Connecticut, Habano, Maduro: A Quick Guide to Cigar Wrappers
The wrapper leaf shapes most of what you taste. Here's how the common wrapper types differ, and how to use them to find cigars you'll like.
Every cigar has three parts: the filler inside, the binder that holds it together, and the wrapper on the outside. The wrapper is only a small share of the tobacco, but it does a lot of the flavor work. It's the first thing your lips touch, and it's often the most carefully grown leaf in the cigar.
Learn the main wrapper types and you can make a good guess about a cigar before you light it.
Connecticut Shade
Color: pale gold to light tan Flavor: creamy, smooth, nutty, sometimes a little grassy or buttery Good for: mornings, coffee, new smokers
Grown under cloth tents that filter the sun, which keeps the leaf thin and silky. Most mild cigars wear a Connecticut wrapper, though the filler decides how strong the cigar really is.
Cameroon
Color: medium brown with a slightly bumpy ("toothy") texture Flavor: gentle sweetness and spice: cinnamon, cedar, a little earth Good for: a step up from mild without getting heavy
A thin, delicate leaf known for a sweet-spicy balance that's easy to like.
Habano and Corojo
Color: reddish brown Flavor: spicy, peppery, with cedar, leather and a touch of sweetness Good for: medium to full smokers, high-rye bourbon, rum
Grown from Cuban-heritage seed in places like Nicaragua and Ecuador. If you like a little pepper on the finish, start here.
Maduro
Color: dark brown to almost black, often oily Flavor: sweet and rich: cocoa, coffee, molasses, dark fruit Good for: after dinner, espresso, bourbon, port
Maduro means "ripe." The leaf is left on the plant longer and fermented longer, which brings out its natural sugars. A common myth is that Maduro means strong. Many are medium in strength and simply heavier in flavor.
Oscuro
Color: the darkest of all, nearly black Flavor: intense, earthy, bittersweet chocolate and espresso Good for: experienced smokers who want depth
Taken further than Maduro. Bold and usually full-bodied.
How to use this
- If you liked a cigar, note its wrapper and try another brand with the same one. It's the fastest way to find more cigars you'll enjoy.
- To move up in strength gradually, go Connecticut → Cameroon → Habano → Maduro.
- Remember that strength comes mostly from the filler, so read the strength rating too.
Not sure which you'd like? Tell the chat a cigar or a drink you enjoy and we'll match the wrapper for you.