Cigar Tobacco Growing Regions
Cigar
Tobacco-Growing Regions Cuba Cuban tobacco is
acknowledged as among the finest in the world. Cuba's
best tobacco-growing area is in the Vuelta Abajo, part
of the Pinar del Rio region area in western Cuba. In
general, Cuban tobacco is strong and full-bodied, with
spicy and aromatic flavors. It is also renowned for its
suppleness. Most factories of premium hand-rolled cigars
are located in or near Havana, the capital city.
Dominican Republic The quality and variety of cigar
tobacco from the Dominican Republic has improved
enormously in the past 20 years. The primary growing
region is near the city of Santiago in the northern half
of the country; located in an agricultural region, this
small city is also home to the majority of Dominican
cigar makers. Most Dominican tobacco is derived from
Cuban seed varieties. Although not as strong, it is
quite full-flavored and lends itself to the creation of
unusually complex blends.
Ecuador Ecuador produces quantities of high-quality
tobacco, both filler and wrapper, shade- and sun-grown.
Growers there have been using both Connecticut- and
Sumatra-seed varieties. In each case, the tobacco
usually seems milder and less robust in strength and
flavor than the originals. Its wrapper colors fall
between Connecticut and Cameroon, and its silky texture
has visual appeal.
Honduras/Nicaragua These Central American countries
produce high-quality Cuban-seed and Connecticut-seed
tobaccos, including shade-grown wrapper. Honduras has
suffered from periodic blue mold infestations in recent
years; Nicaragua's tobacco region is still recovering
from a 10-year civil war that was primarily fought in
the area between the northwestern town of Esteli and the
Honduran border. Both countries produce a full-bodied
tobacco with strong, spicy flavors and heady aromas.
Mexico The San Andres Valley is world-famous for a
sun-grown variant of Sumatra-seed tobacco. Mexican
leaves are used widely as binder and filler in cigars.
The variety also serves widely as a maduro wrapper
because it can stand up to the cooking and sweating
process that creates the darker leaf colors. Cigars
manufactured in Mexico are usually made with 100-percent
local tobacco.
United States North of Hartford, Connecticut, the
Connecticut River Valley produces some of the finest
wrapper leaf tobacco in the world--Connecticut Shade.
The fine brown to brownish-yellow leaf has a high degree
of elasticity, and it creates a mild- to medium-bodied
smoke; it is widely used on premium cigars. Another
variety, Connecticut Broadleaf, produces a dark, almost
black leaf that is used on maduro-style cigars. It is
heavier and veinier than shade-grown.
Cameroon/Central African Republic This area of West
Africa is known for a high-quality wrapper leaf. In
recent years, production has suffered from management
changes and bad weather. The Cameroon leaf originated
from Sumatra seed imported from Indonesia. It is prized
for its neutral characteristics, which make it an ideal
wrapper for full-flavored filler tobaccos. Cameroon
wrappers generally are greenish-brown to dark brown,
with a distinct grain, called "tooth."
Indonesia Sumatra-variety tobacco comes from this series
of islands that make up Indonesia. The tobacco may be
referred to as Java or Sumatra. Sumatra wrapper leaves
are often dark brown and have neutral flavors. The
majority of wrapper leaf grown there is used in the
manufacture of small cigars.
Philippines The Philippines grows a mild tobacco that is
used for cigars. The hybrid strain produced there is
very aromatic |
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