The first thing I think of when I hear the term “shade grown wrapper leaf” is Connecticut. Though it has also been grown successfully in Ecuador for years, even the experts would tell you that U.S. Connecticut shade-grown leaf is the finest and silkiest on the planet. Tobacco will grow pretty much anywhere as long as the soil is rich and the sunshine plentiful. Enter, Nestor Plasencia Jr., the man who introduced the world’s first “Certified Organic” cigar tobacco exclusively for making Plasencia Reserva Organica cigars, is now on a much more ambitious mission: growing Connecticut and Habano seed leaf under shade in Estelí, Nicaragua, considered the sunniest and most mineral-rich region in Nicaragua. I spoke with Nestor last month about this new venture and he filled me in on some of the details.
According to Nestor, shade-grown tobacco is “the most labor-intensive” tobacco to grow. Just putting up the cheesecloth tapado, or tent, that will cover an entire field is an arduous undertaking in itself.
Growing shade tobacco is nothing new to Nestor. His family has been growing it for over five generations. Moreover, they raise shade-grown tobacco specifically for use as wrapper leaf.
The Plasencia’s have been cultivating shade-grown tobacco in the Jalapa Valley for a number of years. In 2012 they planted their first crop of shade-grown, Connecticut seed wrapper in Estelí where the soil is much richer and produces a much stronger and richer-tasting leaf. This was also the first shade-grown crop grown in Estelí in 35 years. To their delight, the crop produced an excellent harvest.
“For the next season, which starts in November, we will plant another shade-grown crop in Estelí using Habano seed,” added Nestor.
Both the shade-grown Connecticut and Habano crops will be used exclusively for wrapper. Consequently, the wrappers will have their own unique flavor characteristics. Since there will always be a number of leaves with noticeable imperfections such as blemishes, holes, protruding veins, etc., they cannot be used for wrappers. To make up the difference, Nestor must grow and age enough Connecticut and Habano shade wrapper to last for years.
According to Nestor, like any tobacco variety, shade-grown tobacco varies as well, so it’s important to understand the process of growing shade-grown wrapper. Once the plants have been placed in the soil, a translucent white cheesecloth is placed over the entire field.
The result of this cheesecloth filtering process are tobacco plants that are much taller, produce bigger and thinner leaves, and are much more attractive in color and texture.
Producing such leaves is also much more challenging, because you want to have as much “perfect” wrapper leaf as possible for rolling cigars.
“If a leaf has any tears in it or other imperfections, it cannot be used for wrapper, so we will put it aside and use it for filler,” says Nestor.
Estelí , Nicaragua is known for producing some of the world’s most potent and flavorful ligero, which is why it is most often used as filler for adding more strength to a blend. So, I asked Nestor if the shade-grown leaf he’s growing in Estelí also produces a stronger wrapper.
“So how would you compare the flavor and color of the shade-grown from Jalapa to the shade-grown in Estelí?” I asked.
During the curing process, the leaves will hang in the curing barn for a period of 48 days. During that time they will go from green, to yellow, to brown, and then to a beautiful reddish color.
Insofar as tasting these Estelí shade-grown wrappers on cigars that will be made in the future, they will certainly be used. However, Nestor stressed that during this continual growing and curing process, he wants to make sure that all of the plantation workers know the process inside and out.
So when will this wonderful wrapper be ready to be rolled into cigars? Nestor says that about a year after harvesting, they will see how the tobacco is developing during fermentation.
Nestor Plasencia is a tobacco grower and cigar manufacturer - and a Cigar Advisor contributor.
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