What's your Favorite Full Strength CC
- Thread starter ciggy
- Start date
yeah, can't argue with that.
njstone
BoM January 2010
I've been meaning to do a write-up on this, but there are really 3 different characteristics of a cigar, and people use the terms interchangeably which causes a lot of confusion.
"Flavor" -- the amount of flavor a cigar has (subtle = mild, strong = full, etc.)
"Strength" -- the amount of Nicotine content in the cigar
"Body" -- the degree to which the smoke effects your palate. Not simply "is the smoke thick or thin," but rather, how does the smoke make your palate FEEL? Is it in-your-face peppery, causing tingles everywhere? Then it's probably on the fuller end. Does your mouth feel pretty normal between puffs (flavor aside)? Then it's on the milder side. A full-bodied smoke "fatigues" your palate more.
For me personally, flavor is my #1 interest. However, if smoking on an empty stomach, strength becomes a factor. Also, if I want to smoke a 2nd cigar in the same day, then it MUST be fuller in body to my previous cigar, or my palate just won't get anything out of it.
Any combination of these 3 factors is possible in a cigar.
"Flavor" -- the amount of flavor a cigar has (subtle = mild, strong = full, etc.)
"Strength" -- the amount of Nicotine content in the cigar
"Body" -- the degree to which the smoke effects your palate. Not simply "is the smoke thick or thin," but rather, how does the smoke make your palate FEEL? Is it in-your-face peppery, causing tingles everywhere? Then it's probably on the fuller end. Does your mouth feel pretty normal between puffs (flavor aside)? Then it's on the milder side. A full-bodied smoke "fatigues" your palate more.
For me personally, flavor is my #1 interest. However, if smoking on an empty stomach, strength becomes a factor. Also, if I want to smoke a 2nd cigar in the same day, then it MUST be fuller in body to my previous cigar, or my palate just won't get anything out of it.
Any combination of these 3 factors is possible in a cigar.
ciggy
"TommyBoy"
I wish!!!
I always assumed the cigar's body is characterized by the strength or intensity of the smoke.:dunno:
Quoted from the Tobacconist University website:
"Body = Strength
Myth: The body and strength of a cigar are the same and/or related.
Truth: Body, in terms of flavor (taste+aroma) profile, does not necessarily correlate with the Strength of a cigar. Strength refers to nicotine potency or the intensity of spice – two separate factors. Body is a flavor descriptor which can refer to the depth, breadth, and richness of a tobacco (flavor).
So, a strong cigar can be medium bodied, while a full-bodied cigar can be mild or medium strength. As an example, imagine that chicken has a mild body, while beef has a richer body, yet both can be spicy/strong, depending on how they are seasoned."
Quoted from the Tobacconist University website:
"Body = Strength
Myth: The body and strength of a cigar are the same and/or related.
Truth: Body, in terms of flavor (taste+aroma) profile, does not necessarily correlate with the Strength of a cigar. Strength refers to nicotine potency or the intensity of spice – two separate factors. Body is a flavor descriptor which can refer to the depth, breadth, and richness of a tobacco (flavor).
So, a strong cigar can be medium bodied, while a full-bodied cigar can be mild or medium strength. As an example, imagine that chicken has a mild body, while beef has a richer body, yet both can be spicy/strong, depending on how they are seasoned."
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njstone
BoM January 2010
I see point in both of your posts that I agree with, and some that I disagree with. I like the descriptor of body as "the intensity of the smoke" as jjon90 said. That has nothing to do with nicotine content, but with the smoke. I think depth and richness can be good descriptors of body too. But body is definitely not the same thing as strength i.e. vitamin N content (though many people use the term that way).
Here is why it's NOT helpful to have people think of body and strength the same way (besides the fact that you can have a full-bodied cigar with not a ton of N, and a cigar that seems to "sneak up on you" in N content because the body is not super full):
With many cigars you'll see people say "Not for beginners." I used to think this meant that the cigar has a lot of nicotine, and people new to smoking might not like that. Some people might mean that when they say this, but very often a cigar that has a very full body CANNOT be enjoyed by someone with a new palate. Let's face it, people's N tolerance is just different. Some guys who've been smoking for 20 years still won't do LFD Double Ligeros because they make them feel sick. That's not the issue.
But a cigar with a very full BODY can be difficult for a non-refined palate to enjoy. I have a high vitamin N tolerance, and have since I started smoking cigars regularly. But I still didn't enjoy even full-bodied cigars a couple years ago because they all tasted like mud. The flavors were very muted and blah--even though they were strong flavors--and I didn't enjoy them at all.
As my palate has developed, I now get actual flavors out of those same cigars ... my palate can now handle the fuller body. Even so, with full-bodied cigars I still have a much harder time describing specific flavors than with a medium-bodied cigar (still enjoy them, though). I'm sure that in a few years I'll be just as good at judging full-bodied cigars as I am now with med-body.
It's very likely that nicotine contributes to why some cigars have a fuller body than others, but I still find them to be two separate characteristics altogether.
Here is why it's NOT helpful to have people think of body and strength the same way (besides the fact that you can have a full-bodied cigar with not a ton of N, and a cigar that seems to "sneak up on you" in N content because the body is not super full):
With many cigars you'll see people say "Not for beginners." I used to think this meant that the cigar has a lot of nicotine, and people new to smoking might not like that. Some people might mean that when they say this, but very often a cigar that has a very full body CANNOT be enjoyed by someone with a new palate. Let's face it, people's N tolerance is just different. Some guys who've been smoking for 20 years still won't do LFD Double Ligeros because they make them feel sick. That's not the issue.
But a cigar with a very full BODY can be difficult for a non-refined palate to enjoy. I have a high vitamin N tolerance, and have since I started smoking cigars regularly. But I still didn't enjoy even full-bodied cigars a couple years ago because they all tasted like mud. The flavors were very muted and blah--even though they were strong flavors--and I didn't enjoy them at all.
As my palate has developed, I now get actual flavors out of those same cigars ... my palate can now handle the fuller body. Even so, with full-bodied cigars I still have a much harder time describing specific flavors than with a medium-bodied cigar (still enjoy them, though). I'm sure that in a few years I'll be just as good at judging full-bodied cigars as I am now with med-body.
It's very likely that nicotine contributes to why some cigars have a fuller body than others, but I still find them to be two separate characteristics altogether.
fftopic: