Cigar Wrappers: Judging a Cigar by its Cover

[Jimmy2]

Cigar Wrappers: Judging a Cigar by its Cover

Source: Blogcritics.org

It may seem superficial, judging a cigar based on what it looks like on the outside. After all, we are led to believe that it is what’s on the inside that really counts. This may be true with some things - people, novels, Tootsie Pops - but when it comes to cigars, the outside is as important as the inside. You can judge a cigar, at least in part, by its wrapper.

The cigar wrapper, in simple terms, is made up of outermost leaves, composed from the broadest part of the tobacco plant. It is often the first thing people notice- a wrapper that is cracked or damaged will ruin a cigar’s reputation faster than Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky in the Oval Office - and it plays a role in the flavor of the cigar: the wrapper also partly sets the tone for how the cigar is described.

Cigar wrappers are designated often by color, sometimes being labeled “dark” or “light” and sometimes being labeled by more specific terms. Overall, the most common cigar wrappers are as follows:

Double Claro - Grown in Connecticut, this cigar wrapper is very light with a hint of green. It is made from tobacco leaves that are picked before they mature and dried quickly. Sometimes Double Claro wrappers are also called American Market Selection, Jade, or Candela. They are typically thought of as bland wrappers, lacking much flavor and possessing little ability to affect the overall cigar experience.

Claro or Natural - Grown under a cheesecloth, used to place a barrier between the tobacco leaf and the sun, Claro or Natural wrappers are dried slowly, resulting in a tan-like color. The flavor produced is silky, delicate, pronounced, and smooth. Not overly demanding, the wrapper is still light enough that its flavor doesn’t overpower the tobacco inside the cigar.

Colorado Claro - Often grown in Cuba or the Dominican Republic - and not in Denver as the name insinuates - these wrappers are medium brown, sometimes with hints of red. Flavorful, these wrappers bring hints of spice and nut to the cigar.

Colorado - Easily recognizable, like a red-headed stepchild of the cigar industry, this wrapper is known to produce an exceptional and unique flavor with its red, oily wrapper. Like many wrappers, this one is also grown in Connecticut.

Maduro - Dark brown to almost black in color, these wrappers produce a sweet, full, and rich flavor. Made from tobacco leaves that are aged as long as possible, the Maduro wrapper is mature, full of oils and often visible bumps and veins.

Oscuro - Also called Double Maduro, these wrappers are black in color and have an oily appearance. Adaptable to many environments, they are grown in Connecticut, Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, and Nicaragua and produce rich, distinct, and spice-filled flavor. Like the Maduro, they often possess obvious bumps and veins.

There are exceptions, but most smokers agree that the lighter the wrapper the more mild the flavor; some very light wrappers may seem to have no flavor at all. On the other end of the spectrum, the darker the wrapper, the stronger and sweeter the flavor. This is usually because darker wrappers ferment longer, allowing for more sugars and oils to seep in. Still, even the darkest wrappers know their place; they will rarely stand up and overthrow the flavor of the filler tobacco in a quest to be heard or, rather, tasted.

Like anything subjective, the amount of flavor a wrapper adds to a cigar is not without controversy. Some cigar experts argue that the wrapper greatly affects the flavor, while others believe that it makes up for less than 20 percent of the overall taste. Not as dramatic as the Cuban Cigar dilemma, this lots of flavor versus less flavor argument succeeds in little more than wrapping people up in unneeded debate: taste, simply, is individually-based.

Whether you believe that wrappers plays a large role in a cigar’s flavor or no role at all, they are still important. If, for no other reason, it’s because something has to keep the guts of the cigar from escaping. And that, my friends, is a wrap…per.

Source: Blogcritics.org

[habanablue]

Jimmy, glad you are acknowledging your sources!! :-D

Don't know If I agree with all presented, some lighter wrapper cigars have knocked my socks off, but some nice info regardless...

[jqmunro]

» Jimmy, glad you are acknowledging your sources!! :-D

»

» Don't know If I agree with all presented, some lighter wrapper cigars have

» knocked my socks off, but some nice info regardless...

Yes, I agree; and hence wrapper color has absolutely nothing to do with flavor.

[Mel]

Whole thing sounds like racial profiling to me. I've seen this argued quite a bit with little resolution.

[jqmunro]

» Whole thing sounds like racial profiling to me. I've seen this argued

» quite a bit with little resolution.

And the common denominator is that the color of the wrapper means little in terms of flavor, taste, etc... As much as aesthetics is an important part of the cigar smoking experience, I think a lot of us try to incorrectly predict the taste based on the appearance

[Mel]

» » Whole thing sounds like racial profiling to me. I've seen this

» argued

» » quite a bit with little resolution.

»

» And the common denominator is that the color of the wrapper means little

» in terms of flavor, taste, etc... As much as aesthetics is an important

» part of the cigar smoking experience, I think a lot of us try to

» incorrectly predict the taste based on the appearance

It is not just human nature to judge abook by the cover but basic nature itself. Even the animals judge each other by their looks. Female birds select mates based on display of colors and behaviors and antlered animals evaluate each other based on size. Pretty, sexy and smooth sells all the time.

[jqmunro]

» » » Whole thing sounds like racial profiling to me. I've seen this

» » argued

» » » quite a bit with little resolution.

» »

» » And the common denominator is that the color of the wrapper means

» little

» » in terms of flavor, taste, etc... As much as aesthetics is an

» important

» » part of the cigar smoking experience, I think a lot of us try to

» » incorrectly predict the taste based on the appearance

»

» It is not just human nature to judge abook by the cover but basic nature

» itself. Even the animals judge each other by their looks. Female birds

» select mates based on display of colors and behaviors and antlered animals

» evaluate each other based on size. Pretty, sexy and smooth sells all the

» time.

I was hoping that humans would be able to transcend the basic animal instincts and make more complex judgements. It seems I expect too much from ourselves

[kjellfrick]

» I was hoping that humans would be able to transcend the basic animal

» instincts and make more complex judgements. It seems I expect too much

» from ourselves

Aye, that you do, methinks. If I was to put up a picture of a nice girl, where would your eyes go? If I put a not so nice girl beside her, where would your eyes go?