Pure Leaf Varietals

[50YearsOfCigars]

LAST UPDATE: 07/26/2021

Low Grade Dark Fire Cured
Batch#-78 - 05/28/2021
Source: LeafOnly.com
NOTE: See detailed review here: viewtopic.php?p=374#p374


Brightleaf Virginia Flue Cured - Sweet
Source: LeafOnly.com
Batch#-73 - 06/05/2019 - F&F on: 5/26/2020 30g / 150PG Ultra Sonic 115F 12 Hr Start
a mild, slightly sweet tobacco leaf. The Brightleaf Flue Cured leaves are some of the best Virginia tobaccos we've tried and they come carrying a wonderful sweet classic Virginia profile. Very light in flavor intensity. This is a very nice light and trouble free ADV. But its main use is for blending. Works very well to make many excellent clones and Hybrids as well as your original creations. See this topic for an example of this use: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=24t.

Semi-Oriental 456
Batch#-70- 3/30/2019 30g / 150PG Ultra Sonic 12 Hr Start
K.Sample from LeafOnly,com - Pure Leaf
Light, Thin, and smooth, spice aromatic notes of eucalyptus / pine cone like
Might work as 25% blender in Dark fired Kentucky or even a Virginia to add top notes
But probably would not work well as a Blender with Cigar based leafs.
Probably not an ADV

Perique
Batch#-68- 3/29/2019 30g / 150PG Ultra Sonic 12 Hr Start
WholeLeafTobaccco.com
Perique is a unique and rare type of tobacco that comes exclusively from one small swath of land near New Orleans. It is used as a "condiment tobacco" to make nearly a hundred different brand name pipe tobacco blends from around the world. It’s existence has been in jeopardy more than once, first in the late 1990s and then in 2005. It may have become "extinct", however in 2005, the L.A. Poche Perique Tobacco company was purchased by Mark Ryan and he has kept the production going.

Burley
Batch#-67- 3/29/2019 - 9/13/2019 30g / 150PG Ultra Sonic 12 Hr Start
LeafOnly.com
Mainly used to make cigarette tobacco leaf blends a bit stronger, the Burley Whole Leaf Tobacco is also used for cigar filler, pipe blends, and chewing tobacco leaf. These tobacco leaves arrive with an amazingly fresh, but chocolatey aroma.

American Virginia Flue Cured 2013
Batch#-66- 3/29/2019 30g / 150PG Ultra Sonic 12 Hr Start
LeafOnly.com
Our 2013 USA Virginia Flue Cured Tobacco is a more robust, full flavored tobacco leaf. This leaf arrives with your standard cigarette tobacco smell and produces a smoke similar to a Red Marlboro. Only 600lb will remain as of August 2018.

Aged Nicaraguan Ligero Jalapaa-
Batch#-2-20 - 2/25/2019 30g / 150PG Ultra Sonic 12 Hr Start - this is my second batch for myself for inventory
Distributed LeaafOnly.com
This leaf is grown from the Criollo 98 tobacco seed, comes from the region of Jalapa. This remote region near Honduras is known for its humid microclimate, and sandy soil that is very similar to the Vuelta Abajo or Pinar del Rio region in Cuba. These soft, reddish colored leaves carry a sweet strength and aroma, and a smooth and elegant texture.

Peter Stokkebye 314 Dark Fired
Batch#-65- 9/10/2018 - 3/24/2019
Pipes & Cigars: PFW-TB-1000
decades, but through the years, it was used less and less in pipe tobacco. But for the last fifteen years or so, it has undergone a renaissance. Peter Stokkebye 314 Dark Fired uses Kentucky seed tobacco that is hung in barns and smoked using aromatic woods. This is a potent tobacco that can be very assertive, so it's best to add it with a light hand until you're happy with the result. If you want to kick up a blend, 314 Dark Fired is an excellent option.

Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired
Batch#-64 - 9/10/2018 - 3/24/2019
Pipes & Cigars: MRG-TB-1000
HH Old Dark Fired is a bold flake of dark-fired burleys in a well-balanced unity with Flue-cured Virginias. This flake is Hot Pressed, meaning that during the pressing, heat is added by steam to the tobaccos which causes the tobacco to intensify the marrying process giving us a bolder tobacco. The robust, earthly flavour of the dark-fired burleys

Dominican Seco Criollo 98
Batch#-63 Leaf - 7/10/2018 - 3/24/2019
Sample from David5362
150ml PG 10hrs Processing Start Only
Our Aged Dominican Seco Long Filler is a premium cigar filler that is used in many
hand-rolled premium cigar factories. Being a leaf from the fourth or fifth priming,
our Criollo 98 Dominican Seco tobacco leaf is thinner than the ligero tobacco leaf.
My Notes: A robust cigar filler with much more flavor body than the usual Single Varietal Filler and all seems to be condensed at a sweet spot at a very rich mid tone location in the profile. Amazingly enough this single leaf encompasses far more of the entire flavor profile of a finished cigar including notes from wrapper and binder. And it is distinctly Dominican, a trip down memory lane ! If you are old enough to remember the Jamaicans Cigars before the hurricane, or if you recall the hay-day of the real Dominicans like Montecristo before the Altadis /Consolidated Cigar Holdings take over ruined everything then you will remember the absolute distinctive taste and aroma of these cigars. This extract is spot on with that flavor profile. Of the four samples tested here, this one has top honors, no question about it.

Aged Nicaraguan Seco Jalapa
Batch#-62 Leaf - 7/10/2018 - 3/23/2019
Sample from David5362
150ml PG 10hrs Processing Start Only
Descriptor from LO: Our Nicaraguan Seco Long Filler is a premium cigar filler that is used in many hand-rolled premium cigars. Being a leaf from the fourth or fifth priming, this Seco tobacco leaf is thinner than its ligero tobacco leaf counterpart, yet grown from the same Criollo 98 seed. This leaf also comes from the region of Jalapa.
My Notes:An Excellent SFT ADV by itself. A pure pre embargo Cuban style Cigar filler type with light body, and a wonderful Almond like top note that carries a very light sweet cane sugar tone.. I would hesitate to use this as a blender component for fear of loosing these very delicate top notes, although if very carefully mixed with Flue Cured Sweet Bright-leaf Virginia it might turn into an
excellent pipe tobacco work-a-like Canendish mix.

Indonesian Sumatra Seco
Batch#-61 Leaf Only- 7/10/2018 - 3/23/2019
Sample from David5362
150ml PG 10hrs Processing Start Only
Descriptor from LO: Our Aged Dominican Seco Long Filler is a premium cigar filler that is used in many hand-rolled premium cigar factories. Being a leaf from the fourth or fifth priming, our Criollo 98 Dominican Seco tobacco leaf is thinner than the ligero tobacco leaf. My Notes: A robust cigar filler with much more flavor body than the usual Single Varietal Filler and all seems to be condensed at a sweet spot at a very rich mid tone location in the profile. Amazingly enough this single leaf encompasses far more of the entire flavor profile of a finished cigar including notes from wrapper and binder. And it is distinctly Dominican, a trip down memory lane ! If you are old enough to remember the Jamaicans Cigars before the hurricane, or if you recall the hay-day of the real Dominicans like Montecristo before the Altadis /Consolidated Cigar Holdings take over ruined everything then you will remember the absolute distinctive taste and aroma of these cigars. This extract is spot on with that flavor profile. . Reccomended
Resrerved

Paraguayan Criollo Ligero Filler
Batch#-60 LeafOnly.com - 7/10/2018 - 3/23/2019
Sample from David5362
150ml PG 10hrs Processing Start Only
Description From LO: An incredibly rare tobacco, this Paraguayan Ligero Cigar Filler has a unique flavor unlike any other, even other South American tobacco. A dark, red-brown leaf, this tobacco comes frog-legged like many other long fillers, although this leaf is much longer, and thinner than other fillers of this type.
My Taste Notes: Straight cigar filler intended for serious premium cigar filler applications perhaps like the original Cuban Imitation Dominican Style. A single monochromatic filler profile, very high quality for what it is. I hold this in reserve for future serious cigar work alike blending efforts. It is all cigar body taste component with little to no aromatics.

