Wrapper
- Thread starter nic
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I haven't bothered to track it to that level of detail. I've been using it as binder, and pulling out the occasional wrapper grade leaf as I find them. Most expensive binder I've ever bought, but you pay your money and you take your chances, right?
I don't know that I've used the Ec Viso wrapper. I've gone through a few lbs of the EC Seco and while it's decent, the consistency in color and flavor is absolutely awful. One pound is a beautiful shade gold, with cream and a little pepper, the next pound is maduro dark with caramel and burnt steak. I've been curious about the cheap CT, but the size has kept me from giving it a shot.
Thanks hoppy.
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My people would say "You pays ya money and ya takes ya chances." And that pretty much sums up this hobby, don't it. From what I've read, that's also been the game that the pros have had to play for the last 200+ years. That's why so many of the best guys in Nicaragua and the DR try to score some land and grow their own. Sick of taking the big losses on the shitleaf.
You guys may be talking about two different batches of CT shade from FX Smith's basement.
The one batch, it was real small leaves, and if you so much as sneezed hard at it you would get weak dark spots. I have no clue how you would ever make a binder out of that stuff. It worked for me for wrapper cause I used this hydrating chamber I made up, so's to damp it with no spritzing. It doesn't like to get spritzed.
The newer batch is these CT wads. Totally different. Comes already de-stemmed and ready to go. Well-aged, not much shine. works great. Comes folded up 25 wrappers to a wad. I'm using it exclusively right now, and I rarely toss more than two per wad. Some wads are real bigguns; I wrapped up a couple hundred 50rg 8" churchills with those. Some wads are wider, and I use those for plumpfectos. Today I'm working on coronas with smaller ones. But still, I can't see how you get strength enough from CT shade to bind anything.
The Sumatra, on the other hand, I damp that up in the conditioning chamber, fold a half leaf longways so that the veins criss cross, and away you go. And even still, it's best to gather the bunch in a wider filler leaf before binding with Sumatra.
The one batch, it was real small leaves, and if you so much as sneezed hard at it you would get weak dark spots. I have no clue how you would ever make a binder out of that stuff. It worked for me for wrapper cause I used this hydrating chamber I made up, so's to damp it with no spritzing. It doesn't like to get spritzed.
The newer batch is these CT wads. Totally different. Comes already de-stemmed and ready to go. Well-aged, not much shine. works great. Comes folded up 25 wrappers to a wad. I'm using it exclusively right now, and I rarely toss more than two per wad. Some wads are real bigguns; I wrapped up a couple hundred 50rg 8" churchills with those. Some wads are wider, and I use those for plumpfectos. Today I'm working on coronas with smaller ones. But still, I can't see how you get strength enough from CT shade to bind anything.
The Sumatra, on the other hand, I damp that up in the conditioning chamber, fold a half leaf longways so that the veins criss cross, and away you go. And even still, it's best to gather the bunch in a wider filler leaf before binding with Sumatra.
I bought a pound of this leaf from you when you first offered it. The stretch is great, which why I've been able to use it as binder. However, most of the leaf looks like the business end of a shotgun shooting gallery, which is why I haven't been able to use it as wrapper. The flavor is absolutely wonderful though, so I'm not unhappy with it.
In no way is this a judgement / criticism towards @webmost. This is the nature of our hobby. Davis is damn good example of a "brother of the leaf" going to the trouble and expense he does to get us access to FX supply. Thanks dude.
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Yeah, ain't talking about the wads. As for the Indo Sumatra, I use it as wrapper.
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Not really. I sort of segued onto the next thing, which is what I do. In general I can say that I prefer "Caribbean seed" to "American seed," which is most of what his stuff is (American). Occasionally I whip out his interesting wrappers, like Silver River, various Havanas, etc. and I like them more than many of the WLT and LO wrappers. So I view it in that perspective.
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"It's the tobacco trade, bitch. Get used to it."
The best part of the leaves being smaller is that you get a ton of them in a pound, really makes up for the yield. They are delicate as hell, so make sure you case an extra when you accidentally shred one.
Here's one fresh off the table, I love the color, even before it dries down
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This is what the FX Indo Sumatra wrapper looks like. This is a corona gorda. Has that typical strange Sumatra smell until it ages on the bone a bit, then it smells neutral. But it brings a surprising spice (which smells nothing like the raw leaf) to the lit cigar.
@Hopduro - that wrapper is the 2006 CT Shade that's super cheap?The best part of the leaves being smaller is that you get a ton of them in a pound, really makes up for the yield. They are delicate as hell, so make sure you case an extra when you accidentally shred one.
Here's one fresh off the table, I love the color, even before it dries down
