A Puritos Experience
Exploring the Essence of Tobacco
As many of you know, here at Forum Cigar Club, we’re all about diving deeper into the world of cigars, appreciating the craftsmanship, quality, and tradition that goes into every puff. This week, I wanted to share a rather unique experience that truly opened my eyes to the fundamental building blocks of our beloved pastime. Instead of reviewing a specific cigar blend, I had the opportunity to embark on a "Puritos Experience".
For those unfamiliar, a "purito" refers to a cigar made entirely of tobacco from a single region. This experience allowed me to taste three distinct types of tobacco in their purest form: 100% puro Jalapa, Peru, and Condega. It was a fascinating journey to understand the individual characteristics that these regions impart and truly appreciate the skill of master blenders.
Let's delve into each of these unique smokes:
Jalapa:
On the pre-light, the Jalapa puro offered very gentle notes of soil, cacao, and peanuts. Upon lighting, these gentle notes remained consistent throughout the smoke. It delivered a good complexity and a sweet smoke, but with a lingering bitterness reminiscent of a good speciality coffee. Interestingly, out of the three, this was the only one I felt I could comfortably enjoy on its own. It highlighted how even a single region can produce a nuanced and enjoyable experience.
Peru:
The pre-light aroma of the Peruvian puro was noticeably stronger, presenting more peppery and fresh-cut timber notes. The initial thought that came to mind was of cracker brands. The smoke was nice and dry with strong tannins. I found it to be very bitter, perhaps too bitter on its own for my personal preference. However, the underlying flavour notes were definitely present, suggesting that this tobacco might contribute valuable characteristics when blended with others. This experience reinforced the idea that blending is an art, aiming to balance different flavour profiles.
Condega:
The Condega puro was an entirely different beast! It was immediately very spicy, with notes of cracked black pepper and cayenne chilli. Indeed, it was extremely spicy, leaving a tingling sensation on the tip of the tongue that lingered even after the smoke. While I appreciate spice in a cigar, this was definitely too spicy to be smoked as a puro, at least for my palate, even with my Mexican background and tolerance for spice. This really underscored how different tobacco regions can offer wildly contrasting flavour profiles.
This "Puritos Experience"really did open my eyes. You know, it's easy enough to just pick up a cigar and enjoy it without thinking too much about what goes into it. But actually getting to taste those raw tobaccos from Jalapa, Peru, and Condega on their own gave me a much better sense of just how different each one is. It made me properly appreciate the unique character that each region brings to the table.
Trying those individual leaves, it really struck me what a skill it must be to blend them all together. Seeing how different they were – the gentle sweetness of the Jalapa, that peppery bitterness and the tannins from the Peru, and then the sheer spice of the Condega – it really highlighted for me how a clever blender can take all those different elements and create something that's balanced and a proper joy to smoke.
It's become much clearer to me now that picking tobaccos from different places isn't just a random thing. It's a very deliberate process, all about aiming for a specific sort of strength, richness, and flavour. It's like how different grapes make a wine what it is, you know? Each tobacco, whether it's from Nicaragua (Condega, Estelí, Jalapa, Ometepe), Mexico (San Andrés)..., Brazil (Matafina)..., Ecuador..., or the Dominican Republic..., has its own special something to offer. And when they're blended well, you get a smoking experience that's so much more interesting than what a single type of tobacco could ever give you.
Honestly, this whole experience has given me a much deeper respect for the blenders out there who carefully choose and combine these tobaccos to make the cigars we all enjoy. Thinking about it, the journey from a tiny seed all the way to a finished cigar must involve so much care in considering the strength, the aroma, and the flavour of each bit to end up with a smooth and well-balanced smoke
Now, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below: Have you ever smoked a puro from a specific region? Did it align with your expectations of that region's tobacco? What are some of the dominant flavour characteristics you associate with tobaccos from Jalapa, Peru, or Condega?
Thank you for joining me on this exploration of the fundamental elements of cigar flavour. Until next time, may your smokes be filled with discovery and enjoyment!
