Wrapper changes over the past decade

[El Presidente]

For those that have been purchasing cigars over the past 10+ years, have you noticed wrapper changes (particularly colour shade) over that period of time?

The question is perhaps more geared towards those of you who have purchased their staple cigars time and time again (ie Monte 2/D4 etal).

Have they remained roughly the same, become darker over the years? become lighter?

From someone who looks at literally 1000's of boxes + a year, in my opinion the trend has certainly become for darker wrappers.

While I believe the overall quality of wrapper has improved (particularly since 2005), I wince at the trend in some lines. let me explain my thoughts.

Good quality darker wrappers certainly enhance cigars such as Monte's. Yet there are others such as the Juan Lopez Seleccion 1/HDM Epicure 1/LGC/ that really benefit from a shiny, oily colorado/claro wrapper.

It is rare these days that I see high quality claro/colorado wrappers on anything. I love seeing them on Esplendidos, Winstons, Lanceros, SLRDC etc.

Now in the main these cigars above are being produced with colorado shade wrappers, but the quality in terms of oils/sheen are missing.

I do miss that beautiful light tan shiny tensile wrappers. I am just not seeing them that often.

Where have they gone? Is it an intentional change born of market demand?

Just thinking out loud but would love to know of your experience.

[Bolismoker]

I think I would agree that darker overall. But more of a trend toward a rosado than a Maduro. What I've really noticed over the last decade or so is thicker wrappers. Back in the mid late 90's the wrappers were so thin and delicate. Then around 2000 thick and non flammable. Nowadays they seem to be in the middle. I totally agree about oils/sheen and IMHO the newer style wrappers have lost a richness in flavor and mouth feel. My .02

[nonameno]

_{Hi Prez,}

_{I agree completely! I had some Juan Lopez No2 with ligh claro wrappers that were wonderful, from 2008. I have several boxes now from 2011 and they all have the darker wrappers, and while they are very good cigars, the flavor profile has shifted somewhat away from a grahm cracker to more earthy.}

_{Thank you,}

_Curtiss

[CaptainQuintero]

It's not something I've checked into hugely but also that classic Sancho Panza rustic wrapper seems to not be prevalent on their cigars anymore, granted when the molinos went I lost interest in the marca :/

Unless its just a blip in the small number I've seen

[anacostiakat]

Agree Rob. They are getting darker in general although the overaall quality since 2005 that you speak of is better. I really prefer a lighter claro/colorado wrapper.

[petey]

Definitely more boxes with darker wrappers now than 10-20 years ago. I thought in-part because of the 'maduro' craze that came along with the boom 12-14 years ago. Never thought I would see a Cohiba produced with dark wrappers (intentional, of course) but they did wth the Secreto, etc. Even the D4s have some boxes that are very dark and while they do make a great presentation, I still prefer the golden (not insipid) and oily, colorado. For me, I think the darker wrappers tend to mute some flavor. I'll stick with my dark coffee and colorado cigars.

[mikek]

Even the cigars that come out of Dominican Republic,Hondures,andNicaragua are darker.Thirty years back it was common to see about 60% more Claro,Conneticut and Colorado. Now you hardley ever see them at all and when you do they arnt the same quality! Alot of Oscuro,Maduro,and A dark Habano from all over Mexico and South America,packing A whole lot of spice! I think the wraper is about 70% of the cigars flavour and body.

The only non CC I smoke are Padron they grow all there own wrapper and Ashton Vsg,very good cigars!

[Smallclub]

I think the wraper is about 70% of the cigars flavour and body.

Are you serious? Have you tried to unroll the wrapper on a cigar that you know well? Does it change drastically the taste?

I have a box of RyJ Cazadores with very dark, almost black wrappers; I often remove it on several centimeters because it doesn't burn well, and the change in flavors is very little noticeable, it can hardly be quantified.

Is it different with NCs? Maybe, but we're talking habanos here.

[Smallclub]

that classic Sancho Panza rustic wrapper seems to not be prevalent on their cigars anymore,

In my experience the rustic wrapper (greenish, greyish, veiny, crumpled/wrinkled, etc) has virtually disappeared, except on short filler vitolas (Quinteros, etc.). I don't miss it!

[...]

Honest question here - could the actual involvement of the wrapper in the cigar flavor be different depending on the taste profile?

Let me explain: from what I have experienced (anecdotal only), some cigars with floral aroma and sweet flavors tend to loose the sweetness and part of the floral aroma when the wrapper is removed. Could the wrapper affect to a great deal some specific flavors and to a small extent other specific flavors?

I assume different wrappers will have different tastes.

I also assume wrappers are selected depending on its taste, for each blend, according to its role within the blend's final taste.

Example: cigar A relies on the wrapper for 70% of its sweetness, 30% of the leathery taste and 10% of stonefruit caracter

cigar B relies on the wrapper for 20% of its sweetness....

I also assume you can create the same cigar profile with different components just by adapting the ratio of the various components. Such technique has been used for ages with cognacs and blended whiskey, varying the ratio of spirits within the blend every year to accomodate for vintages' fluctuating characteristics...

