Raul Lanuza Bespoke Candela Cigars by Daniel - 25

Green cigars, or more precisely cigars with green wrappers, are officially known as Candela cigars. They originated in Cuba in the 1940's as an alternatives to the fuller-bodied smokes the island produced. There was a demand in the U.S. for milder cigars and Candela cigars filled the need. That is, until the Candela tobacco ran out. To meet demand, instead of curing the tobacco properly, manufacturers would freeze the light-colored tobacco to keep it green. After that, a quick fire-cure would take it to an even greener shade. The popularity of Candela grew to such a degree, it was estimated that 90 percent of cigar smokers preferred it. Other cigar makers were, um, green with envy and also started making Candela cigars. After the U.S. imposed an embargo on Cuba in 1962, cigar-makers outside of Cuba tried to make Candela cigars with Dominican tobacco. They were sour. The old Cuban Candela was sweet, tasting a bit like pineapple. So, the Candela, also known as Double Claro, faded into the shadows of cigars history. Today, only about as much as three percent of cigar sales are Candela, smoked mainly by veteran (older) cigar smokers who still love them.