Brazil: the dark sweetness of Bahia

The blenders’ best-kept secret. When you think of Brazil, you think of coffee, cachaça or football, rarely cigars. Yet Brazilian tobacco is everywhere: in the binder of cigars rolled in Nicaragua, in the wrapper of certain maduros, and in a handful of puros made entirely in Bahia. If you like dark, sweet and spicy cigars, this is a region worth discovering.

A bit of history

Portuguese settlers were growing tobacco in Bahia as early as the 16th century, in the Recôncavo, the fertile region surrounding the Bay of All Saints. Bahian tobacco quickly became a valuable commodity. It was even used as a medium of exchange in the slave trade with West Africa, a dark chapter in its history.

In the 19th century, German immigrants established the Recôncavo as a centre for cigar production. In 1873, Geraldo Dannemann, who had come from Bremen, opened a factory in São Félix, on the banks of the Paraguaçu. Other companies followed suit and, for decades, tobacco from Bahia fuelled the European cigar industry.

The Centro Cultural Dannemann, a former cigar factory in São Félix, Bahia

São Félix: the Dannemann factory

The former Dannemann factory now houses a cultural centre, where cigar rollers continue the tradition of hand-rolling. Nearby, in São Gonçalo dos Campos, the Menendez Amerino company has been rolling 100 per cent Brazilian puros since 1977, such as the Alonso Menendez robusto.

A warm and humid climate

The Recôncavo Baiano enjoys a hot, humid tropical climate and rich, deep clay soils. The tobacco grows there in full sun, producing thick, dark leaves rich in natural sugars.

Two names crop up time and again amongst blenders: Mata Fina, grown around Cruz das Almas, dark and mild, used for both the wrapper and the binder; and Arapiraca, named after a town in the neighbouring state of Alagoas, which produces very dark maduro wrappers.

Mata Fina: the connoisseur’s binder

Many enthusiasts smoke Brazilian tobacco without realising it. At Drew Estate, the Liga Privada cigars rolled in Nicaragua, such as the No. 9 or the T52, feature a Mata Fina binder to lend roundness and sweetness to their blend.

Tobacco plantation in Brazil, postcard by Guilherme Gaensly

What differences can be detected during tasting?

Brazilian tobacco is recognisable by its natural sweetness: cocoa, coffee, honey, and sometimes a hint of dried fruit, underpinned by mild spices and an earthy base. It adds body without being overpowering, and that is what makes it so valuable in a blend.

Pairing suggestions

a barrel-aged cachaça, to stay in Bahia,
a Brazilian coffee, smooth and chocolatey,
an amber rum.

Conclusion

Understated yet unmissable, Brazil is the home of dark, mellow flavours. Whether smoked as a puro or blended into a mix, its tobacco brings a chocolatey richness unlike any other.