|
|
WEDNESDAY 13 DECEMBER, 2006 | 
Cigar Wrapper
by Administrator
Cigar wrappers
The wrapper of a cigar is your first clue of what lies
waiting inside. Apart from its aesthetic appeal, the wrapper is said to
contribute the majority of a cigar’s flavor. It should be a fine veined,
unblemished leaf of considerable thickness and slightly oiled texture. These are
the most costly and sought after leaves, not only for reasons of taste but also
for their importance in holding the finished bunch and binder together in good
form. For this purpose they must be very supple and elastic.
Some accounts attribute as little as 10% of the volume of a
cigar and as much as 70% of the cost to the wrapper but this is easily justified
because experienced smokers make their choices based upon appealing aroma,
texture and appearance.
Wrapper leaf is classed quite simply in Spanish by color.
Doble Claro which is light and still green, Claro for pale brown, Natural for
light brown to brown, Colorado for reddish brown, Maduro which means ripe, and
Oscuro for dark. The darker the wrapper, the fuller the body and sweeter the
flavor. Commonly, darker shaded cigars are more desirable. The quality of
workability is known for the region in which the plant is grown.
The process of achieving these different color qualities is
much more complicated than the names will ever tell.
Shade grown tobacco refers to plants grown beneath a tent.
Shade growing assures a smoother leaf but gives up flavor in return. Connecticut
shade grown is one of the most sought after wrapper leaves because they develop
to a rich brown, are extremely supple and smooth, yet impart a decent level of
sweetness and aroma. Connecticut seeds grown in Honduras and Ecuador are even
more flavorful.
Connecticut is also an excellent source for sun grown
Maduro leaf. The sun and extra growing time produces more sugars resulting in
darker brown color after fermentation, rich, strong flavor and a mild aroma. The
trade off is a thicker and more markedly veined wrapper that is still very
workable.
Oscuro wrappers grown in Brazil and Mexico are the darkest
of all wrapper leaf. These are matured and fermented the longest, imparting
strong flavor and sweetness. Because of short supply, these tobaccos are seldom
used but oft times counterfeited by working maduro leaf through interesting
processes of adding sugars and raising the fermentation temperatures. In short,
cheating.
Such is the pressure of the market to demand perfection at
a nearly affordable price.
Growers and manufacturers are continually experimenting
with other bona fide means to naturally produce wrapper leaf of desirable
traits. One practice is to plant seeds indigenous to one region or country in
the soil and climate of another. This is most commonly done in an attempt to
duplicate or improve the popular but limited Maduro wrapper or perhaps improve
upon the properties of Connecticut shade grown. This is the reason smokers
paying close attention will have noticed an increase in double origin labels.
Dominican, Connecticut would mean a Connecticut seed grown in the Dominican
Republic. To further complicate things, this could well be a shade seed grown in
the sun. This is a slow and arduous task of mix and match.
Where the smoker is involved, the point is to understand
there is an extremely complex process at work to deliver a time honored, art
form for his enjoyment.
Probably the best
recommendation to follow would be to educate one’s self in aspects interesting
to your indulgence of a good smoke while leaving dependability at the hands of
manufacturers with a clear tradition built upon excellence. Just like a good
cigar, the world can be more relaxing that way.
News archive
|
|
