Cigar.com article on Habano leaves

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Looking back on my experience in this industry, both as a hobbyist and as a career, I have come to many conclusions about cigars. One of my biggest revelations, due mostly in part to marketing, is how things in this industry appear far more complicated than they really are. Let’s look at Habano seeds, for example. Nearly 50 years ago, Carlos Torano brought some of the first Cuban seeds to the Dominican Republic after the Cuban Embargo was set into place. These seeds were true ‘Pelo de Oro’ and today, you read about literally dozens of different types of Cuban seeds and tobaccos. I think it is high time to set the facts straight on Cuban-seed tobacco and hopefully clear the air on this confusing subject. During the mid 20th century and coincidentally, relatively around the same time as the Cuban Embargo, plants grown in Cuba and in other parts of the world from Cuban seeds became increasingly susceptible to disease; you may have heard of these nasty killers, known as “Black Shank” and “Blue Mold.” By the 1970s, Cuban seeds had spread all over Latin and South America and issues with sick plants began to spiral as farmers would lose entire crops in a matter of days, once signs of disease set in. The increased severity led to initiatives by agronomists in Cuba and all over the world to begin development of new, genetically engineered seeds, which had a natural resistance to known diseases that effect tobacco plants. In the interim, research was also being done on pesticides and fertilizers that helped combat these crop killers. While many purists stuck to their Pelo de Oro seeds, new technological advancements were making way for genetically enhanced seeds that not only proved more resistant to disease, but also yielded larger leaves and healthier plants. By the turn of the 21st Century, there were dozens of varieties of Cuban seeds from H2000, Criollo, Criollo ‘98, Corojo, Corojo ‘99 and a host of lesser-known variations. Suddenly, Cuban-seed tobacco was no longer simply “Habano;” it had taken the form of “super seeds” with complex names and was being sold to farmers in tobacco growing nations throughout the world. In fact, today a market exists strictly for the sale and distribution of tobacco seeds, which is quite profitable. While the obvious advantages of these brave new seeds were welcomed as they increased yield for farmers, cigar enthusiasts were inundated as brands touted their new “Habano XYZ” as the best Cuban wrapper on the market. The public was quickly made to believe that the flavor and appearance of these leaves were vastly different from one another. After nearly 10 years, the results were finally in and the differences between these “varieties” were negligible. In fact, the market is finally going back and reclaiming the word “Habano.” I, for one, could not be happier. The bottom line is this folks – Habano-seed is Habano-seed. People talk about Corojo, Criollo and use fancy numbers, when at the end of the day, I don’t know a single individual that can truly look at or smoke a leaf of these “different” tobaccos and actually tell the difference. On my many visits to Nestor Plasencia’s tobacco facilities (Nestor Plasencia is the largest grower of Cuban-seed premium tobacco in the world) throughout Latin America, the workers and managers routinely, simply refer to the materials as “Habano” and nothing more. So, "what matters when I am looking at Habano leaf" you ask? Like any other seed, the region it is grown plays the biggest role. From the key regions of Nicaragua, Honduras, Columbia, Panama, and Ecuador, the flavor and appearance are largely dependent on the climate and soil. It is not simply limited by country either, as many tobacco growing nations have several regions. In fact, between Nicaragua and Honduras alone there is Jalapa, Esteli, Somoto, Pueblo Nuevo, Ometepe, Condega, Jalapa, Copan, Talanga and San Agustin, just to name a few. These specific areas impart a certain fingerprint on Habano-seed leaves and their unique characteristics can be both seen and tasted.