Imagine walking into a smoke shop (for argument’s sake, let’s call it “Leaf“). You’re greeted by the friendly folks at the retail counter. You wade past wood shelves neatly lined with humidors, pull open a heavy wooden door, and proceed into the 2,000 square foot humidor.
“Can I help you find anything?” the clerk behind the counter asks.
As you ponder the myriad of cigars before you, how are you feeling? Confident? Confused? Excited? Overwhelmed? There’s no right answer; but I’d like to address a couple cigar misconceptions I’ve noticed are held by many beginner to intermediate level cigar enthusiasts.
The first misconception is that many cigar smokers focus too much on wrapper color. Believing that the wrapper color is indicative of the cigar’s strength, the tendency is to reach for an extra-pale shade grown wrapper. This is one of the cigar misconceptions that can cause a smoker to take a pass on a stick they might really enjoy.
While there may be a slight correlation between strength and wrapper color, it’s unreliable at best. The color of a wrapper has more to do with the actual flavors of a cigar than with its strength. That comes from the filler blend, and the ligero leaves, in particular. Located at the top of the tobacco plant, these leaves receive the most nutrients and sunlight, and are therefore the strongest and fullest-flavored.
The second of the cigar misconceptions I’m addressing today is that smaller cigars are less potent. Anyone who has ever smoked a fresh Fuente Fuente OpusX “Power Ranger” can tell you this one is dead wrong. Sure, a smaller vitola may look less imposing, but its diminutive diameter makes for a stronger smoke.
Counter-intuitive? Sure, but if you think about it, the smaller ring gauge means that you are smoking a greater ratio of wrapper leaf to filler blend. The result is more concentrated flavors than offered by its larger-ring counterpart. While a Churchill may have more total tobacco than a Lancero, its milder-tasting smoke may be easier on the novice- or occasional-smoker’s palate.
One final word: there’s no substitute for experience, but good advice goes a long way. Never be afraid or embarrassed to ask for advice from the guy or gal behind the counter. High-quality smoke shops like Leaf take pride in training their staff to cater to your taste preference and experience on a personal basis.
When he's not busy writing, editing, smoking cigars, or raising his many, many children, Hayward " "It's Lou, not Hayward" " Tenney spends his days combating confusion about his real name (it's Hayward, but please - call him " "Lou" ") and mourning the matrimonially-induced loss of his moustache (what's he gonna do with all that moustache wax he made?).
Show all Lou Tenney's Articles
Reading Time: 3 minutes Gary takes a ride on the Kristoff Guardrail Matador, one of three vitolas in the new line. Although the story behind the cigar is chilling, thankfully it ended well. See this review now to learn whether it bears a similar conclusion.
Reading Time: 6 minutes Cigar burning up one side only? Burning unevenly? Not burning at all? We can solve these problems and more. See our handy guide inside on common cigar burning issue fixes!
Reading Time: 2 minutes In a first for the bestselling Macanudo Inspirado brand, their upcoming release, Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged, will be a two vitola, limited edition selection that utilizes the time-honored tradition of aging tobaccos in palm bark bales. For the full story, click here.
Reading Time: 2 minutes Schedule to arrive in late May of this year, the Gran Habano Persian King Type-Mod 60 is the fourth and newest member of the label’s Persian King selections. The Nicaraguan puro is also rolled to a very unusual figurado shape. Learn more about it here.
I absolutely agree. For anyone who’s afraid of a large very dark cigar, I challenge you to try an El Rey Del Mundo Robusto Suprema. (7.25″ X 54.) You will find they are smooth and not over-powering, but very tasty. Larger shapes offer these advantages: 1) the greater size allows the maker to combine more different tobaccos together–creating a more complex blend that is not possible with smaller thinner cigars; 2) a larger/longer cigar acts as a filter, making the smoke smoother. (Of course, the closer to the head you smoke the cigar, the stronger it will become. You desist from smoking a cigar when you no longer enjoy it.) JD Girac.
Love the site! good info!
Love the site! good info!
[…] NOTE: Avoid the mistake of thinking there is a direct relationship between size and strength. Even so, your first cigars should probably not be huge; even if it is relatively mild, you still […]