Some of our favorite tobacco varieties are grown in Kentucky and Tennessee, hand-picked, and then fire-cured to create a special blend of tobacco that can only be found in Avanti cigars. While we love the tobacco plants from Kentucky and Tennessee, American farmers throughout the United States grow a wide variety of tobacco:
Burley Tobacco
A fine, high-quality tobacco, the Burley tobacco leaf consists of very little sugar content which gives it a dry and complex aroma. Burley tobacco originates from Kentucky and is lightly air-cured. It can grow to a length of about 21.5” long, although it varies in size significantly. Kentucky is known to grow more than 60% of the country’s burley tobacco and Tennessee is at about 20%.
Dokha
Mainly originating from the Gulf States, Dokha is a pure tobacco with a very high nicotine content. Typically, Dokha isn’t cured in the same way as other tobacco leaves. Dokha maintains fresh, natural flavors of the tobacco and other herbs and barks that may be mixed with it.
Criollo
Criollo is a very popular tobacco for making cigars and serving as a filler. It can be grown under shade to produce wrapper leaves. It is one of the first tobaccos from Cuba and is referred to as “native seed” or “Havana seed.” Criollo is known to have an earthy, spicy flavor.
Oriental Tobacco
This tobacco is grown in mostly Turkey, Lebanon, and Greece. It is sun-cured and is good for blending. Oriental tobacco has a strong musty aroma and spicy, earthy flavors. It has a very low level of sweetness and the flavors make it great for blending.
Brightleaf (Flue-Cured) Tobacco
This type of tobacco became very popular after WW2. With an increasing demand for tobacco with mild flavors and better aroma, farmers in Maryland, Ohio, and Pennsylvania came up with flue-cured tobacco. The tobacco is grown in the sand and less fertile lands. Afterwards, the leaves will appear yellowish. If charcoal is used to cure the tobacco, it will appear even lighter.
Creating Fire-Cured Cigars
Avanti cigars are created using tobacco that is grown in the U.S. that undergoes the fire-curing process. The tobacco leaves used in our unique tobacco blend originate from Tennessee and Kentucky and grow to an average length of 22.5”. They are typically darker tobacco leaves and consist of a strong, sweet aroma. Ready to experience exceptional fire-cured flavor? Find our fire-cured cigars in our shop.