Your Guide To Corojo Cigars

Today, there are SO MANY different types of cigars out there that it can be hard to know what to try next. But as you make your way through all the different wrapper leaves out there, make sure you don’t overlook the Corojo! This is one offers some of the most vibrant flavor. In this video, I’ll tell you how we got that Corojo and where that amazing flavor comes from.

Corojo’s Origin Story

If you look into the world of superheroes, they all have amazing and unique origins stories. But it’s not really that way with cigars. There is a vibrant history to the cigar world. But most of what we know as cigars today came out of pre-embargo Cuba, and the Corojo leaf is no exception.

The Corojo seed was first developed by a tobacco grower named Diego Rodriguez in the Pinar Del Rio region of Cuba. Diego, like many tobacco growers, was cross breeding tobacco seeds to create new variants with totally new characteristics (to this day, this is one of the coolest things about the world of agriculture. It’s like they’re playing god, and it’s crazy, and I love it). The name Corojo is a reference to Diego’s plantation, which was named after a type of palm tree that grows there. It’s not the most thrilling reference, but at least you know and knowledge is power.

A Leaf That Stands Out

Diego produced the first Corojo seeds by cross breeding another type of common cigar tobacco seed that goes by the name of Criollo. Criollo leaves are still used today in premium cigars. But they have been surpassed in popularity by Diego’s Corojo creation in most cigar making countries. Today, most cigar makers have a blend(s) that either uses the hybrid leaf somewhere in the blend and most often as a wrapper.

The thing that draws so many blenders and cigars smokes to Diego’s leaf is the naturally spicy flavor that it is known for producing. A spicy flavor is something that is most often pursued by more seasoned cigar smokers. As most people’s palates develop, they naturally look for stronger flavor characteristics like this. It’s the same thing that happens in the world of spirits – many people start out liking sweeter bourbons, but as their palates develop they end up gravitating toward peatier scotches. In the cigar world, the Corojo leaf offers a spiciness that can be used to add that spicy note to a massive variety of different types of cigars, which makes it a highly useful leaf for blending.

A New Home For Diego’s Baby

Coincidentally, Cuba doesn’t grow any more Corojo seed today. In fact, they stopped a long time ago. The last crop of Corojo wrapper leaf was grown in 1997, and the last pure Cuban Corojo seeds are from 1999. So if you see a blend that specifically mentions the use of a Corojo ’99, it’d be a good stick to pay attention to. And while it’s always nice to get that pure Corojo flavor, the seeds for this leaf have made their way off the Cuban island and into the soil of other cigar producing Latin American countries.

Today, Corojo seeds are grown all over. And even though they are mostly hybrids that have changed a bit from the original creation, you’ll find variants grown in Honduras, Ecuador, and Nicaragua among other places. And in each place where this powerful seed is grown, it gains a totally new life with a different flavor character (again agriculture is amazing). In that way, the Corojo was born of one type of seed and today it slowly transforms into a number of other types of seeds, each with it’s own potential for a new vibrant flavor.

Some Killer Corojo Cigars

I. Camacho Corojo

Camacho’s Corojo was the original ALL Corojo cigar. It may not sound very inspiring, but the blend offers a wildly bold flavor profile with a surprisingly diverse set of notes, not the least of which is a brilliant spiciness. It’s not a cigar for the faint of heart.

II. Gran Habano Black Dahlia STK

Gran Habano’s Black Dahlia offers a different take on the Corojo blend. While most of the rest of the word is planting these spicy seeds to be grown in the sun, Gran Habano cultivated a shade crop. The result is a bold yet smooth flavor profile that’s not characterized by the same spiciness as other blends with the same leaf. It’s a smoother overall experience. And the thing that’s truly impressive about this cigar is that it’s flavor is unique.

III. Leaf By Oscar Corojo

Cigar maker Oscar Valladares came up with his own interpretation of the Corojo blend in his series called Leaf By Oscar. These earthy cigars typify the boutique cigar world as they offer a carefully crafted and diverse flavor profile with a special attention to detail in the construction of each cigar. The resulting flavor is a smooth earthy flavor with that characteristic Corojo spice.

IV. JFR Corojo

The JFR Corojo comes from tobacco mammoth Aganorsa Leaf. The folks over at Aganorsa have built a tobacco empire in just a couple decades, and they’re known for the high quality of their tobacco. Cigar makers all over buy Aganorsa’s famed leaf for their blends as they capture the quality and character of Nicaraguan tobacco. The JFR Corojo captures the boldness and strength of Nicaraguan leaf, and of course it offers a nice spice at the same time.

V. Punch Signature

Punch is one of the most popular worldwide cigar brands. The ones distributed in the United State come out of Honduras. But Punch, like many cigar makers, uses tobacco leaves from all over. This one is a four country blend that features an Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper leaf. This one doesn’t put off the same powerful spice as Nicaraguan Corojos, but it still offers a balanced medium bodied flavor that never disappoints.

What are your favorite Corojo cigars? Drop a comment and mention some!