Expert: James Yee - 7/16/2007

Question
If cellophane is good for a cigar then why is it that I have never seen a Cuban cigar with cellophane on it? Why would cellophane be good for every cigar in the world and not good for Cubans? This just not make any sense at all to me.

Answer
Hi Lee,

Actually, Cuban cigar companies do indeed wrap some of their cigars with cellophane but this practice is usually reserved for medium to low-end cigars.  Some high-end Cuban brands such as Ramon Allones, Partagas and Romeo y Julieta as well as low-end brands such as Los Stato Deluxe, La Flor de Cano, Guantanamera and Cabanas produce less-expensive cigars wrapped in cellophane.  These low-end cigars are often intended for stores (such as convenience stores, liquor stores, airport shops and gas stations) where proper humidity may not be consistent (compared to a tobacconist or reputable cigar shop).  As a result, the cellophane provides a much needed vapor barrier and keeps cigars fresher for a longer period of time.

Aesthetically, an unwrapped cigar is more pleasing to the eye and allows a person to see the fine detail of a cigar’s wrapper leaf.  Everything from an oily wrapper to a nice coat of plume is clearly visible.  Though cellophane/plastic wrap does provide a rigid housing and extra protection for a cigar, the fine detail of the wrapper leaf is less visible and often obscured by the glossy shine of the plastic wrap.  (With plastic wrap on, sometimes it’s hard to tell if a cigar is naturally oily or not.)

Also, wrapping cigars in cellophane is more commonly practiced in the non-Cuban cigar market simply because non-Cuban packaging has become more sophisticated and having cigars wrapped in plastic gives a box of cigars a more clean, polished look.  For some non-Cuban cigars, fancy packaging and fancy cellophane is a major selling point.  (Zino Platinums and Opus X are good examples of fancy plastic wrappers.)  When the Cuban cigar industry began, cellophane wasn’t even invented yet (cellophane/plastic wrap wasn’t commercially manufactured until the 1930’s) and the Cuban cigar industry didn’t even consider wrapping their cigars in plastic at that time.

After all these years, many premium Cuban cigars are still left unwrapped so I guess they’re sticking with tradition.

Hopes this answers your question.  If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask.  

Regards,
James