Cigar Wrapper Guide: Oscuro

Oscuro, meaning ‘dark’ in Spanish, is the darkest shade of wrapper you can get on a cigar. Even darker than the Maduro cigar wrapper, the Oscuro wrapper is almost black in colour. Here we take a closer look at the Oscuro cigar wrapper and how it impacts the flavour and smoke experience of cigars.

What is an Oscuro Cigar Wrapper?

‘Oscuro’ is not a type of tobacco but rather a method of making certain tobacco leaves rich and dark. An Oscuro wrapper will be almost black in colour and offer a rich, strong and unique flavour.

Tobacco types including Connecticut Broadleaf, Nicaraguan Habano, Mexican San Andres and Brazilian Mata Fina are all tobacco types that are suited to being turned into Oscuro wrappers.

How Are Oscuro Leaves Grown?

Oscuro leaves typically come from the very top of the plant – the part that gets the most sunlight. The longer these leaves remain exposed to the sunlight, the darker they become after the fermentation process.

Sometimes tobacco growers will leave the top leaves on the plant for up to 50% longer than the rest of the tobacco harvest to allow them to become darker. As they are left for longer, they essentially begin to cure while still attached to the plant.

How Are Oscuro Wrappers Cured?

Once the Oscuro leaves have been harvested, they go through an intense and long fermentation process that can last several years. This will be longer than almost every other type of cigar tobacco.

The fermenting process involves naturally introducing heat and moisture to the cigar. The Oscuro leaves will be left for shorter periods of time at a lower heat than would typically be seen with a Maduro wrapper.

After the leaves have been fermented, they will be barrel or bale aged, which helps them to develop an even darker colour.

What Do Oscuro Wrappers Taste Like?

The resulting tobacco creates a wrapper leaf that is thick, rich and sweet in flavour. They have a distinctive and pronounced flavour. Oscuro wrappers offer a stronger smoke experience.

Oscuro Cigars at Havana House

As the process for creating Oscuro wrappers is so lengthy and complex, cigars that use this wrapper type are often quite rare to find. But luckily, here at Havana House, we have a range of Oscuro cigars on offer, so you can sample this unique cigar type for yourself! These are a few we recommend:

E.P. Carrillo Seleccion Oscuro Piramides

The Oscuro Piramides from E.P. Carrillo offers a bold smoke, featuring a silky Mexican San Andres Oscuro wrapper, aged Nicaraguan long fillers and an Ecuadorian binder.

As well as this Piramides format, E.P. Carrillo offers other cigars in an Oscuro wrapper, including the E.P. Carrillo Seleccion Oscuro Small Churchill.

Hiram & Solomon Fellow Craft Toro

The Fellow Craft Toro Cigar from Hiram & Solomon features a Habano Oscuro wrapper, Indonesian Sumatra leaf binder and Nicaraguan Habano seed leaves in the filler. When smoking this fiery blend, you’ll be rewarded with a medium body and black pepper and earthy notes, with hints of sweetness from milk chocolate and stone fruit notes.

The Hiram & Solomon Fellow Craft range also features a Robusto cigar with an Oscuro wrapper.

My Father Le Bijou 1922 Petit Robusto

Awarded Cigar of the Year in 2015 by Cigar Aficionado, the My Father Le Bijou 1922 Petit Robusto is one of the best Oscuro cigars you can smoke. It is full-bodied flavour with a medium-full strength, in a Petit Robusto format, measuring 4.5″x50.

Featuring a Habano Oscuro wrapper grown in Ecuador, plus Nicaraguan long-fillers, the My Father Le Bijou 1922 Petit Robusto exudes a unique and satisfying array of robust flavours.

A.J. Fernandez Viva La Vida Robusto

The Viva La Vida Robusto features 100% Nicaraguan puros tobacco, with an Oscuro 2000 wrapper covering a Corojo binder and Criollo filler, all sourced from the AJ Fernandez farms in Nicaragua. Together this offers a medium to full strength blend. As a Robusto size, the cigar measures 5″ x 54.

If you’d like to try a powerful but balanced strong cigar, then you should certainly look to add an Oscuro cigar to your humidor. Browse our full range of cigars online at Havana House.