Nicaraguan Ligero Cigar Filler
Batch#-52 1/23/2018 1-30-2019 (sample tobacco sent to me by Kinnik_)
150ml PG / 28g
UltraSonic 10hrs Processing Start
UltraSonic 4hrs Bump on 8//01/2018
UltraSonic 4hrs Bump on 9/01/2018
NOTES: I A/B this against Davids Aged Nicaraguan Seco Jalapa and find that
this Kinniks Nicaraguan Ligero Cigar Filler is slightly more robust, a little more woodsy with a very slight top note of Walnut Shell
Whereas the Aged Nicaraguan Seco Jalapa is a little lighter, slightly sweeter, and lacks the
nut shell top notes but replaces them with a slightly green lawn grassy tone.
Both are very similar, very high quality, excellent example vapes o the breed.
Pure Leaf, Not a Blend, 1 Year extraction Time
A thicker and stronger long filler type, the Nicaraguan ligero is what provides the bold flavor and spice in premium cigars, even more so than other ligeros grown in other regions. This leaf is grown from the Criollo 98 tobacco seed, from the region of Jalapa. This remote region near Honduras is known for its humid microclimate, and sandy soil that is very similar to the Vuelta Abajo or Pinar del Rio region in Cuba. These soft, reddish colored leaves carry a sweet strength and aroma, and a smooth and elegant texture. The vape profile is very near to my extract of the finished cigar Jose Marti Nicaraguan, although lighter smoother and with distinct room filling top notes of spicy aromatic tobacco. Very authentic cigar only tobacco vape. Works well as a smooth and mild ADV or a mix component to add cigar aromatics. Recommended.

FRONTO LeafOnly.com
F&F 3/04/2018
Batch#-29 9/5/2017
30g /160ml PG
mixed with on 9/30/2017:
30g / 200 PG Ultrsonic
This is a mixture of various leaf that is intended for use on the cigar rolling table as wrapper. For vaping purposes I obtain scrap that is a mixture of various types as it is not important to have uniformity of appearance as we are macerating it, not rolling it on the outside of a cigar. This leaf produces a light in intensity and pure, and very clean and mellow vape that is different from pipe blends. If you have never vaped pure leaf, non-blended tobacco then I strongly suggest that you give this a try.

Real La Gloria Cubana Cigars
Combined finished and Filtered on 02/11/201
Batch#-3 8/01/2017 Propylene Glycol 60mls
Batch#-5 8/7/2017 Hot 120ml Ethyl Alcohol @ 160F
Real La Gloria Cubana Cigar Nicaraguan and Dominican filler tobaccos Connecticut wrapper leaf - This is a maceration made from the actual named cigar, and has the charastic smooth and mellow vape quality of all such extractions, however in this case the more robust quality is picked up from the filler which is blended with a mixture of Nicaraguan Ligero and Dominican Piloto Cubano Ligero. In the world of DIY NET macerations from real cigars are rare, and this is such a example.

Partagas Black Label Classico
Custom Hand Rolled Cigar
Combined finished and Filtered on 11/01/2017:
Batch#-9 8/15//2017
Partagas Black Label Classico
Propylene Glycol
Batch#-10 8/15//2017
Partagas Black Label Classico
Ethyl Alcohol
This is a maceration made from the actual named cigar, and has the charastic smooth and mellow vape quality of all such extractions, however in this case the more robust quality is picked up from the filler which is blended with a mixture of Nicaraguan Ligero and Dominican Piloto Cubano Ligero. In the world of DIY NET macerations from real cigars are rare, and this is such a example.


Jose Marti
Custom Hand Rolled Cigar
Combined finished and Filtered on 10/6/2017:
EXT-Batch#2-Jose Marti
Batch#-1 7/10/2017 Vape tested on 9/20/2017 progress is good, leave for full 2 months and test again.
Jose Marti Propylene Glycol 50mls
then added into jar Batch#-7 8/15//2017 Jose Marti Propylene Glycol 50mls
Batch#-6 8/9/2017 Jose Marti Ethyl Alcohol 120ml Hot Extraction 157F @ 8/12/20127
Added Over Top:on 8/13/2017 1ea Cigar extended cold steep
Batch#-32 9/8/2017 Jose Marti 40g 130F-8HRS Propylene Glycol 200mls
This is a maceration made from the actual named cigar, and has the charastic smooth and mellow vape quality of all such extractions, In this case a complex blend of Dominican, Honduran, and Nicaragua tobaccos filer, Nicaraguan binder and Ecuador Sumatra wrapper. Some Jose Marti cigars are made in a Dominican Factory, but this is example is one of the originals made in the Jose Marti factory located in Nicaragua. In the world of DIY NET macerations from real cigars are rare, and this is such a example.
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[50YearsOfCigars]

Low Grade Dark Fire Cured
Batch#-78 - 05/28/2021
source: LeafOnly.com
======================

This is a review of my extraction of what was sold and simply labeled as "Low Grade Dark Fire Cured" sourced from leafonly.com. I might drag on a little long with this post, but there is a lot of ground to cover here.

First a reference so you can find this sale listing.
https://www.leafonly.com/tobacco-leaf/l ... ed-wrapper

As this review ages here in the pages of DIY-Tobacco.NET I am sure that link will become unusable over time, but for now I provide the link. Note that you can still buy a 1/4 pound for a little over $5USD. What a bargain! I suggest you snap one up while you can.

So what is such a great deal here? In my estimation, this leaf is actually a heavily fermented and aged Cigar Maduro leaf. Because of what are cosmetic issues but not flavor profile or flavor quality issues it is discounted to a rock bottom price. This is because, for cigar rolling, it is true that the leaf would be hard to use for premium cigar production where cosmetics carry a high priority. And draw and burn consistency can be adversely effected with such lower graded leafs, but for our purposes of extraction this is not a consideration.

Here is a quote from the relevant page at leaf only:

PLEASE NOTE: This is the LOW GRADE CONSISTENCY VERSION OF THIS LEAF. In this batch, you will find lower quality, non-wrapper quality leaves, leaf pieces, and possibly stems. We do also carry Dark Fire Cured Wrapper, which will have fewer damages. Low Grades are sold as is and there are no refunds or exchanges.

I am sure that leafonly knew what this leaf actually is: (a fermented Maduro) but chose to list them as "dark fire cured". Here they describe what they knew about the leaf, and note the "top picked" statement. This is ~exactly~ the leaf candidate source for creation of maduro fermentation wrappers: It ~is not~ the source for any fired cured leaf:

These Fire Cured Leaf Low Grade have an extremely dark brown color, similar to that of the CT Maduro tobacco leaves we offer, but is usually much larger because the maduro leaves are picked from the top of the CT broadleaf plant, which leads to their smaller size.

So they are saying that the leaf is "similar" to what they offer labeled as "Maduro" but they choose to re-label this as "dark fired cured" ? This is confusing and not accurate. I think they just thought they could not sell this if labeled as Maduro because the backlash from the person wanting a cosmetically perfect Maduro Wrapper would be too much to bear when they got this particular sample of low grade leaf, not suitable for cosmetic wrapper. They would ring the customer service phone off the hook wanting to return it!

But their loss is our gain. Again, as I have stated many times in various postings, there are enormous bargains to be had for us vape extraction aficionados by intentionally shopping the "low grade" selection from leaf sellers.

So all that being said, what is my TIS review of this extraction ? In a word EXCELLENT ! It has the taste profile of true old world Cuban Maduro Oscuro cigars. That dark, rich, thick oily character with hints of chocolate and spicy black pepper swirls in the dense smoke on exhale of the finished vape. This is the only vape experience I can recall when the exhaled vapor is so close to "combusted smoke" that if blind folded, I would be hard pressed to believe that it is a "vape" and not a "burning cigar" . This is an amazing extraction and rates in my 10 Best of all time.

A further explanation and a little bit of a warning is in order here: 1.) This is not an ADV (all day vape) !!! It is for cigar lovers only and, if vaped solo, should be reserved for that special occasion that us cigar types used to call "an after dinner cigar". 2.) If you are not a previous cigar type, but are an experienced pipe smoker, you might ask if this could be a work-a-like for latakia. The answer is not really, but if you spent enough time experimenting with Hybrid blends of this you probably could get close enough to fool the palate. In all fairness, I am not a pipe smoker, and the few samples of english latakia blends I have tried (both actual combustion and vape extractions) have never captured my taste buds. Latakia is not my cup of tea. So I am not the person to ask about that, but if you know the latakia blend world, I would encourage you perform your own extraction of this leaf and give it a try. If you do, please report back here with your results.

My next step for this extraction is to experiment with my own blend designs based on this. I will report back later, as I get a chance to blend this with previous cigar filler pure leaf extractions, of Aged Nicaraguan Ligero Jalapaa-, Aged Nicaraguan Seco Jalapa , FRONTO, and other candidates that fill this niche of common cigar components. The target goal is to get ever closer to that elusive "cuban cigar in a vape" -Wish me luck! -Here is a posting of my first attempt to blend this extraction, you might want to read it: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=95