I hope you’ve all had an opportunity to take a few good smokes outdoors during the past month. The weather has been perfect during the evening, and unfortunately it wont be long before we all retreat to the cellar or other confines to enjoy this wonder vice.

     This month I want to share with you some information about wrappers, not to be confused with rappers. A cigar’s color refers to the shade of the outer wrapper leaf. These coverings are found growing in Cuba, Sumatra, Brazil, the United States, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Honduras and Cameroon. Many will devate the issue as to who supplies the best wrappers, but what I have found is that the further south you travel, the better the leaf. And, naturally there are some that insist that Cuba has the finest. Perhaps, but I think part of it is the fact that they are not readily available to us; if you do find a Cuban, it’s going to cost you.

            As for the basic shades of wrappers, there are six of them:

· Double Claro- Light green, (candela) cured leaf with heat to fix the chlorophyll in the leaf. This type of wrapper has a slightly sweet taste to it.

· Claro- Normally a light tan color, usually shade grown and neutral in flavor.

· Colorado Claro- (natural) Usually more of a brown color and sun grown.

· Colorado/Colorado Maduro- A deeper brown to almost a reddish-brown coloring. Normally grown in the shade, it is known for its rich flavor and subtle aroma.

· Maduro- This oily, silky and dark brown wrapper has a distinctively strong flavor with a mild aroma. You will find the taste almost sweet.

· Oscuro- You’ll find the wrapper nearly black in color and hosts a very strong flavor.

Everyone will find a wrapper to their liking and most often switch between the different categories. Because wrappers are a natural product, you will often find some color variation; however, consistency is improving continuously.

My suggestion is to go out and experiment with this new information and find what your preference is. Until next time, enjoy a good finish.