Cameroon

Cameroon is a thin, delicate wrapper from central Africa, and one of the easiest to spot by feel.

What it is

The leaf grows from Sumatra seed brought to central Africa in the early 1900s. It's farmed in Cameroon and the neighboring Central African Republic, and it's used mainly as wrapper. French interests ran production through SEITA until 1993.

Cameroon is known for its tooth, the tiny bumps on the leaf's surface, which are small oil pockets. It's one of the toothiest wrappers there is, and toothy leaf tends to bring extra sweetness.

What it tastes like

The color is light to medium brown, often compared to gingerbread. Flavors run to cinnamon, baking spice, cedar, cocoa and nuts, with sweetness balanced by pepper.

It carries a lot of flavor without much intensity, which is why it often goes over mild filler blends.

Cigars to know

Arturo Fuente's Hemingway series pairs an ultra-thin Cameroon wrapper with Fuente's Dominican filler. Arturo Fuente Don Carlos is another classic Cameroon cigar. Oliva Serie G puts African Cameroon over Nicaraguan sun-grown filler.