Colors for wrappers can range from a greenish hue to brown to near-black. A lighter color generally indicates a milder taste and a darker color indicates a stronger taste. Sometimes a darker wrapper can be used with milder filler and vice-versa. Cigars can fall into one of 50 different color categories, but six are most commonly used:
Double claro (candela, jade, or American Market Selection). This greenish-brown wrapper is associated with a very mild taste. Some experts would call it flavorless. Once the leaf has been picked in the field, it is heated artificially to create greenish hue.
Claro or natural. This is a shade-grown variety that produces a light-brown, tannish wrapper. To protect the leaf from sunlight and keep it from turning dark, the tobacco is grown under a cheesecloth covering. After it has matured, the tobacco is allowed to dry naturally and slowly. These leaves create a silky wrapper with a light, distinctly smooth taste.
Colorado claro (or English Market Selection). This wrapper has a medium brown color with a slight dark reddish hue. Its slightly spliced or nut-like taste provides much more flavor.
Colorado. This is a reddish-brown wrapper that frequently is used in aged and matured cigars but is not a special variety of tobacco. It is usually grown in Connecticut.
Maduro or Spanish Market Selection. Cigars with this type of dark brown wrapper tend to be stronger with greater flavor. Oily leaves produce a sweet, rich taste. The leaf’s darkness is caused by allowing the leaf to grow as long as possible. Once it has air-dried, the leaf is treated with heat to draw out the oils. The process is repeated to make it darker. Maduro wrapper leaves have to be tougher to withstand the additional growing time and the processing needed to make this leaf, therefore they show more veins than the light varieties.
Double maduro, oscuro, or maduro maduro. This
is a dark brown, almost black, wrapper that produces a
very strong, spicy taste and smoke. The leaves go through
an even more extensive processing than the maduro, so
expect a somewhat bumpy, veiny appearance.
