Last week, Tyler from Billings, Montana asked what we mean when he hears us talking about Maduro, or Colorado wrappers.
Cigar Basics:
Before we go into what a wrapper is, specifically, let us first talk briefly about cigar anatomy in general. All cigars have three basic parts:
- Filler
- Binder
- Wrapper
The wrapper, which we are talking about today, is the outermost leaf, and what you will be holding onto in between your fingers as you smoke.
Cigar Wrapper Types:
The leaves used for wrappers, are grown for the singular purpose of being a wrapper. It is most often the top most leaves of the plant that are selected, as these carry the most flavor.
From lightest to darkest, the four main types of cigar wrappers come from these strains of tobacco:
- Connecticut
- Corojo
- Habano
- Maduro
Cigar Colors:
Here’s where the question gets a little complicated. Colorado, in the context of this question, is not a strain of tobacco, but a color associated with the leaf wrapper.
In other words, multiple tobacco strains can be considered a “Colorado leaf” depending how they are aged and cured.
Some of the more common cigar colorations (from lightest to darkest) are:
- Candela
- Claro
- Colorado
- Oscuro
The color associated with the cigar is achieved through different growing, curing and/or fermentation processes that the leaf goes through in its lifetime.
Although, generally speaking, the color of the outer leaf (especially lighter leaves) does correlate to flavor, this is not always the case. So stay adventurous in your choices, you may find a light bodied Oscuro you can’t live without.
To find out some more information about wrapper specifics, and learn more about all the factors considered when blending a cigar, check out Bet Your Ash episode 62 featuring Tabac Cigar founder Patrick Potter.
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