Just how much does the wrapper contribute to the overall flavor of a cigar?
This is one of those questions that has puzzled cigar smokers and students of the cigar for about as long as there have been cigars. In my reading of historical documents such as American newspapers from as far back as the early 19[sup]th[/sup] century, people have attempted to describe and explain the contribution of the wrapper. Simply, when asked "how much do you think the wrapper contributes to the flavor of the cigar" the answers people give have spanned the range from near zero to almost totality. In other words, from about 5% to 95% is the broad range with 20-70% covering the majority of opinions.
The obvious question, then, is how can this possibly be? How is it that one guy feels the wrapper is almost superfluous to the sensory aspect of smoking a cigar when another believes that the wrapper IS the cigar? One clue is to be found in the nature of the talk on this issue. Past discussions have tended to focus on differences. Differences by cigar ("sweet, earthy" maduro wrappers versus "spicy" Cameroon) and differences by smoker ("smoke what you like," "YMMV," supertaster/average taster).
Various theories have been advanced to account for this broad range of effect. For example, some draw the analogy of the wrapper to that of spices used in cooking. In essence, a minute amount of something particularly characteristic (e.g., allspice or nutmeg in mulled apple cider) can create the overall holistic impression of "flavor" that just wouldn't be the same without that ingredient. In other words, a small amount of distinctive character can serve to bind the component flavors of the blend into a coherent and characteristic profile. Others have tried to reason from the mechanics of the cigar. Calculations have shown that the wrapper typically comprises about 5%, by volume (somewhat more, by weight) of a cigar. So if there really is so little "stuff," how could it possibly have any more than a tiny influence if indeed any at all?
Well, a colleague of mine recently shared some information that, I think coupled with the ensuing discussion, recasts the puzzle of the contribution of wrapper in a new light. He is a frequent traveler to The Island and is what I would consider "well-connected." I've gotten his permission to share his data. I've also edited his post for conciseness.
Here are some comments in response to this information that I found interesting.
It is my hope that this data and the ensuing discussion will allow us to come to a new, more nuanced understanding of the situation.
Wilkey
This post has been edited by Ginseng: May 20 2008, 01:46 PM
This is one of those questions that has puzzled cigar smokers and students of the cigar for about as long as there have been cigars. In my reading of historical documents such as American newspapers from as far back as the early 19[sup]th[/sup] century, people have attempted to describe and explain the contribution of the wrapper. Simply, when asked "how much do you think the wrapper contributes to the flavor of the cigar" the answers people give have spanned the range from near zero to almost totality. In other words, from about 5% to 95% is the broad range with 20-70% covering the majority of opinions.
The obvious question, then, is how can this possibly be? How is it that one guy feels the wrapper is almost superfluous to the sensory aspect of smoking a cigar when another believes that the wrapper IS the cigar? One clue is to be found in the nature of the talk on this issue. Past discussions have tended to focus on differences. Differences by cigar ("sweet, earthy" maduro wrappers versus "spicy" Cameroon) and differences by smoker ("smoke what you like," "YMMV," supertaster/average taster).
Various theories have been advanced to account for this broad range of effect. For example, some draw the analogy of the wrapper to that of spices used in cooking. In essence, a minute amount of something particularly characteristic (e.g., allspice or nutmeg in mulled apple cider) can create the overall holistic impression of "flavor" that just wouldn't be the same without that ingredient. In other words, a small amount of distinctive character can serve to bind the component flavors of the blend into a coherent and characteristic profile. Others have tried to reason from the mechanics of the cigar. Calculations have shown that the wrapper typically comprises about 5%, by volume (somewhat more, by weight) of a cigar. So if there really is so little "stuff," how could it possibly have any more than a tiny influence if indeed any at all?
Well, a colleague of mine recently shared some information that, I think coupled with the ensuing discussion, recasts the puzzle of the contribution of wrapper in a new light. He is a frequent traveler to The Island and is what I would consider "well-connected." I've gotten his permission to share his data. I've also edited his post for conciseness.
On the face of it, this sounds like those who are actually involved in making our beloved Habanos attribute almost no significant influence of the wrapper to the taste of the cigar. Curiously, in a semi-controlled experiment carried out by a person in the cigar industry, whom I consider to have a knowledgeable palate, the findings were that in the case of a Cohiba Robusto and Cohiba Maduro5 Genios wrapper swap, the wrapper contributed the entirety of the essential character of the cigar.
Here are some comments in response to this information that I found interesting.
At this point, it occurred to me that there might be a new way to look at the problem of wrapper contribution. But before I offer up my ideas, I'd like to hear what my fellow CigarPassers think about all this.
It is my hope that this data and the ensuing discussion will allow us to come to a new, more nuanced understanding of the situation.
Wilkey
This post has been edited by Ginseng: May 20 2008, 01:46 PM
