Copan

The most fragrant Honduran leaf: cedar shavings, dried flowers, allspice and a sweet-toasted note, over a medium body that never turns coarse. There is little of the country's characteristic sour twang here. Wrapper from Copan tends to be a lighter Colorado with a fine grain and good elasticity, and it burns readily. Blenders use the region to add nose and top-note complexity to otherwise heavy Honduran constructions.

Middle primings supply most of the region's wrapper and its best filler. Upper leaf is moderately strong and is used for accent rather than as the strength backbone.

Red volcanic clay-loam in the western highlands near the Guatemalan border, mineral-rich and well drained. It produces a leaf with more aromatic character and less sheer mass than the eastern valleys.

Cooler and wetter than Jamastran, with mountain fog, a longer growing season and gentler light. The conditions slow maturation and favor aroma over strength.

The department around Santa Rosa de Copan has grown tobacco since the colonial era and hosts one of Honduras's oldest cigar factories, well predating the post-embargo expansion in the east.

Stable, a smaller but well-established zone with a durable specialty in aromatic leaf.