Other nations come ahead of Mexico when it comes to cigar tobacco production, but there’s just something special about a Mexican cigar with a San Andrés wrapper. Sun-grown, bold, chocolatey – it’s a tough leaf and one that provides tons of flavor.
It’s not just a wrapper leaf, either. Many blenders have experimented with using Mexican tobacco as a binder or filler blend component to add spice and intensity to cigars (whether the brand is selling them as Mexican cigars or something else). As soon as you light it up, you’ll know it’s there. This isn’t a shy kind of tobacco leaf.
Working with Mexican San Andrés tobacco takes some special care. Like broadleaf, it’s often stalk-cut instead of being harvested leaf by leaf. This means that the whole tobacco stalk is chopped down and hung in one piece. This allows the leaf to keep drinking in nutrients from the stalk while it cures. After that, tobacco for Mexican cigars is often subject to long fermentation periods (many weeks or months) to turn it into rich, flavorful Maduro. There, some of the strength fades in favor of bringing in a gentle, mature sweetness to balance out the peppery bite.
A number of top-rated Mexican cigars match this potent wrapper with a filler and binder blend that can stand up to its robust profile. One such smoke is the massively flavorful Alec Bradley Tempus Terra Novo, a variation of perhaps the best cigar produced by Alec Bradley. Another is the Camacho Triple Maduro, which takes you all in and provides a potent set of dark flavors that really define what boldness is in a cigar. There’s also the 95-rated La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor and the 92-point Oliva Serie V Maduro. For a final recommendation, try the Drew Estate Liga Undercrown Maduro, a tasty take on the No.9 which offers coffee and spice flavors in abundance.
It’s all about that spiciness, for most cigars from Mexico. While many Mexican cigars display earthy chocolatiness that Maduro tobacco is known for, you can generally count on a wonderful pepper or cinnamon note coming through in the smoke as well. If you only want ultra-smooth cigars, you might find these have too much of a kick to satisfy your preferences. But for those who like a nice little bite in their draws, Mexican cigars almost always deliver. Also, keep in mind that Mexican puros are one kind of cigar, but the cigars getting the most respect are generally those that blend Mexican tobacco with leaves from other growing regions. This kind of leaf is right up there with Brazilian Mata Fina as one of the ultimate “accent” leaves to include in a cigar.
Find it, smoke it, love it.
Mexican cigars – from the San Andrés Valley to your humidor, amigos!
Please browse our selection at your leisure and find something interesting!
