subject: What Does The Wrapper Have To Do With The Taste Of A Cigar? [print this page] Finding the perfect taste in a cigar can be difficult. There are so many different brands, different tobacco blends and different types of cigar out there that it can be hard to determine just where to start. While the best place to begin is choosing a quality Lotus lighter to help you ignite your cigar, you will need to know a bit about how the color of the wrapper affects the taste of the cigar. What differences will you find here? What might a lighter colored wrapper bring to your cigar, as opposed to a darker wrapper? A wrapper can make or break a cigar smoking experience, that is how much the wrapper factors into a cigar's flavor.
Many first time cigar smokers often choose to use their new Lotus lighter on a light colored cigar. However, this is not always the best choice. Lighter colored wrappers are often more arid and sometimes have a bitter quality to them that is not present in darker wrappers. For instance, a dark brown wrapper will often have a surprisingly sweet taste, that is not present in the lighter wrappers. However, very dark wrappers (Oscuro) are often very bold and somewhat bitter.
Claro wrappers are a light tan color and usually have almost no flavor at all. This allows the taste of the tobacco inside the cigar to shine through, without being overwhelmed by the flavor of the wrapper. Colorado wrappers usually have a bit more flavor and are a bit sweeter (though very mild) than other wrappers. Of course, Maduro wrappers, which are dark brown, are the sweetest of the lot. A butane Lotus lighter used to light this type of wrapper can help you experience a wide range of flavors, simply because the butane will not mask the wrapper's sweetness with chemical components as other lights do.
Finally, it is important to understand that very little of what you taste in a quality cigar comes from the wrapper, itself. Most cigar manufacturers place the amount of flavor derived from the wrapper around 3%. Of course, this will differ with the age of a cigar, as well. A Lotus lighter used to light a 3-year-old cigar will provide a different taste than the same lighter igniting a newly made cigar. Age is a friend to cigars, so long as they have been properly maintained in a humidor at the correct temperature. Finding the right cigar for your enjoyment can be quite enjoyable, but will entail a bit of experimentation.
