Candela

Candela is the green wrapper, also called double claro. The color comes from how the leaf is cured, so the tobacco underneath can vary.

What it is

Normal curing turns a leaf from green to brown over 30 to 45 days. For candela, the farmer seals the barn and raises the heat in stages, up to about 165 degrees Fahrenheit, which locks the chlorophyll in the leaf. The whole cure takes about three days, and the leaf skips fermentation.

The method seems to have started by accident in Cuba's Partido region in the 1940s. Candela has since been grown in Connecticut, Florida, Ecuador, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The finished leaf has to be kept in refrigerated rooms.

What it tastes like

Candela is bright green, and most candelas are mild, with herbal, grassy and creamy notes. Some taste a little minty.

From the late 1950s to the early 1970s, nearly every cigar Americans smoked was a candela, a grade importers labeled American Market Selection. Cream-colored Connecticut shade cigars took their place.

Cigars to know

Candelas come and go from the market. Arturo Fuente, Camacho, Illusione and La Flor Dominicana have all made one, often as a limited release.