If you are new to cigars, don’t worry, it’s not as confusing as it may seem. As long as you know some background information on cigar selection, you can become a knowledgeable cigar smoker in no time! We will be posting tips and explanations about cigar wrappers, sizes, cutting, lighting, storage, and much more. Today we will start with cigar wrappers.
The first thing you see when you look at a cigar is its tightly rolled wrapper. You examine the color and wonder why there are so many color characteristics. What do they all mean? Well, there are seven color classifications:
Double Claro – This is the lightest, even slightly green, shade wrapper and is achieved by picking before maturity. Also known as “American Market Selection” [AMS] or “Candela,” and is rarely found today, even though once popular.
Claro – This wrapper is light tan or yellowish and usualy indicates shade-grown tobacco. This is often grown in Connecticut or from Connecticut seeds in Ecuador.
Colorado Claro – This is a medium brown color found on a lot of cigars. The most popular are “Natural” or “English Market Selection” [EMS]. These wrappers are usually associated with Cuban or Dominican grown tobacco.
Colorado – These have a unique reddish-brown color.
Colorado Maduro – These wrappers are usually associated with Cuban, African, or Honduran grown tobacco and is a bit darker than the Colorado Claro.
Maduro – These are dark brown to very dark brown, sometimes almost black. Tobacco for Maduro wrappers are primarily grown in Connecticut, Mexico, Nicaragua and Brazil.
Oscuro – These wrappers have a black oily appearance and is the darkest wrapper of them all.
