Random questions frequently asked by novice smokers and aspiring cigar connoisseurs
What does "shade grown" or "sun grown" mean?
Shade grown and sun grown refers to the growing style of wrapper leaves.
Shade grown tobacco is grown under tapadas, large white fabric sheets usually made from cheesecloth, which are suspended about 6-10 feet above the tobacco crop to shield the leaves from exposure to direct sunlight. Sun grown tobacco is grown directly under the sunlight without any protection from the sun rays. Either method of cultivation will yield completely different wrappers, as the exposure to the sun will affect the amount of sugars and oils the plant produces, the thickness of the veins in the leaf, and ultimately, its color.
Shade grown tobacco - Courtesy of Camacho Cigars
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