What does the term ‘Strength’ mean when it used to describe a cigar, and how does it relate to Flavor and Body?  These are highly debated questions among cigar smokers, and I suspect they have been debated for decades.

When I was enjoying the ProCigar Festival last month in Santiago, Dominican Republic, one of the guys in a small group that I was talking in asked the rest of the crew what they thought Strength meant.  Every person had a different answer, some more radically different than others, but there was plenty of common ground in most of the answers.

It is naturally a very subjective topic.  Cigar smokers interpret terms like Strength differently and I am not attempting to suggest my definition is the only one with merit.  I do believe there are some principles that may help keep the term Strength in perspective as it relates to other characteristics of a cigar, such as Flavor and Body.

Universal Cigar Term - Strength

Strength is one of the few universal terms used to describe a characteristic of a cigar, along with size, wrapper type, country of origin and others.  It is fairly universally measured using the following scale:

Mild

Mild-medium

Medium

Medium-full

Full

The question is – what does the term Strength mean?  In my mind, there are two other terms that need to be discussed, along with Strength, in order to get a good picture of how it all fits together – Flavor and Body.

Strength Confusion

Most people either connect strength to ‘flavor’ or they connect it to ‘body’.  A common definition of strength from the average cigar smoker is that it measures the strength of the flavor(s) in the cigar (cigar with a strength of ‘Full’ has an abundance of flavor) or, alternatively, it describes the body of the cigar (a cigar with a strength of ‘Medium’ is considered a medium bodied cigar).

In my estimation, flavor and body are two characteristics that are largely independent of strength.

What is cigar Strength?

Strength is simply described as the ‘punch’ the cigar delivers, so to speak, or its ‘potency’.  It is largely impacted by the amount of nicotine in the cigar.  More nicotine makes the cigar strong and more potent.  Less nicotine makes it milder and less potent.

I liken Strength of a cigar to the ‘proof’ in alcohol.  The higher the proof, the more alcohol is included and the stronger, more potent the drink is.

Strong cigars with higher levels of nicotine will give a smoker a ‘buzz’ or make them feel ‘loopy’, just like a strong drink will.

It is also worth noting the following about nicotine and strength:

• Nicotine generally produces a ‘peppery’ or ‘tingly’ sensation on the lips and tongue, even before lighting the cigar.  As a result, it may be worth holding the cigar in your mouth for a few seconds before lighting to get a sense for the strength.

• Young cigars (recently rolled) are at their peak nicotine levels and are, therefore, at their strongest.  As the cigar ages, nicotine levels drop and the cigar tends to mellow (among other things) and become milder in strength.

• The way you perceive strength of a cigar can often be impacted by your personal composition and circumstances when you are smoking a cigar.  For example, whether you are a large guy or a smaller, slight guy, may have an impact on how you perceive strength.  In addition, factors such as whether you have eaten, whether you have been drinking alcohol, etc. may impact it as well

Flavor

Although cigars with a strength of ‘Full’ often have an abundance of flavor(s), the two characteristics are not inextricably connected.  I have smoked many cigars that are filled with complex flavors, but their Strength is mild or medium.

The Flavor characteristic generally measures the abundance and depth/intensity of flavor or flavors in the cigar.  Some cigars contain few different flavors, but the small number of flavors they have can be either very strong and prevalent, or subtle and mellow.  Alternatively, a cigar can have a large variety of flavors that can be either very rich or mellow.

Some people measure flavor(s) in a cigar using the following scale (although this scale is not necessarily universal):

• Flat
• Hints
• Overtones
• Full
• Rich

Body

The term Body is heavily debated, but it is not necessarily a universal characteristic that is reported for cigars, so it may not get as much attention as Strength.  This term is certainly very subjective though and definitions vary widely.

In my estimation, Body describes the ‘essence’ of a cigar, the general impression it delivers when you smoke it.  Body is a subjective composite interpretation of the following cigar characteristics:

• Flavor (complexity of flavors, boldness, etc.)
• Aroma/Smoke (strong, mellow, heavy, lot or little smoke, etc.)
• Texture (smooth, heavy, harsh, etc.)
• Strength (full, medium, mild, etc.)

Body is generally measured using the following scale:

• Mild
• Mild-medium
• Medium
• Medium-full
• Full

A ‘Full-bodied’ is generally a strong cigar with rich, bold flavors that creates an abundance of highly aromatic smoke.

I hope this evaluation of cigar strength, flavor and body is useful to our cigar nation.  I welcome comments, suggestions, and dialogue on this topic.  I can always stand to learn more from our seasoned veteran cigar guys and all of us will benefit.