When you smoke a cigar, you get a taste of the conditions in which it was grown. The variety of tobacco affects the flavor, but the climate and landscape of the tobacco farm can also play a role.

The natural growing conditions of a particular area are called ‘terroir,’ from the French word for ‘terrain’. Gaining a better understanding of terroir can transform your smoking experience, and could help you discover new cigars you’ve never tried before.

Terroir combines everything from the minerals found in the soil to the average temperature, wind speed, and rainfall in the area, to unique features like the shape of valleys and mountains.

Soil with more iron increases aroma, while more calcium increases sweetness. Wind can make leaves grow thicker, while hot direct sunlight can make them stiffer. All of this matters when choosing types of tobacco for a premium handmade cigar or choosing one of those cigars to smoke.

Tobacco needs a certain temperature to grow well. In 2018, the journal Botanical Studies published research that put this ‘sweet spot’ at around 23.5°C (about 75°F). Dropping to 65 or increasing to 85 slowed the growth of leaves and affected the natural chemicals found in the tobacco.

If our world warms by just a couple of degrees, some of the hotter-growing regions may no longer be able to produce tobacco. Even if they can, the flavor profile will most likely change. So, if you have a favorite cigar, studio, or country, it’s better to stock up now on your favorites.

The climate of a country can have a big impact on the flavor and quality of the tobacco grown there. Because of this, there are a handful of highly prized tobacco-growing regions, most of which can be found in the Americas.

Nicaragua

Nicaragua’s volcanic soils are rich and fertile, making them a prime location for growing tobacco. The result is a complex flavor profile that is highly prized among lifelong cigar smokers and a hallmark of Nicaraguan puros.

A puro is a cigar with filler, binder, and wrapper leaves all from one country, like those made by Oliva Cigars. The most well-known example of puros is Cuba, but other than that, any puro you find on sale is highly likely to be from Nicaragua.

Cuba

Iron-rich earth gives Cuban tobacco its aroma, which in turn allows for the creation of full-bodied Cuban puros. The embargo on importing products from the island nation into the US means cigar smokers here need to find alternatives, but there are plenty of those.

That’s because master tobacconists like Jose Orlando Patron, founder of Padron Cigars, fled Cuba during Castro’s reign, taking their expertise with them. Some of them also took the tobacco itself, and Cuban-seed tobacco is now grown in many of the other countries on this list, allowing for some very close recreations of Cuban classics that are made elsewhere in the world and imported legally into the US.

Dominican Republic

Many Cuban-seed tobaccos found their way to the Dominican Republic, whose terroir allows for some very authentic Cuban-style cigars to be made. Popular examples include the locally hand-rolled La Flor Dominicana and the bestselling Arturo Fuente Cigars range.

Aside from its terroir, the Dominican Republic has earned its place as home to some of the top talent in the global cigars industry. If you’re looking for an expertly hand-rolled cigar with premium Cuban-seed tobacco under the hood, Dominican cigars are always worth a look.

United States

Although it’s often overshadowed by Cuba, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic, the good ol’ USA produces some of the best tobacco in the world (and some of the best premium cigars, as a result). The Connecticut Valley gives its name to Connecticut Shade, many aficionados’ favorite wrapper leaf.

Connecticut Shade is a great example of how growers can manipulate the impact of terroir on tobacco leaves. Farming the tobacco plants under cheesecloth protects them against the wind and the heat of the sun. Compared with Connecticut Broadleaf, this creates thinner, smoother leaves that are just right for wrapping cigars.

Terroir is something that’s baked into every stick you smoke, but isn’t always something you think about when you buy premium cigars. If you’re new to the idea of weather and landscape affecting the flavor of your favorite smokes, take the time to explore it.

You could smoke puros from different locations, or if you already have a favorite country, spend some time learning about the different farming regions there and how they produce cigars with unique flavor profiles. It’s a great way to feel an even closer connection to the homeland of your favorite handmade cigars.