Cigar Science w/ Rob XI: Some cigar wrapper basics

[bobbyg29-cl]

I know that when I first started smoking cigars I was constantly confused by all the terminology used to describe wrappers. So for this post I thought I would do my best to summarize some material on the different factors involved in a cigar wrapper. Note that these are gross generalizations and there are many exceptions to the rule. And I am not an expert on this so please let me know if you see any errors.

The taste, color, odor, and texture we get from cigar wrapper basically depend on 4 things:
1) The tobacco seed that the plant came from.
2) The amount of sun exposure during growing.
3) The location on the tobacco plant from which the leaves came.
4) The fermentation process used to treat the leaves after they were harvested.

Let’s look at these in a little bit of detail.

1)Tobacco Seed
-Most of us know that there are several different types of tobacco seeds that are grown in different countries. Here are 5 of the most common ones and some of their characteristics.

a)Connecticut Shade
-Light brown and typically (but not always, see below) milder in flavor.
-grown in the Connecticut river valley which runs from Hartford to Massachusetts. Can also be grown outside the U.S. in countries such as Ecuador.
-typically this tobacco plant is only used for the wrapper and binder (the most expensive parts of a cigar) since the growing season in Connecticut is very short.
-Light in color because it is grown almost exclusively in the shade under large tents (so it doesn’t get a sun tan ). This also makes it grow broader and have a more even color.


E.g., Davidoff 6000

b)Cameroon
-Seeds are native of Africa.
-Limited in quantity and hard to grow outside of Africa
-Slightly darker in color with a distinct spicy flavor


E.g., CAO Cameroon

c)Corojo
-Derived from Cuban seeds
-Has a darker reddish (clay or brick) color
-Thicker and more oily and tends to be on the strong side.
-The hardest tobacco plant to grow because it is highly susceptible to disease and mold.


E.g., Camacho Corojo

d)Criollo
-a hybrid of Corojo and other seeds developed to make it more resistant to disease
-Chocolately and oily with more full, leathery flavors


E.g., CAO Criollo

e)Sumatra
-native of Indonesia
-developed as an inexpensive (but less complex) alternative to Cameroon
-Tends to be darker in color and a little spicy.


E.g., 5 Vegas Classic

**Note: you are probably wondering where Maduro is at this point. It is not a type of seed as we will soon see.

2) Sun Exposure.
- Tobacco plants that are grown specifically for wrappers beneath a shaded tent are called Shade Grown. The reason these leaves are grown in the shade is to keep their surface smoother, lighter in color and to prevent the veins from becoming too large. Leaves grown directly in the sun become resilient to the heat and grow thick with more veins. In contrast to Shade Grown wrappers, tobacco grown in direct sunlight, called Sun Grown, produces a thick, dark wrapper will typically have more sweetness.


E.g., Shade Grown – Montecristo White


E.g., Sun Grown – Ashton Virgin Sun Grown (VSG)

3)Location on tobacco plant



-Leaves harvested from higher up on the tobacco plant are smaller but thicker and stronger.


E.g., La Flor Dominicana Ligero

4)Fermentation Process:
-Once the tobacco leaves are picked there are several ways that they can be fermented to change the tobacco. Two of the most common are:

a) Candela
-A process that was first popularized in the U.S. in the 1800's and early 1900's. Achieved by a heat-curing process that fixes the chlorophyll content of the wrapper while it's still in the barn. Produces a bright green color.


E.g., Astral Candella

b)Maduro
-Tobacco is cured for longer and at higher temperatures so that the carbohydrates in the tobacco are broken down into simple sugars that result in a darker and sweeter tobacco leaf.
-The leaves may also be artificially darkened by pressure-cooking.
-In theory the maduro process can be done to any type of tobacco seed but Connecticut Broadleaf is typically used because it is more durable and can stand up better to the fermentation process.


E.g., Ashton Aged Maduro

Wrapper Color Names:
So the combination of tobacco seed, sun exposure, plant location, and fermentation process can produce wrappers of many different colors. Let’s next consider the names that are commonly given to the resulting colors. Note these names are not types of tobacco or fermentation techniques they are just descriptors.

a)Double Claro
-same as Candela (see above)

b)Claro or Natural
-name typically given to a wrapper that has not been sun grown or treated by any special fermentation process. Typically pale to light brown in color.


E.g., Arturo Feunte 858 Natural

c)Colorado Claro
-name given to a wrapper that is slightly darker brown similar to a Cameroon


E.g., Puros Indios #4

d)Colorado or Rosado
-name given to a wrapper that has a reddish-brown hue


E.g., Partagas Spanish Rosado

e) Oscuro
- Spanish for Dark or Shadow. Very dark brown to black in color.


