Corojo

Corojo was once considered the finest shade-grown wrapper in Cuba. Cuba stopped growing it in the late 1990s, and today the name is tied mostly to Honduras.

What it is

The Rodríguez family developed Corojo on their El Corojo plantation near San Luis, in Cuba's Vuelta Abajo, during the 1930s and 1940s. Diego Rodríguez spent years selecting the best tobacco from each harvest.

The leaf was dark, reddish and flavorful, and it was also very prone to disease. Cuba retired it in the late 1990s for hardier hybrids, including Habano 2000, a cross of Corojo and a Cuban cigarette tobacco called Bell 61-10. Corojo seed still grows outside Cuba, most famously in the Jamastrán Valley of Honduras, and also in Nicaragua, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic.

What it tastes like

Corojo is oily, with a color anywhere from brownish red to milk chocolate. It's known for forward spice, with woody notes and some sweetness.

Cigars to know

Camacho Corojo, No. 5 on Cigar Aficionado's Top 25 for 2010, is a Honduran puro built on Jamastrán Valley Corojo. Rocky Patel The Edge Corojo is another Honduran-made example. Punch Golden Era uses the Corojo-seed tobacco the Eiroa family has grown in Honduras for decades.