How to gauge a quality wrapper (advice needed)

[Vitola]

The ones that have always blown me away are cigars with varying degrees of a toothy texture of the outer leaf - that can vary from smooth to quite coarse and that applies to both CC and NC

[Adamsmokes]

I'd be interested in hearing thoughts on this too

When talking about variance on wrappers, say between the same vitola from the same brand, two boxes of Monte 2 side by side for example... I'm assuming any aesthetic difference would be just down to the batch/harvest of wrapper leaves they had to work with that year/day in the factory? Putting it down to the fact it's a natural, handmade product and theres not a lot can be done? Or is there more to it?

On that point... if the difference isnt just aesthetic, and one wrapper smokes/tastes different due to its change in appearance. Would the blenders have altered the blend to try and balance it out and keep them consistent? As they supposedly do year on year to account for the different harvest. Meaning it shouldn't make too much of a difference?

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[kern47]

When talking about variance on wrappers, say between the same vitola from the same brand, two boxes of Monte 2 side by side for example... I'm assuming any aesthetic difference would be just down to the batch/harvest of wrapper leaves they had to work with that year/day in the factory? Putting it down to the fact it's a natural, handmade product and theres not a lot can be done? Or is there more to it?

On that point... if the difference isnt just aesthetic, and one wrapper smokes/tastes different due to its change in appearance. Would the blenders have altered the blend to try and balance it out and keep them consistent? As they supposedly do year on year to account for the different harvest. Meaning it shouldn't make too much of a difference?

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[Adamsmokes]

All very interesting, thank you all. Coincidently I enjoyed a very drab looking San Cristobal last night that exceeded all expectations!

[geoffbot]

I guess oily ones are inherently less likely to split or crack.

[sheppsea]

Would you ever choose one cigar over another based on appearance? Assuming they were like for like?

If I had a choice of two of the exactly same cigars then I would choose the one that looks better to my eye but otherwise I would prefer to rely on my experience of the cigars and marcas I like

[Emaresee]

if I am buying remotely.... I would ask someone to select me the darker, smoother and more visibly oily wrappers. This is, for no proven point, than I beleive they will endure better. I dont smoke so very often so boxes last a while.

that said i have bought some much lighter sticks, when the wrappers are smooth and just oozing quality. they just look well struck up and inviting.

But confess I've smoked some pretty toothy sticks in the past that were just magical!!

not sure that answer helped any!

[Alexw33]

In the absence of anything else (after all we canny see what’s inside a cigar and then smoke it) I place a fair degree of importance in the look of a cigars wrapper. What exactly that means depends on the cigar but generally oily and toothy is the way to go, although it might just be in my head that these tend to taste better, thin wrappers also tend to help with the burn. I like lighter golden looking wrappers on Cohiba and QdO and darker wrappers on Montecristo and Vegas Robaina for example. Also oily wrappers I tend to lay down much longer as I find smoking three young to be a chore at times in terms of the burn, especially the dark oily wrappers. I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say that if care and quality has gone into the external appearance then chances are the same can be said internally.

I would place more importance on the feel of the cigar if possible, I’ve picked up cigars that you can immediately tell are severely under filled or likely plugged from the weight and/or gently pressing them.

With all that been said, I’ve had bad looking cigars smoke the house down and beautiful cigars that were pitched 10 minutes in.

[simwells]

Everyone has different tastes with this but often better I think is the opposite of what people expect, the more perfectly smooth and uniform a cigars wrapper the less I tend to avoid it. Many of the best cigars I?ve smoked have been some of the roughest looking.

Personally I prefer darker oilier ideally toothy wrappers but we don?t all.


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[Adamsmokes]

The only time I really take notice is when it looks dried out or damaged - otherwise it is more of a cosmetic things - I have some great cigars where the wrapper looked pretty bad

Would you ever choose one cigar over another based on appearance? Assuming they were like for like?

[Adamsmokes]

I meant candela wrappers, look 'em up

Just checked these out...def not for me

[Rich B]

The only time I really take notice is when it looks dried out or damaged - otherwise it is more of a cosmetic things - I have some great cigars where the wrapper looked pretty bad

Agreed, I've had a couple that have been falling apart - which needed smoking with some care, that were marvellous.

[sheppsea]

The only time I really take notice is when it looks dried out or damaged - otherwise it is more of a cosmetic things - I have some great cigars where the wrapper looked pretty bad

[PeeJay]

I've read that green wrappers result from poorly fermented leaves? How does it affect the taste?

I meant candela wrappers, look 'em up

[Adamsmokes]

I've read that green wrappers result from poorly fermented leaves? How does it affect the taste?

Stay away from the green ones!