Strong cigars get hated on more than a Pontiac Aztek in a Piggly Wiggly parking lot, and it is because both are easy targets for criticism. The uninformed are often the first to pass judgment, claiming that the leathery, oil-rich cigar sitting on the shelf is going to "kick your ass" if you aren't careful, and ignoring the old saying that it is what is on the inside that matters.
Have you ever braved the interior of a Pontiac Aztek? It’s pretty damn practical. Get past the offensive exterior, and you will discover a well-thought-out cabin loaded with practical packaging points intended for the average outdoor enthusiast. Strong cigars are a lot like Pontiac’s wedge-shaped whipping boy, for while they may be labeled a certain way, it isn't until you get to the core of the blend that it all starts to make sense.
We’ve talked a great deal about the many factors that influence a cigar’s body, flavor, and strength, for good reason, too. A solid understanding of the components that influence a cigar’s core assessment points can mean the difference between enjoying a leisurely smoke and being turned off entirely. That feeling like something is missing from a particular blend is pretty damn frustrating, even disappointing at times. Being overwhelmed and not knowing precisely why is pretty off-putting as well; which is precisely why we are having this little "Cigars 101" discussion today.
In the following overview, we will discuss what constitutes strong tobacco, the various strains of seed that possess the most potency, and why you shouldn’t judge a cigar by its wrapper alone. Let's get to it, shall we?
Long-Filler Cigars: A Multi-Tiered Smoking Experience
Calling a cigar "strong" based purely upon appearance is one of the biggest blunders any smoker can make. This is without question one of the most common misconceptions in the tobacco world, and it’s an easy one to make when the appearance of a cigar can be so misleading.
An oily cigar rocking a leathery wrapper, with bulging veins snaking down its barrel, may trigger thoughts of a muscle-bound MMA fighter as they enter the octagon. But strength doesn’t come entirely from the cover leaf that comprises the cigar wrapper, for while it may provide some intensity and nicotine, that is where much of the cigar’s flavor and aroma are housed.
The binder tucked beneath a cigar wrapper doesn’t always have much to do with strength either. Its primary purpose is to keep the contents of the cigar in order when being rolled, while encouraging even combustion and enhancing aromatics.
It is within the long filler that the strength of a premium cigar blend often lies. Housed in the center of the barrel, long-filler tobaccos not only make up the “guts” of a cigar and add strength, but they also control burn speed and influence aroma. By selecting particular tobacco strains for filler duty and choosing which leaves off a plant are utilized, a master blender can determine the strength of the smoking experience long before a single cigar has been rolled. Which leads us to a brief botany and horticulture crash course, with the mighty tobacco plant sitting at the center of our study session.
Fancy the idea of trying out a strong cigar, but aren't sure where to begin? Check out these top options.
All of which are tested, reviewed, and Klaro approved.
West Tampa Tobacco Co. Circle of Life
La Palina Blue Label Sumatra
Dapper Cigar Co. El Borracho Natural
Tobacco Strain Strength Explained
Although the strength of a stogie can be influenced by where cigar tobacco is grown and how it is treated once harvested, the strain of seed planted is the first thing to ponder when considering strength.
A few of the more robust tobacco plants that are prized for their strength and intensity include, but are not limited to: Pennsylvania Broadleaf, Dominican Piloto Cubano, San Vincente, Honduran Corojo, Nicaraguan Criollo ’98, and Ecuadorian Sumatra.
Like almost every strain of tobacco cultivated today, the seed varieties listed above all have been carefully crossbred throughout the past few decades. Disease resistance, higher crop yields, elasticity, combustibility, flavor, and balanced strength all must be present in a seed strain for it to be worthy of consideration and continued use.
Tobacco Nerd Note: It may not be ideal for the novice cigar smoker, but the act of retrohaling is one of the best ways to determine the strength of a cigar. By blowing a small amount of smoke out through the nostrils, the human olfactory senses can detect all manner of nuance that the palate cannot ascertain on its own, including tobacco strength.
Tobacco Plant Anatomy Matters
The types of leaves pulled, or "primed," from the tobacco plant for later use in a premium cigar blend will also determine strength levels. How much of one particular type of leaf is used can also influence a cigar’s potency, which is why master blenders often utilize a broad range of tobacco strains from different countries in order to construct a cigar.
That being said, all four of the following leaf varieties play a role in influencing a cigar's strength level, with the mildest being at the bottom of the plant and the strongest sitting right at the top.
