Recommendations for cigar varieties

[CoralReefs]

When I bought my first and second sets of seeds, I tried to pick out varieties which were good for cigars. That said, I mainly went off of product descriptions and what I perceived to be well accepted varieties.

Understanding that aging and processing (IE curing, etc...) plays a major role in the development of cigar flavor I was wondering if you guys could recommend varieties that could model some of the nice full bodied cigars (with proper aging, etc... of course. Some of these brands are ages like 15 years and such). The brands I love most are (more or less in order):

1) Rocky Patel's (Any of the aged varieties, the sundried ones are eh...)
2) Drew Estates 'Natural' (Have not tried any Acid cigars or any others from DE but the Naturals are damn good smokes)
3) This would probably be a tie between 'Padron' and 'Cusano'

Just to give you an idea of where my flavor preference lies.

P.S. I did attempt to search the forum first before posting, if I missed a similar thread I apologize.

 

[deluxestogie]

Although I've smoked many cigars over the past 40+ years, the only one that I've tasted on your favorites list is Padron. So I'll just comment in general about full-bodied cigars.

• I've grown CT Broadleaf that I found disappointing. They had wonderful flavor, but yielded a low percentage of wrapper grade leaf.
• FL Sumatra kilns to a medium brown, with a subdued flavor. They seemed to repel the flea beetles that damaged some of the other varieties, yielding over 85% wrapper grade leaf. Being smooth on the tongue, they work well with heftier fillers. Their sturdiness allowed me to use them without a binder, for corona size or smaller.
• Little Dutch offers a full, creamy taste and rich smoke. The upper leaves will kiln to nearly black.
• PA Red presents a broader range of strength, from lower to higher leaves, which kiln respectively from red brown to oily black oscuro.
• Comstock Spanish (a 19th century derivation from Havana tobacco) makes medium to strongly flavored binders and wrappers.
• Zimmer Spanish is indistinguishable from Comstock while growing, but the Zimmer (in my garden) was heavily attacked by flea beetles, whereas the Comstock, growing adjacent to the Zimmer, suffered little damage.
• Kelly burley kilns to a golden brown, medium strength, nutty tasting wrapper.
• Hickory Pryor (flue-cure variety) tips kiln to a mild, sweet tasting oscuro wrapper.
• Bahía produces a medium brown leaf that gives only a hint of "Brazilian cigar" flavor. Its productivity is lowish.

Worth considering is the dramatic difference in flavor, strength and taste between lower leaves and upper leaves. I usually prime leaf at the mature stage (earlier than "ripe"). I make an exception for the tip leaves, the top 3 or 4 leaves on a plant. These I allow to grow rank and corrugated and thick. It is these that kiln to dark maduro or oscuro.

30 days in the kiln (128ºF) seems to accomplish the primary aging, with higher temperatures (~134ºF) appearing to bring this process to its full completion. My understanding of this process is evolving. The higher temperature will not turn leaf destined to age to a deep bronze into a black leaf. I have run the higher temperature with delicate Turkish varieties alongside Hickory Pryor. The former, after 30 days, comes out golden blond, while the latter emerges nearly pitch black. All of these are edgy just out of the kiln, but after 2 to 3 weeks of rest, they seem to assume their "fully aged" state. As with lengthy natural aging, higher temp kilning does seem to very slightly reduce the nicotine, but not by much.

Bob

 

[CoralReefs]

Thanks Bob,
Very helpful information!

 

[Randy]

Great info again Bob.but I noticed you left-out all the different Havana tobacco?like havana 142;503b etc.?



Randy

 

[SmokesAhoy]

He might not have grown those.
142 is a staple. Grow it for any reason. Its mild enough for cigarettes but is also good for blending into cigars.

503 is nice. I grew it last year. Big producer with big leaves. Its tasty too.

For a first grow for cigars I'd do pa red, one of the havanas and Sumatra, between the 3 you can't help but have something tasty. Also just because something is listed as filler or binder/wrapper doesn't mean that's all it is good for. The great thing about this hobby is the nearly endless combinations of flavors you can dream up yourself.

 

[deluxestogie]

During 2012, I have grown Havana 38 and Havana 263. Comments will follow, after it comes out of the kiln.

Bob

 

[johnlee1933]

Also just because something is listed as filler or binder/wrapper doesn't mean that's all it is good for. The great thing about this hobby is the nearly endless combinations of flavors you can dream up yourself.

You got that right! My "hail ruined" CT shade from last year makes an ultra light cig tobacco the ladies seem to like.

John

 

[COLIN]

Hi could someone please give me some information on shaman's rustica.I believe it is a cigar variety and high in nicotine i have had a very good germanation rate and don't no how much to grow.Also would it be suitable for the steam process i was reading in a early post

Regard's colin

 

[deluxestogie]

I'm not aware of any N. rustica variety that would be considered a cigar variety. The Aztecs, who cultivated rustica, invented cigarettes. In South America, where N. tabacum was cultivated, the cigar was invented. Some rusticas, if well kilned, can serve as an interesting minor blend component in a non-traditional cigar.

Bob