When describing a cigar as being mild, medium and full it generally comes down to three very distinct categories:  Flavor, Body and Strength.  These are three key factors in the makeup or features that a cigar has to offer.

Flavor is obvious and a category that stands on its own. So we’ll get to that category last.  Body and strength however have been misconstrued over time and aren’t the same thing.  They are very much different from each other so it’s important to know the difference.

BODY

Body is commonly understood as to how “strong” a cigar is, but that is not correct.  You’ll read countless reviews, ratings and descriptions of cigars that refer to them as being mild, medium or full bodied when describe the strength of the cigar.  The body of a cigar is the texture of the actual smoke itself.  Is it light on the palate?  Is dense and thick feeling?  When describing the body of a cigar you really need to be thinking about the texture of the smoke, not the strength.  It’s as simple as that.

STRENGTH

Strength is exactly what it sounds like.  It’s how the strong the cigar is in relation to the nicotine level in a cigar.  A mild strength cigar is very approachable for beginners as it won’t knock you back in your seat or make you dizzy or sick.  A full-strength cigar though, will have a high nicotine level.  The strength of a cigar will have more of an effect on the way you feel in general, not what you are experiencing on your palate.  If a cigar is too strong for someone it can make them dizzy or even sick.  If a cigar is very mild it can still offer any amount of flavor or body, but it won’t give you much sensation in the way you feel.

People have different tolerance levels to the strength of a cigar.  A medium cigar to one person could be full strength to another.  Even a mild cigar can be medium or full to another.  Experience is the only way to know your own threshold for what you can handle and what you personally determine to be mild, medium or full.

*Pro tip:  If you are feeling the effects of a cigar that is too strong or you have just had too much and aren’t feeling well, drink a coke or something that has high sugar content as that can help alleviate the symptoms of a nicotine overdose. 

*Pro tip #2:  Don’t judge a cigars strength based on the color of the wrapper.  Strength is determined mostly by the filler tobaccos and the entire blend.  A dark maduro cigar can still be mild in strength but you may find that it has a lot more flavor or even body.  It all comes down to the entire blend.

FLAVOR

Flavor is exactly what it sounds like.  It’s pretty much described the same across the board besides the flavors people can personally experience or detect.  Flavor is what one can taste in the smoke and even  in the aroma/smell of the smoke.  Without smell there is no flavor.  Flavor and aroma go hand in hand.

“Tastes like tobacco to me.”

Who hasn’t heard that quote before?  Well, it’s true, but there are so many different tobaccos and blends that taste remarkably different from one another that just saying “it tastes like tobacco”  doesn’t come close to hitting the nail on the head.

There are a lot of tobaccos that have certain qualities that others don’t, spicy traits for example.  These are more sensations than flavor. Different tobaccos from different regions, countries, variety and primings will all taste different and have different sensations that is personal to the individual.

There are a lot of colorful descriptive terms out there when reading reviews.  It’s important when reading a review to understand that the flavors described aren’t what you should be looking for.  There are no cigars with flavors that are set in stone.  They are what the cigar reminds a person of, nothing more.  If someone has never had cinnamon, for example, they won’t be able to pick out a flavor that reminds them of that.  If you smoke a cigar that someone says it was loaded with chocolate and black pepper flavors but you don’t taste it, neither one of you is wrong.

Whatever taste profile you enjoy, body and strength you like to experience, it is a completely personal experience.  One persons full is another persons mild.  Just keep in mind that a full bodied cigar doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a full strength cigar.  Body and strength are two very different aspects of the cigar.  The body, strength and flavor should all play off of each other for a well rounded experience – but the best cigar is the one you like the most.  With countless brands and blends out there it shouldn’t be hard to find the right balance for you.