Kentucky Sun-cured

[Frazeri]

Hello gents,
I'm becoming fond for sun-cured kentucky... and asking me why it's that uncommon.
Is sold in the same shop where I usually order my leaves, but I've never seen it enywhere else... nor mentioned in any commercial or home made blend. I'm finding it very enjoyable and flavorful, even better than the fire-cured one by some point of view.
So I'm quite surprised, realising that it seems nobody use it...

 

[deluxestogie]

In the US, "Kentucky" is simply a state—a location. Kentucky tobacco growers traditionally grew mostly burley (which is never sun-cured), and, in the western portions of the state, grew dark air-cured and dark fire-cured varieties. Today, many other varieties are grown in Kentucky, including flue-cured and cigar varieties.

What is designated as "Kentucky" tobacco in Italy is likely from seed initially acquired during the 19th century or earlier. Since Mendelian genetics was not widely understood until the early 20th century, "Kentucky" tobacco in Italy is likely a hybrid with other tobacco varieties grown in Italy during the past.

In my classification of blending ingredients for tobacco, I rely heavily on the USDA-ARS-GRIN (search for "Nicotiana tabacum") classifications of tobacco varieties (which is also a messy and sometimes incorrect collection of over 3000 different, named tobacco varieties). The germplasm banks of other countries sometimes disagree with the data from ARS-GRIN. That confusion is not likely to every be improved, since tobacco research funding has fallen out of favor across the world.

Enjoy what you find. Make your own blends.

Bob

EDIT: I should also add that today's common burley tobaccos are white-stem tobaccos, which were not developed until the middle of the 19th century. So the "Kentucky" tobacco of Italy may be derived, instead, from the so-called "red" burley, which is rather different.

 

[Frazeri]

Thank you for the explanation, Bob.
I think you're right, probably Italian kentucky evolved in its own way... in fact Toscano style cigars, made entirely with it, have a quite particular taste, as far as I know.
Also leaves are different from "normal burley" I get: bigger, darker, and by far thicker, more similar to dark air cured than burley, I guess...
I do enjoy what I can find here around, and I'm having fun with my own blends, definitely more after learning the basics through this forum (thank you all!).
I came up with a blend that I really like, maybe worthing to share, but mostly based on italian kentucky; i was also wandering how to "translate" it:
55% virginia bright cavendish
25% Kentucky fire cured
20% Kentucky sun cured