Cigar Wrappers

When searching for a cigar at your local Tobacconist you may see many different cigars in many different colors. Which cigar is the right one for your palate and what are the differences between all of them?

The difference between cigar wrappers are:

1.       the color

2.       the taste

3.       the origin

4.       the way they were cured

Cigar wrappers are the outermost part of the cigar, it is the part you see, and often the part that makes you judge the cigar. Typically the wrapper is telling of the rest of the cigar; things like if its humidified correctly and if it is to your flavor liking. Due to technology today many wrappers have been created today by creating seeds for different conditions, and also planting seeds in their nonnative areas. Even though there are a plethora of different cigar wrappers they are classified to seven categories.

Color	Description
Double Claro	very light, slightly greenish (also called Candela, American Market Selection or jade); achieved by picking leaves before maturity and drying quickly, the color coming from retained green; formerly popular, now rare. The Double Claro or “American Market Selection (AMS)” or “Candela” or “Jade” (see it is already confusing). The Double Claro is a very light wrapper; it has a green color to it. This is not a very popular wrapper used today, possibly because it is lacking in any flavor. It is grown in Connecticut and is picked before it ripens and is dried quickly. When this wrapper is used it is the filler and binder that control the flavor.
Claro	very light tan or yellowish. Indicative of shade-grown tobacco. The claro is a light colored resembling beige, tan or khaki. This leaf is shade grown, and is dried slowly. The seed for this plant is a Connecticut seed and is typically grown in Connecticut or Ecuador. The flavor of this wrapper is usually described as silky, smooth, and mild. This type of wrapper has been growing in popularity due to its ability to bring in new smokers.
Colorado Claro	medium brown, includes Natural and English Market Selection A light brown coloring. Fairly aromatic leaf, has bolder flavors than the Claro and Double Claro. The typical flavors for a colorado claro is spicy and nutty.
Colorado	Distinctive reddish-brown (also called Rosado or Corojo) The Colorado is an easily identifiable wrapper as it has a reddish hue. It has many vibrant flavors and aromas with its oily wrapper.
Colorado Maduro	darker brown; often associated with African wrapper from Cameroon, and Honduran or Nicaraguan grown wrapper from Cuban seed. This wrapper has a darker brown shade than the colorado claro and is most often associated with the African tobacco Cameroon. The darker comes from sun ripening. The flavor profile for this wrapper is a full bodied that has an array of different flavors.
Maduro	Very dark brown or black; primarily grown in Connecticut, Mexico, Nicaragua and Brazil. The Maduro wrapper is another wrapper that has been growing in popularity because of its very dark brown color. The dark color is reached by a long aging and high temperature fermenting process. The wrapper is oily and has very bold flavors. Typically a full bodied smoke with rich and spicy flavors. Most Maduro wrappers have a sweet chocolaty flavor as well.
Oscuro	Very black, (also called Double Maduro), often oily in appearance; has become more popular in the 2000s; mainly grown in Cuba, Nicaragua, Brazil, Mexico, and Connecticut, USA. This has also been called a double maduro because of the black color to it. A very oily wrapper that is full of bold flavors, rich and spicy. These are usually a cigar that you have a meal beforehand or make sure your sitting down.

Posted in: 00 Cigar 101