A cigar wrapper is not just one more component to the cigar – it carries most of the taste of the cigar and almost all of the aesthetic appeal of the cigar. In fact, publications such as The Cigar Encyclopedia and Cigar Aficionado show that the packaging is responsible for 60% or more of a cigar’s taste and value.
With more wrappers being released than ever before, understanding their style and terminology has never been more important. Fortunately, understanding these intricacies is easy with minimal effort so that you can select online the Buy cheap cigarettes store to satisfy your smoking needs.
The following ten points will help you understand, identify and discuss most of the cigar wrappers available today.
1. The Vein Concept
When blind tasting a cigar, lovers will see the veins on the wrapper. For wrappers grown in the shade, the smaller and finer the veins, the higher the quality of the tobacco leaf. The wrap should be thick enough and feel oily – indicating that the wrap is not dry or crumbly. Typically, cigar packs are at least a year or two old, and the longer they age the smoother they will be.
2. Understanding Shade Grown vs. Sun Grown
The tobacco plant specially grown for wrapping under a shady awning is called Shade Grown. The reason these leaves are planted in the shade is to keep the surface smooth and prevent the veins from becoming too large. Leaves that grow directly in the sun, however, are forced to be heat resistant and grow thick with more veins. In contrast to Shade Grown wrappers, tobacco grown in direct sunlight, which is called Sun Grown, produces a thick, dark-colored wrap. If planted properly, the Sun Grown wrap will be sweeter.
3.American Market Standard (AMS) Packaging
Once popular in the United States, this wrapper is light green in color and has acidic characteristics. They are sometimes referred to as Candela, Jade, and Double Claro. Due to their uneven and sour color, they are out of favor with today’s tastes.
4.British Market Standard Packaging (EMS)
The British Market Standard has its roots in the 19th century and is the benchmark for most cigar packs produced today. It includes the terms Claro, Colorado, and Natural (in order from lighter to darker). The wrappers in this group are grown in Cuba, Cameroon, and Connecticut.
5. Why Are Two Countries Sometimes Referenced?
As the number of creative cigar makers grows, experimenting with growing different tobacco seeds in different regions is becoming more common. It’s not uncommon to find wrappers labeled Dominican Sumatra, or Ecuadorian Connecticut. In the case of Dominica Sumatra, this means Sumatran tobacco seeds have been transferred to Ecuador and planted there. The first country is always the place where the packaging is planted, and the second country is the place of origin of the seeds.
6. Sumatra
Sumatran wraps are grown in Indonesia and usually have a softer, more neutral taste. The color is dark brown with a hint of spices and a sweet aroma.
7. The Connecticut Shade Wrap
Perhaps the silkiest of all wraps, the Connecticut Shade wrap is easy to recognize for its light golden brown color. They are light in weight and have very inconspicuous veins. For more flavor, look for seeds grown in Honduras or the volcanic soil of Ecuador.
8. Maduro Leaf Width
These sun-grown leaves are grown in Connecticut, Honduras, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Brazil. As one would expect from the Maduro method, it is very dark in color with a rich, sweet taste and aroma. Although the wrap is thick and veined, a well-made wrap will have a velvety texture.
9. Claro
It is synonymous with Jade wrapping. They are light in color and can even be slightly green. The harder they are to find, they become lighter with a slightly sour taste.
10. Cameroon
African-bred Cameroonian wrappers are becoming increasingly popular with cigar makers, who have developed an appreciation for their spicy taste and sweet aroma. It is dark brown in color and can be found in cigars made by Alec Bradley, Arturo Fuente, and La Aurora, among others.
To be sure, you will recognize many of the above terms from your experience with cigars to date. They are usually used as part of the name of the cigar and are often referred to by cigar dealers and magazines. Now that you are equipped with this arsenal, you can more freely explore the wide variety of flavors, aromas, and visual aesthetics available in cigars, and perhaps describe your preferences more accurately.
For those of you who are interested in exploring cigars for the first time, selecting a few cigarettes that each embody one of the above concepts is a great starting point.
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