Wrap that up Dept: Cigar wrappers and flavors

Is a smoke (Rudyard Kipling). Smoking has been around since the beginning of time but insofar as more recent times the home of both rum and cigars - a wonderful combination - remains the Caribbean. If you can't find a Cuban, you might try an expatriate smoke like one from Gran Papi Rodriguez and Family in Key West.
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Capn Jimbo
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Wrap that up Dept: Cigar wrappers and flavors

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Finding your own taste profile...


...is related to the "wrapper" (as opposed to the long filler or rougher binders. Yes, those of us who part with serious money for a cigar, say $8+, expect the cigar to have a wonderfully smooth wrapper, just the right amount of give, to light and smoke well, with a great tight, long ash, et al. But give most cigar smokers a choice and a great taste makes up for a lot of lesser issues. Ergo this post:
  • 1. Candela or Double Claro: greenish, with leafy aroma, with tastes of grass, cedar, and pepper with a little bit of sweetness.

    2. Connecticut or Claro: usually shade grown from Connecticut seed, and that produce tastes of grass, cream, butter, black or white pepper, coffee, cedar, and many others. If you get a bit of ammonia, the cigar needs some aging. Consider Claro wrappers "dry", with little inherent sweetness.

    3. Natural or EMS (English Market Selection): a bit darker, more mature when picked, sometimes NOT shade grown, for tastes that are a bit sweeter with a fuller spice profile and some additional notes of cedar, coffee, bread, and sometimes earth. The term "natural" is misused by some companies and may refer to any of the above.

    4. Carojo: originally from Cuba's valued Veulto Abajo region, with a spicy, robust taste with notes of black pepper, earth, leather, cocoa, and cedar. Distinct reddish brown, sometimes mistaken for Maduro.

    5. Criollo: means "native seed", perhaps the historical original wrapper, slightly milder than Corojo wrappers, but still have a bit of pepper in the flavor profile. Other notes include cocoa, cedar, bread, nuts, and a bit of sweetness.

    6. Sumatra: from Sumatran seed, a sweeter wrapper with cinnamon, earth, floral notes, and a slightly sweet aftertaste. Often found in flavored cigars for its mildness (which doesn't interfere with the flavor).

    7. Habano: darker and spicier yet, often grown in Nicaragua for their fuller cigars with tastes of bread, intense spice, leather, cocoa, espresso, and cedar. These are high nicotine wrappers, beware.

    Note: apparently all of the above may be marketed as "natural", as opposed to the maker's "maduro" lines.

    8. Maduro: means "ripe" in Spanish, the green leaves are aged and fermented for 45 days, or sometimes much more. These are truly delicious cigars, sometimes called "dessert cigars" for their tastes of dark chocolate, coffee, brown sugar, caramel, molasses, black pepper, dried fruit, black cherry, and sometimes even a boozy taste, depending on how they are aged. I love Maduros, a rich brown with high natural sugars. A thicker wrapper.

    9. Oscuro or Double Maduro, or Maduro Maduro: much more aging for a very dark color, even more richness and sweetness. Same tastes of Maduro (above) but with more strength and richness.

    Note: Double or even Triple Maduro may also refer to a cigar with the wrapper, binder and or filler all of maduro.

    10. Camaroon: most often from Africa, grainy and rustic leaves (called "toothy"), but still delicate and hard to ferment into Maduros (but this can be done, eg Oliva Serie G Maduros are made from Camaroon wrappers). The straight ahead Camaroon wrappers is exceptionally rich and smooth with tastes of nclude butter, black pepper, leather, and toast. Arturo Fuente in general, but especially the Hemingway series. For a Cammie Maddie consider the Oliva Serie G Maduro or the Fuente Cuban Corona Maduro.

    11. Rosado: rare, expensive and means "pinkish" or "reddish". More a novelty for those with money to spend, get variable reviews. Tastes of cedar, coffee, earth, and pepper (common tastes, see earlier listings).

As for me: I like a good Camaroon wrapper, but some of the most memorable cigars have been Maduros, ergo the combination a Maduro Camaroon can be amazing. Try the Oliva Serie G Maduro Robusto. I intend to see if I can find a Double Maduro Camaroon.



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Special Credit to:
http://www.cigarbox.net/cigar-info/wrappers/
For the anal retentive:
http://www.cigarcyclopedia.com/images/s ... 111409.pdf
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