Cigar World’s Guide to Exploring Hybrid Tobacco Blends

A cigar can be a gift, a conversation starter, a statement, a symbol, or even a keepsake. 

While cigars represent many different things figuratively, cigars are literally made of (almost entirely) one thing: tobacco. And for today’s blog, we’re going to focus on cigar tobacco — specifically, hybrid tobacco. Here, we’ll explain what it is, how blenders create it, and what cigars best showcase exemplary hybrid tobacco in their blends. 

What is Hybrid Tobacco? 

As its name suggests, hybrid tobacco is created from two distinct tobacco strains. 

Let’s back up for a minute. While all tobacco plants share specific characteristics, blenders have developed different strains (sub-varieties) of tobacco over long periods of time. You may know some of them by name, like Olor, Habano, or Rosado. Individual strains often have unique characteristics that make them valuable, such as the ability to produce large yields or enjoyable flavor profiles. 

Sometimes, blenders strive to keep unique strains unique. However, other times, they cross-pollinate different strains, creating a new strain of hybrid tobacco with characteristics of both “parent” strains. 

For instance, La Gloria Cubana Corojo de Oro is a cigar that features a hybrid tobacco made from Cuban-seed Corojo and Pelo d’Oro tobaccos. 

What is the Benefit of Hybrid Tobacco?

Hybrid tobacco is desirable to master blenders for several reasons. First, hybrid tobacco can help blenders improve tobacco yields and reduce the risk of crop diseases. Second, blenders can utilize cross-pollination to give new life to old strains that had previously been “retired.” (Blenders can keep tobacco seeds viable for decades under proper storage conditions.) Third, hybrid tobacco can generate novel smoking experiences. 

What are the Best Cigars with Hybrid Tobacco?

La Gloria Cubana recently released two cigars with hybrid tobacco. Criollo de Oro (2021) and Corojo de Oro (2024). Criollo de Oro’s wrapper is the product of cross-pollinating Criollo ‘98 with Pelo de Oro seeds. This sun-grown wrapper was cultivated in the Dominican Republic, and the cigar itself boasts notes of earth, cedar, and citrus. Meanwhile, the Corojo de Oro features a hybrid binder beneath an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. Both are excellent choices for those looking to see what hybrid tobacco has to offer. 

Other fantastic cigars that include hybrid tobacco are: 

• AJ Fernandez Bellas Artes

• Drew Estate Liga Privada H99

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