Opinions?

[LGC]

In general, they have become darker and thicker based on boxes that I have bought. Personally, I prefer a golden, claro-colorado wrapper on most of my cigars when young (with an oily sheen). Some cigars like Bolivar and RA (certain vitolas), tend to come with darker wrappers in general.

[Dbone]

I do miss that beautiful light tan shiny tensile wrappers. I am just not seeing them that often.

Me too, Pres. However when I'm with friends and hand out some cigars to smoke and they see the dark oily wrappers, they are quite impressed... the laymen. I can assume that's the reaction Habanos is shooting for. Mission accomplished.

[Dbone]

Honest question here - could the actual involvement of the wrapper in the cigar flavor be different depending on the taste profile?

Let me explain: from what I have experienced (anecdotal only), some cigars with floral aroma and sweet flavors tend to loose the sweetness and part of the floral aroma when the wrapper is removed. Could the wrapper affect to a great deal some specific flavors and to a small extent other specific flavors?

I assume different wrappers will have different tastes.

I also assume wrappers are selected depending on its taste, for each blend, according to its role within the blend's final taste.

Example: cigar A relies on the wrapper for 70% of its sweetness, 30% of the leathery taste and 10% of stonefruit caracter

cigar B relies on the wrapper for 20% of its sweetness....

I also assume you can create the same cigar profile with different components just by adapting the ratio of the various components. Such technique has been used for ages with cognacs and blended whiskey, varying the ratio of spirits within the blend every year to accomodate for vintages' fluctuating characteristics...

Opinions?

The way I always have looked at the wrapper is not much different than the thin layer of chocolate on a snickers bar. It's less than 5% of the makeup but you take it away and it's not a snickers bar anymore. Maybe not the best example but the wrapper does touch your lips, sloppy or not, and you taste that. I have removed the wrapper here on FOH and posted the results. It does taste different.... the smoke really doesn't change but the taste on the lips and tongue does and to me that plays a big part into the finish. Maybe placebo, maybe not.... just one mans opinion.

[CaptainQuintero]

In my experience the rustic wrapper (greenish, greyish, veiny, crumpled/wrinkled, etc) has virtually disappeared, except on short filler vitolas (Quinteros, etc.). I don't miss it!

Those grey, fuzzy mottled wrapped were wonderful on a molinos no idea how they impacted on flavour but I have very fond memories of them, just the sight of the things made me imagine I was in a cowboy film or some other dusty olde time era, ahhhh miss the molinos so much lol

When I saw the clean brown wrappers on the Spanish and German REs I cried a little inside

[...]

Those grey, fuzzy mottled wrapped were wonderful on a molinos no idea how they impacted on flavour but I have very fond memories of them, just the sight of the things made me imagine I was in a cowboy film or some other dusty olde time era, ahhhh miss the molinos so much lol

When I saw the clean brown wrappers on the Spanish and German REs I cried a little inside

You know what they say: 'Out with the old in with the new'

There is no stopping progress (although progress doesn't always mean improvement) and it can be a burden getting set in one's ways. Imagine if Cuba stopped producing cigar tobacco and you had to switch to Dominican... Most people would get used to it. It would take time and cause lots of tears but so does life

[ogus]

Those grey, fuzzy mottled wrapped were wonderful on a molinos no idea how they impacted on flavour but I have very fond memories of them, just the sight of the things made me imagine I was in a cowboy film or some other dusty olde time era, ahhhh miss the molinos so much lol

When I saw the clean brown wrappers on the Spanish and German REs I cried a little inside

Capt Q come on over I have a box of unopened Molinos waiting to investigated.

[SCgarman]

The RASS is by far my favorite cigar. The best boxes have had lighter chestnut brown/ Colorado claro wrappers and I cant get used to seeing a RASS wrapped in a super dark wrapper. I know most of this is psychological, but hey we all have perceptions of what our favorite cigar should always look like.

[ajgagnon]

I think they are getting darker as well, both on purpose (i.e. LEs) and for regular production (like for RASS, as NYC says, PSD4, etc). I suspect this is because of changes to the seed/genetic selection. I can only wonder if the reduction in disease susceptibility has been purely positive or come at a trade-off.

My recollection of cigars from the 90's is probably tainted by the draw problems in those days. Also, some have always seemed smoother than others (HDM, for example) while others darker (Boli) and most of the rest varied (outside of my ability to keep track due to limited smoking and budget).

[cigaraholic]

I admit I'm a dark wrapper lover, but I like to match the wrapper color with the body of the cigar. With PL, QdO and Cohiba I like a medium shade, but full bodied smokes I want a dark shade. Show me a light shade wrapper on a Partagas and I'll show you a POS.

I'm very happy to hear Rob saying that wrapper shades are darkening, he looks at a few more boxes a month than I do.

For me in 05 and 06 most cigars I got have beautiful dark wrappers. 07 was either very dark or very light, 08 was stunning with everybody having deep color. Then the bland years, 09, 10 and 11, 3 years of pale faces. 12 and 13 have returned to the deeper shades that I love.

I hope 14 keeps it going!