Sun grown Tobacco

When it comes to cigars, there’s no shortage of different options to choose from. So many different tobaccos, regions of the world they are grown in, wrapper, binder, filler and that doesn’t even get to the aging process of cigars. So let’s take a moment here and unpack a little about one type of wrapper in the cigar industry…the Sun grown tobacco leaf.

As its name clearly suggests, the sun grown leaf or wrapper is grown under direct sunlight. Its counterpart, shade grown tobacco, is grown with a filter of sorts between the tobacco and the sunlight. More on that in another post. The direct sunlight does numerous things for not only the wrapper, but ultimately for your entire cigar experience.

Darker Color

The tobacco leaves that get the direct sunlight have a darker shade to them than those that are shade grown. Just like the person sitting out at the beach under direct sunlight gets a bit darker than the person under an umbrella.

Flavor

The flavor profiles in sungrown leaves gives them a fuller, slightly stronger profile, than their shade grown counterparts. They also come with a natural sweetness to them.

Aging

Because they are exposed to the direct sunlight and natural elements, this makes these particular leaves heartier. They are more resilient to heat and can be aged longer which helps bring out more flavor.

Location

Common locations where sun grown tobacco is grown are places like Ecuador, Dominican Republic and Indonesia. The cloud cover there allows them to be out in the direct sunlight as opposed to being grown under an artificial light indoors.

Some great examples of sun grown cigars are the Ashton VSG and ESG, the Rocky Patel Sungrown, H Upmann Sungrown and the Drew Estate Undercrown line.