Sumatra

Sumatra is named for the Indonesian island the seed came from. The most popular version today is grown in Ecuador.

What it is

Sumatra is classed as a black tobacco, and it's used mostly as wrapper. Indonesia still grows it, and the seed has spread to Honduras and Nicaragua, but it does best in Ecuador. The Ecuadorian strain dates to 1967, when growers crossed Sumatra with a Cubano variety.

The leaves are large, thick and elastic, with a spotted pattern that looks a bit like leopard skin. Sumatra seed is also where Cameroon and Connecticut shade got their start.

What it tastes like

Look for cinnamon, earth and floral notes with a slightly sweet finish. The color runs from a light cinnamon brown to dark and oily, depending on how the leaf is grown and fermented.

Cigars to know

Ashton VSG, made by the Fuente family since 1999, uses a dark, oily Sumatra-seed wrapper from a private estate in Ecuador, where cloud cover filters the sun. Punch Rare Corojo, despite the name, is wrapped in Ecuadorian Sumatra. Rocky Patel Decade is another Sumatra-wrapped cigar.