Even after a year or more of smoking cigars, there is always something new to learn. Understanding the cigars wrapper, and how it affects the taste of the cigar, is knowledge all "stogie" smokers should know. Do you understand the differences between the Candela, Natural, Colorado Claro and Maduro wrappers? Do you know the different flavors each adds to the cigar? If you answered "No" then sit back, relax and absorb the information in this article. If you answered "Yes," well, I have some advanced information that's specifically for you.
We all know what color to expect when we walk into our favorite tobacco shops -- brown. Tans, light browns to the unmistakable dark brown, almost black, of the Maduro wrappers -- all begging to be bought. What you don't see much of anymore, is the color green. Yes, I said green. The Candela wrapper has a green tint due to the way it is cured. It is a very mild cigar and does not add much to the flavor of the cigar. The Candela wrapper at one time was a favorite among American cigar smokers, but less and less of them are seen on the shelves.
Wrappers that are light brown are known as Natural. Natural wrappers stay light brown because they are grown under special cloth that shades them from the sun. Exposure to the sun darkens tobacco leaves. Fully matured leaves, perfect harvesting and curing methods give the leaf its shiny light brown look. You can expect the smooth flavor of the Natural wrapper to mix well with the other components of the cigar; meaning it will neither overpower nor succumb to the flavor of the filler and binder.
Light brown wrappers with a reddish tint are called Colorado Claro. One specific Colorado Claro leaf is Cameroon. These leaves are darker than Natural leaves and provide more flavor to the cigar. Tom Cottom, the Tobacco Barn's cigar and pipe aficionado, had this to say about the Cameroon wrapper,
"After the United State couldn't get Cuban cigars due to the embargo, most of the premium cigar wrappers, in the 60s, were coming from the African nation of Cameroon. People liked this wrapper because it gave a lot of flavor (nutty, spicy) and it wasn't too strong. Because Cameroon was a nation plagued by drought and war, the Cameroon wrapper was transported to different countries to be harvested – mainly the Canary Islands. Today most Cameroon wrappers are grown outside of Cameroon." Thanks Tom.
The Maduro wrapper is what separates the "noobies" from the veterans. The darkness of the wrapper sticks out like a soar thumb. But why is the leaf so dark? The darkness of the leaf is an effect of the curing process Maduro leaves endure. It is a rigorous process of applying heat to draw out the leaf's oils and then letting it sit allowing the oils retract back into the leaf. This process is done more than once and only the toughest of leaves can endure this process. The oils turn to sugar which fills the Maduro wrapper with sweetness and a full-bodied flavor that will knock your socks off if smoked on an empty stomach.
Darker than the Maduro wrapper are the double and triple Maduro. The process to make these cigars are the same as the Maduro wrapper. The only difference is that the process if repeated more times. Each cycle of the process leaves the wrapper darker and with a fuller-body.
Natural, Colorado Claro and Maduro are the most popular wrappers. Each has its own unique qualities and a seasoned smoker enjoys all three for this reason. The smooth flavor of the Natural leaf pairs perfect with a cup of coffee in the morning. The red-tinted wrapper of the Colorado Claro will tantalize your taste buds with the perfect mix of nutty and spicy flavors. And a glass of dessert wine and a Maduro cigar is the perfect ending to any dinner. Memorize this information and see if you can't guess the flavors of a cigar by examining the wrapper before you smoke it.
