Cameroon and Meerapfel tobacco - interviews and thoughts

[Lamboinee]

I love cameroon leaf and am fascinated with its origins as an alleged substitute for Cuban wrapper leaf as well as its currents use and development. I came across these interviews with a member of the Meerapfel family and thought I would see what the cc experts of FOH had to say about cameroon tobacco, it's similarities to cuban tobacco, and its general use in cigars. I would love to travel to cameroon! 

I need to wear more silk I think.

Of Note: 2:56 - interesting description of the farming operations in Cameroon with ambiguous ownership, no resources or technology, etc.  I wonder how the standard of living in Cam compares to Cuba, DR, Nic, and Hond?

https://www.cigaraficionado.com/video/Ms5n71uM/from-the-lounge-jeremiah-meerapfel-and-the-mysteries-of-cameroon-tobacco

https://www.cigaraficionado.com/video/kd6DR6kC/from-the-lounge-jeremiah-meerapfel-unveils-the-first-meerapfel-cigar-in-80-years

[brutusthebuckeye]

That guy is brutal!

Is he in character?

I would almost rather listen to James Suckling's phoney accent. 
 

[Fugu]

For me potentially the best wrapper leaf coming from outside Cuba, when done right, period. But delicate and tends to get easily brittle when aged.

Watched both interviews (thanks for posting @Lamboinee) and, given the man’s and his family’s fame, it’s amazing how one can be so verbose, yet say plain nothing. There’s no substantial information given here. Nothing new to learn, neither about the (current) wrapper, nor about Meerapfel’s new cigar (well, we learn a tad bit about the bands...) - sheesh!

Like brutus I had much preferred a written version....! haha 😂.

 

A very good bit to learn about Cameroon is here:

https://www.famous-smoke.com/cigaradvisor/5-things-about-cameroon-wrapper/amp

Another, much better source of information, an early - almost historic - CA-article from Suckling with substance (like him or not, he had always been good at research and gathering facts, at least back then), and capturing even more ‘atmosphere’ than those two pretentious interviews above, you find here:

https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/cest-lafrique-cameroon-wrapper-leaf-7446

[Arabian]

7 hours ago, brutusthebuckeye said:

That guy is brutal!

Is he in character?

I would almost rather listen to James Sucksling phoney accent. 
 

I thought he was about to cry in the first a few minutes...

[Lamboinee]

1 hour ago, Arabian said:

8 hours ago, brutusthebuckeye said:

That guy is brutal!

Is he in character?

I would almost rather listen to James Sucksling phoney accent. 
 

I thought he was about to cry in the first a few minutes...

I'm trying to give every benefit of the doubt since being interviewed on video can be difficult and since I am familiar with and respect the Meerapfel family's name and it's association with Cameroon tobacco. I imagine I could get emotional as well if I was talking about my family owned international business (maybe)..... however, the interviews are very melodramatic and actually made me pause to reconsider my love for Cameroon wrapper in light of the awkwardness of the interview.  My buddy compared him to darkwing duck. However, darkwing duck wore a cape rather than a silk shall. Idk what to think. I want to try his new cigars either way. 

[BrightonCorgi]

6 hours ago, Fugu said:

For me potentially the best wrapper leaf coming from outside Cuba, when done right,

100%.  Big fan of Cameroon wrapped cigars.

[OrangePaw]

8 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

100%.  Big fan of Cameroon wrapped cigars.

👍💜

[Hoepssa]

 

Big fan of Cameroon tobacco here ! 

[brutusthebuckeye]

Fuente Don Carlos are Cameroon wrapper correct?

I loved them back in the day. 
 

And like Fugu said very brittle when aged. 
I aged a box of DC robustos right around the time I got into CC’s circa 07/08 lol. 

[BrightonCorgi]

11 minutes ago, brutusthebuckeye said:

Fuente Don Carlos are Cameroon wrapper correct?

Yes, and the Hemingway series too.

[bmac]

The JRE Cameroon Lanceros are solid

[Cigar Surgeon]

13 minutes ago, bmac said:

The JRE Cameroon Lanceros are solid

You smoke a JRE Cameroon Lancero and you go: and it's only HOW MUCH?

Then you smoke a cigar that's twice as much and you ask yourself whether you're getting twice as much enjoyment out of it.

[Namisgr11]

The Oliva Series G is also is an enjoyable and inexpensive line with Cameroon (and Maduro) wrappers.

[Lamboinee]

9 hours ago, bmac said:

The JRE Cameroon Lanceros are solid

I'm a fan of the lot of the JRE stuff right now including their Cammi. They are great cigars and all the guys at JRE tobacco have been super friendly when I've met them at events. I find the aladinos have qualities and flavors reminiscent of some of my fave CC's.  I must point out, however, the JRE Cameroon is actually growing in Honduras rather than West Africa. Does that make it Hondoraroon Sumatra? True Cameroon? Sumatra? Something else? Idk. But they are good and I've got some lanceros aging as we speak. The non African cammi seems much more resilient and less prone to cracking than the original African Sumatra. 

 

Two other interesting cammi cigar facts: 1) the Ashton puro sol used to have a cammi wrapper until it switched to habano a couple years ago. It's still good, but I preferred the true cammi. 2) I used to be enamored with the La Aurora preferrido cammi.... But I recently learned that it is not a true African Cameroon rapper. Bummer.

 

[Lamboinee]

On 9/30/2022 at 8:16 PM, Hoepssa said:

Big fan of Cameroon tobacco here ! 

I may be repeating myself, but its worth it. I recently enjoyed the la galera jade Cameroon. I believe it's a Jochy Blanco blend. Tied with the aladino cammi for best new cammi imo. I also want to try the new uber $$$ meerapfel Cameroon. I can't imagine how vintage cammi wrappers hold up..... Good thing they don't have winter I'm Cameroon. I prob won't be smoking many cammis till the spring