Sweet cigar

Abstract

A cigar comprises a mouth end; a tobacco section comprising tobacco material; at least one sweetener dispersed throughout the tobacco section; and/or a flavor potentiator and/or a taste modifier on an outer surface of the mouth end for enhancing the sweet taste of the cigar.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A cigar comprising:
 a mouth end;   a tobacco section;   at least one sweetener dispersed throughout the tobacco section; and   a flavor potentiator and/or a taste modifier on an outer surface of the mouth end for enhancing the sweet taste of the cigar,   wherein the flavor potentiator is included in an amount of about 0.01 mg per kg of tobacco to about 20,000 mg per kg of tobacco when included in the cigar.   
     
     
         2 . The cigar of  claim 1 , wherein the flavor potentiator is included in an amount of about 8 mg per kg of tobacco to about 10 mg per kg of tobacco. 
     
     
         3 . The cigar of  claim 1 , wherein the tobacco section comprises a tobacco filler and a wrapper circumscribing the tobacco filler. 
     
     
         4 . The cigar of  claim 3 , wherein the flavor potentiator and/or taste modifier are located on an outer surface of the wrapper. 
     
     
         5 . The cigar of  claim 3 , further comprising an inner binder underlying the wrapper. 
     
     
         6 . The cigar of  claim 1 , wherein the flavor potentiator is selected from the group consisting of thaumatin, curculin, maltol, ethyl maltol, caffeine, alapyridaine, potassium chloride, cyclic enolones such as 4-hydroxy-2(or 5)-ethyl-5(or 2)-methyl-3(2H)furanone, 2-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-cyclo-pente-1-one, and 3-hydroxy-4,5-dimethyl-2(5H)-furanone, and substituted benzoic acids such as 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 3-aminobenzoic acid, and 3-hydroxy-5-aminobenzoic acid, tannic acid,, citric acid, tartaric acid, natural coconut flavor, natural honey flavor, naringin, metal salt blends and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The cigar of  claim 1 , wherein the flavor potentiator is thaumatin. 
     
     
         8 . The cigar of  claim 1 , wherein the taste modifier is included in an amount of about 0.01 mg/kg to about 100 mg/kg. 
     
     
         9 . The cigar of  claim 8 , wherein the taste modifier is included in an amount of about 2.8 mg/kg. 
     
     
         10 . The cigar of  claim 1 , wherein the taste modifier is miraculin. 
     
     
         11 . The cigar of  claim 1 , further including at least one flavorant in the tobacco section. 
     
     
         12 . The cigar of  claim 1 , wherein the cigar has a length ranging from about 125 mm to about 203 mm. 
     
     
         13 . The cigar of  claim 1 , wherein the cigar has a ring gauge of less than about 42. 
     
     
         14 . The cigar of  claim 13 , wherein the cigar has a ring gauge of less than about 30. 
     
     
         15 . The cigar of  claim 1 , wherein the flavor potentiator is a protein. 
     
     
         16 . The cigar of  claim 1 , wherein the mouth end comprises a mouthpiece and one or more of the flavor potentiator and the taste modifier on an outer surface of the mouthpiece. 
     
     
         17 . The cigar of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sweetener comprises sucralose. 
     
     
         18 . The cigar of  claim 1 , wherein the wrapper comprises one or more of natural tobacco leaf, reconstituted tobacco and homogenized tobacco. 
     
     
         19 . The cigar of  claim 16 , wherein the mouthpiece comprises one or more of a plastic tip, a wood tip, and a filter tip. 
     
     
         20 . A cigar comprising:
 a mouth end;   tobacco;   at least one sweetener dispersed throughout the tobacco; and   a taste modifier on an outer surface of the mouth end for enhancing the sweet taste of the cigar,   wherein the taste modifier is miraculin.   
     
     
         21 . A cigar comprising:
 a mouth end;   tobacco;   at least one sweetener dispersed throughout the tobacco; and   a flavor potentiator on an outer surface of the mouth end for enhancing the sweet taste of the cigar,   wherein the sweetener is sucralose and the flavor potentiator is included in an amount of about 0.01 mg per kg of tobacco to about 20,000 mg per kg of tobacco.