Brazil’s unique climate and fertile soil produces tobacco varieties with distinctive flavors, making Brazilian tobaccos highly sought after in the cigar community. This seems particularly true after the the original 2014 CAO Amazon Basin blend sat in humidors for the first 6-12 months and opened up into the prized blend that it is today. I might be misremembering since I had only just started writing about cigars around this time, but the last ten years has seen an explosion of blends that include Brazilian tobacco. 

Let’s talk about the key Brazilian tobacco varieties, their growing areas, and the unique flavor profiles they contribute to cigars.

Common Brazilian Tobaccos

Brazil's tobacco cultivation is concentrated in several regions, each offering a unique terroir that influences the flavor of the tobacco. The most notable areas include Bahia, particularly the famous Reconcavo Baiano region, and the state of Alagoas.

• Mata Fina and Mata Norte (Bahia): Mata Fina, grown in the Reconcavo Baiano, is a sun-grown tobacco known for its smooth, sweet, and rich flavor profile, often with a hint of spice that’s medium-bodied. Mata Norte, cultivated further north, offers a much bolder and earthier taste. Mata Fina is more often used as wrapper or binder leaf whereas Mata Norte is more often used as filler tobacco.
• Cubra (Bahia): Often called Brazilian Habano (meaning from Cuba), Cubra is a hybrid of cuban-seed Corojo with Brazilian strains that is also cultivated in the Reconcavo Baiano region.
• Arapiraca (Alagoas): Arapiraca tobacco, grown in the Alagoas region, is another notable variety. It's often compared to Mata Fina but is generally stronger and spicier. This tobacco is also known for its dark color and robust, somewhat sweet flavor with peppery undertones.
• Bragança (Amazon Basin): Grown in the Amazon Basin from the state of Para, Bragança might just be the most interesting tobacco in the world. From the painstaking cultivation process that takes many years to complete at half the yield to exporting it with canoes out of the Amazon, Bragança is a story that I can’t wait to unravel further one day. 

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Flavor Profile of Brazilian Tobaccos

Below are some key flavor characteristics:

• Mata Fina: This variety is highly prized for its smooth, yet rich taste. Cigar enthusiasts often describe notes of cedar, coffee, and chocolate, coupled with a subtle sweetness and a mild to medium body. Mata Fina wrappers are especially popular, adding a refined sweetness to the cigars.
• Mata Norte: This tobacco offers a more robust and earthy flavor compared to Mata Fina. It's known for its fuller body and rich, dark character like Batman to Mata Fina’s Bruce Wayne. Hints of leather, earth, and a subtle spiciness are commonly noted, making it a favorite for those who prefer a bolder experience.
• Arapiraca: Arapiraca tobacco is admired for its bold and spicy flavor profile. It often presents a wonderful combination of cocoa, earth, and pepper notes, again with a hint of sweetness. Its robust nature makes it a popular choice for cigar enthusiasts who seek a full-bodied experience.
• Cubra: Still slightly sweet like semi-sweet chocolate, Cubra tobacco lets spices take the driver’s seat. One of the standouts of Cubra tobacco is a complex spiciness that isn’t overwhelming but adds a charming contrast to the mix. Coffee, nuts, and earthy undertones are also mentioned frequently with this leaf. 
• Bragança: I haven’t experienced this tobacco outside of the filler leaves of the CAO Amazon Basin. If you have personal experience with it, please leave us a comment below! 

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Brazilian Tobaccos in Cigars

One of the first cigar brands to openly market Brazilian tobacco was CAO, and CAO continues to be a significant factor in bringing awareness to Brazil’s incredible terroir. A few of CAO’s most notable efforts with Brazilian tobaccos have been the CAO Brazilia, Amazon Basin, Anaconda, Orellana, and BX3 - a one of a kind cigar that uses Brazilian wrapper, binder, and filler leaves. 

Other iconic cigars that use Brazilian tobacco include the Drew Estate’s Liga No. 9, La Flor Dominican’s La Nox, Rocky Patel’s Java series, AJ Fernandez’s San Lotano Requiem Habano, RoMa Craft’s Intemperance BA XXI, Espinosa’s Laranja, Casdagli’s Mareva Especiales, Blackbird’s Unkind, Patoro Serie P, Kristoff’s 685 Woodlawn, and many more. If you’re interested in reading the blend of any one of these, please use our search function to quickly find anything you’re looking for.