What's in a wrapper???

[SilvrBck]

There is so much hype about cigar wrappers. Brazilian, cameroonian, VSG, etc. It is an ever present stat in a cigar's vital statistics, but how much does it really contribute to flavor? Looks are everything, right? I'd admit that the way a cigar looks and the way a wrapper feels is an integral part of the cigar experience. But, the wrapper is one leaf out of many. Does it have more impact on the flavor of smaller ring guage cigars since the ratio of wrapper to filler is larger? So confusing...

[Matt R]

This is a highly debatable topic. My personal opinion is that while a wrapper does impart a distinct flavor on the cigar, it has minimal impact on the complete cigar.

[Lamar]

I'm with Matt on this one. Many of the Torpedo's start off pretty bland on the portion of the cigar where the ratio of wrapper to filler is the highest. In my opinion, the wrapper makes the stick look nice but adds little to the overall taste.

[OnePyroTec]

I know for a fact, that the wrapper will add to the flavors enough to tell the difference.

In the book, "all about tobacco", published in the 70's, by Milton Sherman, the wrapper is thought to be 30%-40% of the flavor.

OPT

[seagarsmoker]

The wrapper has a big impact on the flavor/taste of a cigar. OPT stated above 30/40% and in IMHO 40% is about right.

Quick test - can you taste the difference between a maduro and a non-maduro wrapper?

Smoke a cigar without a wrapper and then you'll know for sure.

[cashcow]

In my opinion (and this is truly a topic with no "answer" but only opinions), the wrapper is responsible for at least 50%of the perceived flavor. Another post has suggested that removing the wrapeer will result in a completely different taste and he is right. Additionally, it is the wrapper which imparts the initial taste on the lips and tongue, and is the aroma of the burning wrapper , the outermost leaf, which is immediately most perceived by the nose.

[edisonbird]

I have removed the wrapper from cigars and rewrapped them with a different wrapper, and the result is a completely different cigar, so I would have to say the the wrapper does affect the taste of each and every cigar, not a lot, but enough to make a big difference. JMHO

[robmcd]

i tend to go along with jody on this- i've taken the wrapper off of a cigar and there is a considerable difference. but i don't think it's reasonable to quantify the amount of flavor. when dealing with mixtues, the whole is not the sum of the parts. an obvious example is cake - the ingredients tasted individually won't account for much, and certainly nothing like the cake. another way to look at it is there is interaction (nerd alert) between ingredients. my favorite example of interaction is epoxy glue- you need two things... the resin and the catalyst. alone, the resin or the catalyst do nothing (no taste) ... but together, they're glue (it'll stick to the roof of your mouth). mathematically (nerd alert), var(X1+X2) = var(X1) + var(X2) IF AND ONLY IF X1 and X2 are uncorrelated. then it is ok to talk about X1 and X2's contributions to the whole. however, if there's positive correlation (e.g. the ingredients mix well together), then var(X1+X2) > var(X1) + var(X2). i.e. the whole exceeds the sum of its parts.

i rest my case. :s

[edisonbird]

Damn David, you sound like my Differential Equations (diffyqs) prof at Annapolis. lol

[Bruce5]

My mathematics correlates with robmcd's.
However 3<+5 x 55% + .44 is actually < 3.
The wrapper definitely makes a difference in the taste. I have heard 20% of the flavor. Some one above gave a good example when he said natural wrapper vs maduro wrapper...
2 different tastes.
.
If any gorillas want to correct me on this please do.
The OPUS X for example:
One season ... storms, floods or something... destroyed the wrapper tobacco for the OPUS X. They put a different wrapper on the cigar and the ANEJO was born.
Same filler, different wrapper.... different tastes.
.

[Eichen]

I've heard that the flavor of the wrapper tends to be the most pronounced at the beginning of a cigar. Then the flavor of the binder and filler tobaccos kick in. I'd imagine also that the thinner the ring guage the larger the role the wrapper will play in the cigar's overall flavor. On these points I'll defer to those who know more than I. I'm not going to try and quantify how much the wrapper contributes to a cigar. I think the above posts make plenty of good points. Maybe the wrapper can be seen something like a spice or a condiment in cooking.

[seagarsmoker]

Case in point - poor a glass of white milk and add some chocolate and I think you can tell the difference. Once you have added something that changes the taste/flavor, you can't go back and change it (or ignore it) unless you remove it.

Originally posted by Eichen
I've heard that the flavor of the wrapper tends to be the most pronounced at the beginning of a cigar. Then the flavor of the binder and filler tobaccos kick in. I'd imagine also that the thinner the ring guage the larger the role the wrapper will play in the cigar's overall flavor. On these points I'll defer to those who know more than I. I'm not going to try and quantify how much the wrapper contributes to a cigar. I think the above posts make plenty of good points. Maybe the wrapper can be seen something like a spice or a condiment in cooking.

[OnePyroTec]

Anyone who wants to put these ideas to test, send me 4 cigars of your choice, I will put 3 different wrappers on them and send them back to you. The 4th cigar is for me

OPT

[Merlin]

The wrapper is like the cheese on top a pan of lasagna. It probably does contribute 30-50% to how a cigar tastes on the palate. Something a simple as the humidity of a stogie can also affect taste

[FrankB]

Have to agree with the majority...definite difference between dark, (maduro) and lighter wrappers. Frank B