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What Is a Candela Cigar?

Although considered oddities today, the green cigars known as candelas were once the most popular type of cigar in the United States. Today they are, as Cigar Aficionado magazine's David Savona put it, "the anchovies of the cigar world."

History
- Between 1958 and the early 1970s so many candela cigars were sold in the United States that the style became known as American Market Selection. During the 1970s, candelas fell out of favor and were largely replaced by cream-colored cigars with Connecticut-shade style wrappers. They were largely absent from the so-called cigar renaissance of the 1990s.
Features
- Candela cigars are known for having green instead of brown wrappers. While the color may be mistaken for a young tobacco leaf, it is actually a product of the process used to cure the leaf that preserves the chlorophyll. The majority of candelas available today are machine made rather than hand rolled.
Considerations
- The market for candelas is small but growing. According to a poll taken by Cigar Aficionado magazine, those who appreciate candelas like their "retro" style and mild taste. Other cigar smokers complained that they were too sweet and compared them to burning "grass" and "burning leaves."

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