Candela wrapper cigars are something totally new, and at the same time, actually quite a throwback. While many cigar smokers have been puffing on Connecticut's, Habanos, and broadleaf Maduros, a candela wrapper presents a completely different kind of flavor profile – one that’s closest to the flavor of tobacco in the field. The other leaf and wrapper varieties on the market are often fermented and aged, but the key to candela is keeping things natural, and of course, green.
That’s the first thing you’ll notice about candela wrapper cigars – the color. Instead of the brown hues of the other cigars in your humidor, candelas are a pale green. This is because the tobacco is rapidly heat-cured at a high temperature, readying it for smoking in just days instead of the weeks and months it takes to prepare a good dark brown Maduro. Very quickly after harvesting, you’ve got yourself a nice claro or double claro (a reference to the light color).
The flavor of candela wrapper cigars is distinctive – often described as grass, tea, hay, or simply “the aroma of the field.” However you describe it, it’s a bit different from the earth, chocolate, and coffee you get with so many mainstream cigars. The flavor profile is a welcome departure for people who have gotten tired of the same old, same old, and who want something to break up the routine.
The funny thing is, candela wrappers aren’t that new. In fact, they dominated the market decades ago. Your grandfather may have smoked candelas by the dozen when they were popular in the states. Since then, other tobacco has come to dominate, but candela wrapper cigars still hold a place in the hearts of many. You’ll find this leaf on Arturo Fuente Claro, Rocky Patel The Edge, Espinosa Wasabi, Alec Bradley Black Market Filthy Hooligan, and a ton of Drew Estate cigars like some ACIDs and the Kentucky Fire Cured Swamp Thang blends.
Don’t sleep on candela wrapper cigars – they’re a special flavor you really can’t get elsewhere.
Please browse our selection of cigars with candela wrappers at your leisure.
