grown there. I don't think I've ever heard of an All American cigar but it would be a cool idea.

[GHC_Hambone]

I believe Connecticut tobacco is a certain kind, but can be grown anywhere.

Example: http://www.famous-smoke.com/cigars/s...cfm/inum/21808

[frogman18]

The tobacco grown here in america is for the most part used for cigarettes, pipe tobacco, and chewing tobacco. There are a few cigars made out of american tobacco, There is a regional brand here in KY called Kentucky Black Gold Cigars that are made out of KY grown tobacco and sent out to be rolled by hand. They are pretty good if you can find them they are worth a try even if just for the experience of a american cigar.

[drhalle]

From the Straight Dope website;
First you have to know the three different types of leaf used in making a cigar. Each type requires different seed types, weather and soil conditions, and handling. The filler leaf makes up the bulk of the cigar and provides most of the flavor. There is nearly universal agreement that the best filler leaf in the world comes from a small region of western Cuba. More on that later. Around the filler is the binder leaf, which holds the cigar together. Finally comes the very thin, blemish-free wrapper leaf, which gives the cigar its uniform finished look. The wrapper adds the least weight to the finished product, but has the highest cost, pound-per-pound. Formerly, Indonesia (specifically Sumatra and Java) was the standard for producing fine binders and wrappers, but that region seems to have lost its supremacy. Today the best binders come from the Caribbean (including Cuba) and the best wrappers come from the Caribbean, Cameroon in west Africa, and (you knew I'd get to it) New England.
Between them, Connecticut and Massachusetts exported about $100 million worth of tobacco in 1999, grown mostly in the Connecticut valley. Most of that comes from a relatively small volume of world-class "Connecticut Shade" wrapper leaf, which sells for up to $45 a pound. Such premium brands as Davidoff and Macanudo have used Connecticut Shade wrappers. The variety is named for the highly artificial way it is grown, under the shade of nylon tents. The primary purpose of the tents seems to be to increase the relative humidity and reduce wind.
This brings us to the conditions under which premium cigar tobacco is grown. Producing first-class cigar tobacco is an exacting process. Growing the stuff requires using the right seed and having the right weather and the right soil. And that's only the beginning. After harvest, the leaves have to be cured (dried), fermented and aged properly. The entire process can take up to two years. Tobacco grows fastest with at least 3 or 4 inches of rainfall a month during the growing season and temperatures around 80 F (27 C). However, those conditions are not conducive to optimum quality of cigar tobacco, which requires less rain and somewhat lower temperatures.
What's so special about Cuba? Tobacco is grown in many parts of the island, but the best comes from a small region called Vuelta Abajo tucked between the Sierra de los Órganos and the Golfo de Batabano in the westernmost province, Pinar del Río. This is the wettest region in Cuba, receiving about 60 to 80 inches of rainfall annually. Normally that much rain would be ruinous to tobacco crops, but in Cuba tobacco is grown during the dry season (November-April), when rainfall averages less than 2 inches a month. The unusual combination of moderately moist sandy loam soil, high relative humidity, and moderately low but dependable rainfall during the growing season, together with warm (but not excessively hot) temperatures and little wind, is what makes Vuelta Abajo special. Some experts believe the mineral content of the soil is also important. Connecticut Shade is also grown in sandy loam soil, but in the summer when temperatures are only slightly cooler than in Cuba's dry season. As mentioned above, the tents act to keep humidity high, and also prevent blemishes. Rainfall during the growing season is higher than in Vuelta Abajo, but quality wrapper tobacco requires more rain than quality filler tobacco.
The very high price of wrapper leaf makes it economical to produce under artificial conditions in the Connecticut valley. But growing premium filler and binder cigar tobacco in the U.S. just isn't worth it since conditions are not optimal and prices are lower. Besides the Connecticut Shade wrapper, New England also produces Broadleaf binder, grown in the same areas but from different seed and in direct sun. Binder leaf is also grown in Wisconsin and several other states. Filler leaf is grown in Pennsylvania, Ohio and other states. Large quantities are grown, but quality is not very high and they fetch only one to three dollars per pound. They go into cheap domestic cigars.

[drhalle]

Oh, sorry. I'm a noobie here also. Love the site glad I found it.

[Kayak_Rat]

Originally Posted by coryj

The main thing I know for sure is that most of the tobacco grown in the South (and the US in general) is for cigarettes.

A small portion of that is used for pipe baccy as well.

[floydpink]

My brother lives in Connecticut and the shade tobacco farms are across the street from his house and he doesn't even smoke cigars.

[volfan]

I grew up working Burley and Virginia tobaccos in Tennessee and ALL of what we produced went to RJR and Philip Morris.

scottie

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by drhalle

Oh, sorry. I'm a noobie here also. Love the site glad I found it.

Welcome to the Jungle! You should make your 3rd post an introduction in Newbie Forum.

[RapidTransit]

Connecticut tobacco is grown in the Conn. River Valley which spans from western Massachusetts to Conn. Also tobacco is grown in I think Minnesota or Wisconsin? Tobacco is like a weed it grows fast and everywhere. The strains and the curing process determine where it will be used. Some of the top producing countries aren't known for cigar tobacco.

[Mister Moo]

Find a photo essay of North Carolina flue-cured cig tobacco here - soup to nuts:

http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=26761

A little of NC tobak also goes into smokeless tobak, but I believe Tennessee leads the way with that.

[frogman18]

KY,TN and VA are all big smokeless tobacco producers, KY the Burley capitol of the world the tobaccos goes mainly for cigs and some go into cheaper pipe tobaccos. When we raised burley RJR was the big buyer but now Phillip morris buys most if not all of the local stuff they have a warehouse about 3 miles from my house.