Cuban tobacco is acknowledged as among the finest in the world. Cuba's best tobacco growing area is in the Vuelta Abajo part of the Pinar del Rio region in western Cuba. In general, Cuban tobacco is strong and full bodied, with spicy and aromatic flavors. It is also renowned for its suppleness. Most factories of premium hand rolled cigars are located in or near Havana.
Dominican Republic
The quality and variety of cigar tobacco from the Dominican Republic has improved enormously in the past 20 years. The primary growing region is near the city of Santiago in the northern half of the country. Located in an agricultural region, this small city is also home to the majority of Dominican cigar makers. Most Dominican tobacco is derived from Cuban seed varieties. Although not as strong, it is quite full flavored and lends itself to the creation of unusually complex blends.
Nicaragua / Honduras
These Central American countries produce high quality Cuban seed and Connecticut seed tobaccos, including shade grown wrapper. Honduras has suffered from periodic blue mold infestations in recent years, and Nicaragua's tobacco region is still recovering from a 10 year civil war that was primarily fought in the area between the northwestern town of Esteli and the Honduran border. Both countries produce a full bodied tobacco with strong spicy flavors.
Ecuador
Ecuador produces quantities of high quality tobacco, both filler and wrapper, shade and sun grown. Growers there have been using both Connecticut and Sumatra seed varieties. In each case, the tobacco usually seems milder and less robust in strength and flavor than the originals. Its wrapper colors fall between Connecticut and Cameroon, and its silky texture has visual appeal.
Mexico
The San Andres Valley is world famous for a sun grown variant of the Sumatra seed tobacco. Mexican leaves are widely used as binder and filler in cigars. The variety also serves widely as a maduro wrapper because it can stand up to the cooking and sweating process that creates the darker leaf colors. Cigars manufactured in Mexico are usually made with 100 percent local tobacco.
Indonesia
Sumatra variety tobacco comes from the series of islands that make up Indonesia. The tobacco may be referred to as Java or Sumatra. Sumatra wrapper leaves are often dark brown and have neutral flavors. The majority of the wrapper leaf grown there is used in the manufacture of small cigars.
Cameroon
This area of West Africa is known for a high quality wrapper leaf. In recent years, production has suffered from management changes and bad weather. The Cameroon leaf originated from Sumatra seed imported from Indonesia. It is prized for its neutral characteristics, which make it an ideal wrapper for full flavored filler tobaccos. Cameroon wrappers generally are greenish brown to dark brown, with a distinct grain, called "tooth".
Phillipines
The Philippines grows a mild tobacco that is used for cigars. The hybrid strain produced there is very aromatic.
United States
North of Hartford Connecticut, the Connecticut River Valley produces some of the finest wrapper leaf tobacco in the world, the Connecticut Shade. The fine brown to brownish yellow leaf has a high degree of elasticity, and creates a mild to medium bodied smoke. It is widely used on premium cigars. Another variety, Connecticut Broadleaf, produces a dark almost black leaf that is used on maduro cigars. It is heavier and veinier than shade grown.
