I had every intention of steering clear of the wrapper debate above....but couldn't do it....
Here's my .02:
1. As to overall contribution to flavor....it depends.
- It depends on the ring gauge to a very large degree --- smaller rg means more wrapper -- fairly simple geometry - more wrapper in relation to filler and binder, means more impact on overall flavor.
- It depends on where on the tobacco plant the wrapper is cut from and it depends on the level of fermentation, e.g., milder wrapper with a bunch of ligero filler may not have as much 'influence'
2. Focus on wrapper as factor to thin the herd and narrow search to cigars I like is a no-brainer. Makers are mostly up-front about their wrappers - where they are grown and what seed is used....not always, but somewhat. That is NOT the case when it comes to binder and filler -- I believe makers get off on the 'mystery' around what's in their cigars....not all, of course, but many.
3. Maybe mostly for the reasons above, I can pretty unequivocally 'know' whether a cigar will fall into the OK, I'll try that again....or, no fn way I'm gonna like that -- based upon the wrapper. I've almost enjoyed exactly one cigar with a San Andres maduro wrapper....and I've correctly identified and discarded numerous others without prior knowledge. Then again, a maker can roll up some Nicaraguan hay inside a properly fermented Ecuadoran Habano wrapper and there's a good chance that I'll enjoy it
So, with respect to the debaters above, I find it is easiest to suggest a noob put some of their attention on wrappers early on as they find their way
