This group consists of leaves from the Heavy Leaf and the Thin Leaf groups. Cured leaves of the A group are very elastic, have small- to medium-sized and blending fibers, and show a low percentage of injury affecting wrapper yield.
| Grades | Grade names, minimum specifications, and tolerances |
|---|---|
| A1F | Choice Quality Medium-brown Wrappers. |
| Ripe, medium body, open leaf structure, smooth, rich in oil, clear finish, deep color intensity elastic, spready, and 20 percent of leaves not lower than B2 or C2. | |
| A2F | Fine Quality Medium-brown Wrappers |
| Ripe, medium body, open leaf structure, smooth, rich in oil, clear finish, deep color intensity, elastic, spready and 30 percent of leaves not lower than B2 or C2. | |
| A3F | Good Quality Medium-brown Wrappers. |
| Ripe, medium body, open leaf structure, smooth, oily, clear finish, deep color intensity, elastic, normal width, and 40 percent of leaves not lower than B3 or C3. | |
| A1R | Choice Quality Reddish-brown Wrappers. |
| Ripe, medium body, open leaf structure, smooth, rich in oil, clear finish, deep color intensity, elastic, spready, and 20 percent of leaves not lower than B2 or C2. | |
| A2R | Fine Quality Reddish-brown Wrappers. |
| Ripe, medium body, open leaf structure, smooth, rich in oil, clear finish, deep color intensity, elastic, spready and 30 percent of leaves not lower than B2 or C2. | |
| A3R | Good Quality Reddish-brown Wrappers. |
| Ripe, medium body, open leaf structure, smooth, oily, clear finish, deep color intensity, elastic, normal width, and 40 percent of leaves not lower than B3 or C3. |
[30 FR 9207, July 23, 1965, as amended at 49 FR 16759, Apr. 20, 1984]