Habano cigar wrappers are an iconic Cuban export used by many famous brands, including Alec Bradley, Padron, and Perdomo. It’s pronounced ah-bah-no (silent ‘H’).
There are various types of Habano wrappers. Let’s learn more about the wrapper leaf and find out why it’s best suited to experienced cigar smokers.
Habano wrappers explained
Akin to other cigar wrappers like Maduros and Oscuros, Habanos have their own distinctive character, color, and flavor.
They originate from Cuba, with the name deriving from the Cuban-seed tobacco plant from which this rich, spicy, and generally dark wrapper is made. Its name also pays homage to Cuba’s capital.
The Habano came to fruition in the 1990s after the Corojo tobacco leaf was wiped out due to its vulnerability to blue mold. This led to the creation of two strains of Habano wrapper leaf — the Habano and the Habano 2000 (a hybrid of Connecticut Shade and Cuban seed).
The Habano 2000 is grown under shade cloths and is typically darker with a musty and earthy taste. It’s faded in popularity since the 90s, with the plants normally grown in Ecuador, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
Where are Habano cigar wrappers grown?
Habano seeds are now successfully grown in regions within Ecuador and Nicaragua. There are, however, notable differences between the two.
Ecuadorian Habano cigar wrappers
Ecuadorian Habano has been around since 2001 and is primarily grown by the respected Oliva family (not to be confused with Oliva Cigars). A whopping 70% of their land is used to farm these plants, which grow taller and produce oily and pliable leaves.
It is one of the most unique, complex wrappers, as its body and flavor profile depend on how the leaf is fermented and aged. This means you can end up with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper that’s intense and heavily spiced. You could even get something closer to medium-bodied and sweet.
If the higher priming leaves are fermented for longer, they provide more flavor to the blend. This wrapper leaf varietal uses a cloud cover as a natural sun filter. Combined with the natural valley mists, this results in leaves that are silky in appearance and oily to the touch, with the right amount of texture and thickness.
How it looks when it comes out of the curing barn is enough to know whether the leaf is suitable. It should be thick and rich with a reddish-brown hue and a very small vein structure. When done well, it’s difficult to tell the difference between Ecuadorian Habano wrapper leaf and Nicaraguan Habano wrapper leaf.
Nicaraguan Habano cigar wrappers
The Nicaraguan Habano wrapper leaf is less common than its Ecuadorian counterpart. However, its bold character sees it wrapped around stronger cigars.
Nicaragua’s rich volcanic soils are a dream for growing tobacco, with the small Nicaraguan Habano plants prized for delivering a flavorful smoking experience. It’s usually grown fully exposed to the sun in the Jalapa Valley and Estelí. This results in a thinner leaf, giving the wrapper a more decadent aroma and robust, spicy flavors.
What does a Habano wrapper taste like?
Hearty hits of black pepper, cayenne, leather, and wood are prominent notes of a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper. Out of the two wrapper types, the Nicaraguan variety is the closest you’ll get to a bold and powerful Cuban-style smoke.
While the Ecuadorian Habano doesn’t boast the beefy profile of the Nicaraguan leaves, it’s rich and dense with caramel, pepper, spice, and sweet nicotine notes.
Habano wrapper vs Maduro
Maduro wrappers are renowned for their sweetness and strong notes of coffee and chocolate. They owe their dark color to the extra fermentation process, which reduces the natural nicotine content.
These enticing wrappers are often perceived as having high strength. Quite the contrary. Many Maduro-wrapped smokes are great options for beginners.
On the other hand, Habano-wrapped cigars have high nicotine levels. This is why they are best left for experienced puffers.
Some of the best Habano wrapper cigars
We couldn’t leave you without picking out a few of our favorite Habano wrapper cigars that take pride of place in our humidor.
Alec Bradley American Sun Grown Churchill
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Sun-grown Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 7
Ring: 48
Strength: Medium
Smoke Time: 120 minutes
Dressed in an inviting red-hued wrapper that’s soaked up the Jalapa Valley rays, the Alec Bradley American Sun Grown Churchill is a bold addition to the Alec Bradley brand. It delivers a lovely spicy profile tempered by flurries of cocoa, leather, and apple sweetness.
It’s blended by Alan Rubin to be fuller and bold. It’s a fine example of how this dark, oily, and robust wrapper leaf can add body and spice to a cigar. Throw in the clean, solid construction, and you’ve got a great all-round smoke for serious aficionados.
San Cristobal Quintessence Epicure
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 6
Ring: 52
Strength: Medium - Full
Smoke Time: 60-90 minutes
The San Cristobal Quintessence Epicure is produced at Nicaragua’s world-famous My Father Cigars factory. It sports a glistening, reddish-brown Cuban-seed wrapper leaf harvested in Ecuador aboard prized Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos.
A delicious medium to full-bodied cigar at a competitive price, take your palate on a complex and satisfying flavor journey of coffee, molasses, leather, spice, and honey-like sweetness.
Rocky Patel Fifteenth Anniversary Toro
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 6.5
Ring: 52
Strength: Full
Smoke Time: 90 minutes
Tremendously rich and full of flavor, the box-pressed Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary Toro ranked #19 in Cigar Aficionado’s Cigar of the Year for 2010, earning a stunning 92 rating. It’s draped in a dark medium-brown Ecuadorian Habano wrapper made up the finest aged Nicaraguan tobaccos.
Pre-light sniffs reveal whiffs of cedar and cocoa. Once you’ve carefully cut the beautiful triple-seam cap, you’ll detect a distinct taste of chocolate. Hints of mocha coat the palate alongside a complex tapestry of black cherry, cedar, leather, and spice.
Asylum 13 Ogre Lancero
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 7
Ring: 38
Strength: Medium -Full
Smoke Time: 120 minutes+
The most attractive ogre you’ll encounter, this Nicaraguan Puro features a unique and stylish Habano and Candela barber-pole wrapper. It’s firmly packed with an all-Nicaraguan blend of Cuban-seed long-fillers that burn a complex, full-bodied array of flavors.
You’ll need over two hours to tackle this monster, but your patience will be rewarded with blissful draws of cedar, citrus, cream, grass, and white pepper. Seeking a big cigar combined with an indulgent smoking experience? Look no further than the Asylum 13 Ogre Lancero.