I had to sign for a registered parcel from the postman today. It was from rainmax, in Slovenia.
But wait! There's more!
Enclosed in double bags was a generous sample of leaf. On the hunch that it might be Corojo leaf, I set up a visual comparison of 3 leaves from Cuba (light, medium and dark), alongside 3 similarly colored leaves from my 2016 grow of Corojo 99 (Robaina).
As you can see, the general appearance is quite similar. What puzzles me is the dramatic difference in size. The vein angle is similar, and the texture is similar. I usually expect the lightest colored leaf to be noticeably larger than the darkest leaf from the same plant. This is true of their width. These Cuban leaves likely were sorted by size, prior to being sold. I suppose they could be a different variety, even though the vendor stated that they were Corojo.
The underside reveals that the veins are much less prominent in the Cuban leaves. And the Cuban leaves, all of them, are thinner than my Corojo 99 leaf.
I can't really say what variety they are, although the bag aroma is similar to my Corojo 99. What to do?
Without a moment spent pondering, I hastily rolled a small cigar of all 3 leaves shown, using a half of the lightest colored leaf as a wrapper--no binder. No attention to detail either. It was not planned for a photo op. But then, of course, I had to snap a photo.
So, how does it smoke? First of all, it distinctly reminds me of some Cuban Flor de Farrach cigars that I smoked maybe 15 or more years ago. Very dry (that is to say, not at all sweet). The taste is initially smooth, but ramps up fairly quickly to a potent little stick. The aroma is clean and slightly woody. It burns perfectly, to a very light gray ash, free of tooth. The finish is intense, like most Cuban cigars.
It does not suggest any commercially available leaf from other Caribbean or Central American countries. I would bet that it is genuinely Cuban leaf. I can't say what variety it is.
As for the small leaf size, maybe the Cuban growers should join the forum. Actually, it may be sucker leaf, in which case, it's the best damn sucker leaf I've ever smoked.
Thank you Maks. The culebras now pose a dilemma as to how long I should keep them safely tucked away in my humidor for a "special" occasion.
Bob
But wait! There's more!
Enclosed in double bags was a generous sample of leaf. On the hunch that it might be Corojo leaf, I set up a visual comparison of 3 leaves from Cuba (light, medium and dark), alongside 3 similarly colored leaves from my 2016 grow of Corojo 99 (Robaina).
As you can see, the general appearance is quite similar. What puzzles me is the dramatic difference in size. The vein angle is similar, and the texture is similar. I usually expect the lightest colored leaf to be noticeably larger than the darkest leaf from the same plant. This is true of their width. These Cuban leaves likely were sorted by size, prior to being sold. I suppose they could be a different variety, even though the vendor stated that they were Corojo.
The underside reveals that the veins are much less prominent in the Cuban leaves. And the Cuban leaves, all of them, are thinner than my Corojo 99 leaf.
I can't really say what variety they are, although the bag aroma is similar to my Corojo 99. What to do?
Without a moment spent pondering, I hastily rolled a small cigar of all 3 leaves shown, using a half of the lightest colored leaf as a wrapper--no binder. No attention to detail either. It was not planned for a photo op. But then, of course, I had to snap a photo.
So, how does it smoke? First of all, it distinctly reminds me of some Cuban Flor de Farrach cigars that I smoked maybe 15 or more years ago. Very dry (that is to say, not at all sweet). The taste is initially smooth, but ramps up fairly quickly to a potent little stick. The aroma is clean and slightly woody. It burns perfectly, to a very light gray ash, free of tooth. The finish is intense, like most Cuban cigars.
It does not suggest any commercially available leaf from other Caribbean or Central American countries. I would bet that it is genuinely Cuban leaf. I can't say what variety it is.
As for the small leaf size, maybe the Cuban growers should join the forum. Actually, it may be sucker leaf, in which case, it's the best damn sucker leaf I've ever smoked.
Thank you Maks. The culebras now pose a dilemma as to how long I should keep them safely tucked away in my humidor for a "special" occasion.
Bob