E.g., La Flor Dominican Cabinet Oscuro

Color Descriptors from Everyday Items:
-Another way that a wrapper's color is commonly described is by comparing it to every day objects and things e.g., that maduro has a dark chocolate brown wrapper.
-Here are examples of some these things:



How much of the cigar’s taste depends on the wrapper?
-This question is highly debated. Some have estimated that it accounts for up to 60%. What we do know is that the wrapper’s contribution to the overall flavor will depend on the vitola. For small ring gauges, the wrapper tobacco will makeup up a higher percentage of the total tobacco so it will contribute more.

Cheers!

Rob

[kass]

Great post! Thanks.

[g8trbone]

Great info as always Rob!!! This is great for some of those folks new to the hobby as well as those of us who just smoke 'em and don't really care to know the details. Thanks Rob.

[Bucklepe]

Nice post Rob and thanks for taking the time to give some basics to understand the complex world of cigars.

I've only started enjoying cigars for a little over a year now, however, I think it's pretty interesting how coffee / espresso cupping (which I've enjoyed for too many years!) is so similar in describing the characteristics (I suppose wine & beer as well). Both the origin characteristics of the bean (soil, altitude, climate) and the subsequent process used on the cherry. There are an amazing range of tastes/aromas used to cup coffees and makes exploring these little life's pleasures that much more fascinating! Looking at all the descriptor's I realize I will always mostly fall back to my favorites though.... like "ahwww" or "ooooh" or "what the.." and my all time favorite... "mmmmm nice" - none of which I see on the attached flavor wheel!
(The flavor wheel I copied from http://www.sweetmarias.com/coffee.re...flavoranalysis if anyone is interested )

[Webmeister]

Another great post Rob - thanks for sharing!

[terrasco-cl]

Fantastic resource! Thanks Rob!

[Labman-cl]

Awesome post Rob! Great information as usual. Thanks.

[tx_tuff]

When Oliva was in town I was talking to Gilberto Oliva who is over all of their tobacco fields told me that the shade grown leaves grow larger, and thinner with smaller vines because they are trying to get more sun light (the larger with more area they have = the more sun they get) makes sense.

[Daver3283]

I just finished reading a book on this subject, now I think I could have saved myself some time and money but just reading your post. Very informative, thanks!

[burritosdaily]

another great post... I love these... keep them coming!

[ER Doc]

Awesome resource. I wish I had something like this available when I first started enjoying cigars. What a great resource for those just starting to learn. Thanks, Rob!

[Ron-cl]

Great job buddy! I have been smoking cigars since I was 19 or 20 in college and am now 52 and love to re-learn or hear for the first time this kind of stuff. Keep up the good work and thanks!

[Ceedee]

Rob, It definitely is good to get some clarity on the issue of plant type/seed type vs wrapper type etc. The descriptions do tend to overlap, so your piece here is a great bit of reference for all of us.

Thanks again for your efforts!

CD

[Doc Stogie Fresh]

Very nice summary Rob, and a great teaching aid. You have covered most everything!

It is also interesting to note that, not only are most tobacco types grown in different countries, there are also many hybrids that are derived from the same seeds.

For example, Corojo has spawned many hybrids, and so has Criollo. So now, you have a plant that can have varied characteristics, like a Corojo (i.e., Corojo 99) that is more bug resistant, and has a higher yield; not to mention a different flavor profile. Don Pepin Garcia has done some fabulous things with Corojo 99 in Nicaragua, while Camacho grows a Corojo that is not a hybrid, but an ancestor of the original Corojo grown in Cuba. (Cuba has largely abandoned Corojo in favor of the hybrid Corojo tobacco.)

Another anomaly is that some "Sun Grown" tobacco leaves can be very light in color. That is because the micro-climates in certain areas (many parts of Ecuador are a great example) have near continuous cloud cover. So, it is fairly common to see Sun Grown tobacco that looks very close to shade grown varietals and that is many shades lighter than, say, those on an Ashton VSG (which, ironically, is also grown in Ecuador).

[bobbyg29-cl]

Originally Posted by Doc Stogie Fresh

Very nice summary Rob, and a great teaching aid. You have covered most everything!

It is also interesting to note that, not only are most tobacco types grown in different countries, there are also many hybrids that are derived from the same seeds.

For example, Corojo has spawned many hybrids, and so has Criollo. So now, you have a plant that can have varied characteristics, like a Corojo (i.e., Corojo 99) that is more bug resistant, and has a higher yield; not to mention a different flavor profile. Don Pepin Garcia has done some fabulous things with Corojo 99 in Nicaragua, while Camacho grows a Corojo that is not a hybrid, but an ancestor of the original Corojo grown in Cuba. (Cuba has largely abandoned Corojo in favor of the hybrid Corojo tobacco.)

Another anomaly is that some "Sun Grown" tobacco leaves can be very light in color. That is because the micro-climates in certain areas (many parts of Ecuador are a great example) have near continuous cloud cover. So, it is fairly common to see Sun Grown tobacco that looks very close to shade grown varietals and that is many shades lighter than, say, those on an Ashton VSG (which, ironically, is also grown in Ecuador).

Thanks for the info Doc! I was wondering about hybrid plants but couldn't find much information on it.