The Cameroon is my personal favorite non-Cuban wrapper, long regarded by many as the best wrapper leaf outside of Cuba. The Cameroon wrapper is originally from the Sumatran black tobacco plant and is a hard leaf to grow (read this too.). Grown in Central Africa, the climate is so temperate, that the plants are completely sun grown, which is made even easier by semi-permanent cloud cover which help keep uniformity in the leaf’s appearance.
The leaf itself is also very small, thus many Cameroon-wrapped cigars are limited by size, no 60+ ring gauge Gordos here! It is popular for the variety of flavors present in the leaf from a rich woodiness, slight spice and subtle sweetness presents itself perfectly for blending in either a strong or milder smoke.
Examples
Arturo Fuente Don Carlos & Hemingway Series
Other Versions
Cameroon Ligero – I’ve only seen this in one cigar, the La Flor Dominicana Cameroon Cabinet. Take the flavors listed above and amp up the spiciness and you get a familiar but different experience.
Cameroon Maduro – just a darker version of the leaf, most likely sun grown; used in the Don Tomas Classico Maduro.
Ecuadorian - I’ve read that the Cameroon leaf has been grown outside of Africa, in fact in Ecuador, but I have only found it on the Lucky 8 cigar by Puros de Armando Ramos.
Sun Grown Cameroon - a misnomer, as all Cameroon plants are full sun-grown. But this description is used to describe the Don Tomas Cameroon.
