I had the opportunity to sample a new cigar from Esteban Carreras a few months ago — Las Canas, whose name translates literally from spanish to “the gray hairs,” but is used more figuratively as a name for a mature and wise person. And, according to a source inside Esteban Carreras, the term is also used as slang for “sugarcane”, which is why the name is associated with this cigar.
Las Canas is something a little out of the ordinary. The typical “sweet” cigar is made with just a sweetened tip with sugar or fruit pectin applied to just a small amount of the wrapper leaf. Unless you smoke the cigar to practically the end of the nub, that sweetener is never actually heated and you’ll find the flavor dissipates quickly.
Most premium cigar tobacco is dampened with a spray or two of water when the cigar is being rolled, which makes the tobacco more pliable, but Las Canas is different. All the tobacco leaves used in Las Canas are spritzed with sugar water instead of just plain water (similar to the casing on pipe tobacco leaves. As the cigar is lit and an ember is formed, the sugar on all the leaves caramelizes, joining each puff of smoke to reach your palate. Added to the caramel are the tones typical of a well aged Nicaraguan Habano Maduro wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler. Las Canas has a sweet presentation, but don’t classify it as a flavored or infused cigar — it’s a completely new experience!
WRAPPER: Nicaraguan Habano Maduro
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan
BODY: Medium
FLAVOR: Full
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