You may know that cigars are typically made up of three different types of tobacco leaves. These variations in composition are what determines the smoking and flavor quality and character of a cigar. In this article, we’ll take a look at the cigar wrappers.
The outermost leaves of a cigar is referred to as the wrapper. Obviously, these leaves are taken from the widest portion of the tobacco plant. The wrapper of a cigar has a lot tod do with the ultimate character and flavor of the smoke. Also, since this is the exterior of the cigar, it’s color is what is most often used to describe the type fo the cigar. as a whole. Colors are designated as follows, from lightest to darkest:
A Double Claro is the lightest cigar wrapper color. It has a slightly greenish tint to it. This wrapper color comes from the tobacco being picked early, before maturity, and then being dried quickly. This wrapper type is also referred to as Candela or Jade. Sometimes it’s called American Market Selection since the US state of Connecticut is a common source for this type of tobacco.
A Claro wrapper has a light tan or brown with perhaps a hint of a yellow tint. This color is achieved by the tobacco growers by growing the tobacco plants in a shaded location to full maturity. Claro wrappers are known for their smooth flavor and silky texture. Many fine Cuban cigars use this type of wrapper
A Natural wrapper is a light brown color. This is the natural color of tobacco grown in the full sun. This wrapper is a lot like the Claro but is darker due to exposure to sunlight.
A Colorado Claro wrapper is darker than a Claro and has a reddish hue to it. This wrapper is sometimes referred to as an English Market Selection. This wrapper has more flavor than the Claro or Natural wrappers. I would describe it as a spiced nut flavor.
A Colorado wrapper, which is also called Rosado or Corojo, has a reddish-brown color. The tobacco leaf has an oily texture and is thus very aromatic. The flavor from this wrapper is hard to describe but is known for a vibrant array of flavors during the smoke. These range from earthy to coffee to vanilla, sort of a sweet and subtle spicy flavor.
The Colorado Maduro wrapper is a dark brown wrapper still with a hint of red in it. The darker color comes from sun ripening. Like the regular Colorado this wrapper also has a full bodied flavor that offer up a tasty blend of flavors. This wrapper color is sometimes called Dark English Market Selection.
The Maduro wrapper is very dark brown wrapper and is from time to time referred to as a Spanish Market Selection. The dark color comes from extra sun ripening and higher temperature fermentation. Due to this lengthy process Maduro cigars are somewhat rarer. The Maduro wrapper imparts a full bodied, rich and spicy, flavor. It may be a bit too bold for a novice cigar smoker but connoisseurs often seek them out.
The Oscuro wrapper is an oily black. It’s processing is much like the Maduro but carried out even further. In fact, it’s sometimes called a Double Maduro. The flavor of the Oscuro is very rich and spicy and probably wouldn’t be the best choice for the cigar novice. Also, like the Maduro, these cigars aren’t as common and are often sought by cigar connoisseurs.
3 Comments
Great article. However, there are a few things to consider. The wrapper can have a lot to do with the overall flavor and character of the cigar. However, this depends entirely on the entire blend as a whole. Many wrappers are overpowered by the binder and filler combination, while other wrappers tend to be the most flavorful leaf. Also, it is very important to know that the darker the wrapper does not mean the stronger the cigar. Again, this entirely depends on the type of leaf…the priming, the number of fermentations, etc. Normally, a darker leaf (maduro, oscuro, etc) will be mellower in flavor, smoothing out a blend and making it more balanced and tame. On the other hand, spicy wrappers are normally Corojo, Habano-seed, and sun-grown leaves…to name a few. Maduro does not denote spice or strength…it simply means ripe in Spanish.
Thanks for stopping by Sungrown and for your additions to this topic.
I try to steer novices away from the maduros since I’ve seen a few folks turn a shade or two green when they tried to smoke them. Of course, that could have been that particular cigar.
My own preference tends toward natural and Colorado so I guess the article reflects my preferences somewhat.
Hey, anytime. I am a cigar geek and appreciate any literature posted about them.
It was more than likely the cigar that made them green…more specifically, the leaves beneath the maduro wrapper. There are various fillers used in cigars, ranging in a wide variety of strength levels. Additionally, there are three levels of tobacco (based on the leaf’s position on the plant) - viso, seco, and ligero. Ligero is the highest set of leaves, and receive the most sunlight. This extra sunlight provides the leaf with more nutrients and, in turn, more flavor and strength. If a novice tries to enjoy a cigar with ample ligero, they will likely become punch drunk…regardless of the wrapper coating the outside of the cigar.