Volado
Toward the nether regions of the tobacco plant resides the homely volado leaf. Although it may not contribute much to flavor and aroma, volado leaf is a rock star when it comes to managing burn rates and assisting in combustion. That said, some strains of tobacco do produce volado leaves that pack a mild peppery bite, which can contribute to the strength of the cigar.
Seco
Seco leaf sits just above the volado leaves on a tobacco plant and is by far the most popular form of filler. Exceedingly thin in appearance and structure due to seeing very little sun for much of its life, seco leaf is typically not very strong, but burns extremely well. It also can be responsible for a good bit of the aroma perceived when smoking a cigar, thus making it indispensable when blending.
Viso
While not always recognized on a tobacco plant chart, viso leaves deserve to be recognized for their versatility and exceptional flavors and aromatics. While they do receive a lot more sunlight than seco and volado leaves, this upper portion of the plant will often maintain a silkier texture and can have impressive levels of elasticity. This makes viso leaf the most multi-faceted form of foliage on the tobacco plant, with its even combustion and mid-range strength levels providing further value.
Ligero
Finally, there is the highest canopy on the stalk: The might ligero leaf. Soaking up more sunlight than any other portion of the plant, ligero leaf takes the longest to mature, and is oftentimes the toughest and most veiny of the lot, thanks to all of the sunshine it soaks up. Strength intensity, spiciness, flavor, and aromatics ooze from these oily leaves, making it the preferred priming for full-strength cigar wrapper production. The more direct sun a ligero leaf gets, the more intense and veiny it will become with time. This is why the strongest, ugliest stuff gets stuffed inside the long-filler bunching instead of sitting on the outside.
Tobacco Nerd Note: Cigarmakers and tobacco cultivators will often attempt to determine the strength of a tobacco leaf by gnawing on it during various stages of production. As crude as this approach may seem, it does provide a trained palate with a ballpark estimate of what nicotine levels and flavor intensity will be like once the leaf is fully fermented.
Dark Doesn’t Always Mean Strong
While we’re on the topic of tobacco, it might be a good idea to return to the common cigar misconception that a dark wrapper constitutes a strong smoke.
Sure, there are plenty of dark cigars out there that pack one hell of a wallop. But that’s not to say that the average maduro cigar wrapper is going to put your ass in the ICU after just one puff.
The color of a cigar wrapper has more to do with the strain of tobacco and how long it has been fermented than strength. That is why there are plenty of medium-strength maduro wrapped cigars that don't have nearly as much bite as certain other, lighter-colored smokes.
Tobacco Nerd Note: All premium cigar tobacco undergoes a fermentation process. This removes astringent notes associated with nicotine, as well as the bitterness imparted by the chlorophyll within the leaves. The longer a tobacco leaf ferments, the darker it will become in color, and the less intense its strength levels will become. The trade-off here is that with this mellowing process comes more intense earthiness, sweetness, and occasionally, funkiness.
Light Doesn’t Always Mean Mild
On the other side of the smokescreen are lighter colored cigars; many of which are indeed quite mild in strength. Connecticut shade-grown wrappers in particular are widely revered for their mild attributes, as the combination of the mellow tobacco strain and dappled sunlight makes for a very subtle smoking experience.
This can cause quite a bit of confusion for the inexperienced cigar smoker, as unassuming-looking cigars like the La Madrina Shade from Dapper Cigar Co. may appear mild, but in actuality, it is quite potent. Remember, it’s what’s on the inside that matters. So when in doubt, step back, study up, and know that color does not constitute cigar strength.
Strong Cigars May Surprise You
Nicotine content, bitterness, and spiciness can all influence how a smoker perceives the strength of a cigar. But these are by no means unpleasant attributes when served in controlled amounts.
At Klaro Cigars, we are forever in search of full-strength cigars that are equal parts intense and approachable, as this mix often offers a smoking experience that milder tobacco blends cannot achieve.
Just be mindful, because smoking a strong cigar can be like sipping saké while seated on the floor in a traditional Japanese restaurant. Everything is going great until it's time to stand up, and you suddenly realize that the world is looking a little off its axis.
Parting Puffs
If you fancy the thought of trying a strong cigar for the first time but don’t know where to start, feel free to send us an email, and we will happily recommend a few sticks to sample. That, or hop on the Klaro Members Facebook page and ask the collective community for a little direction. Those cats are always a solid source for stogie suggestions.
Additionally, if you are looking to try an array of cigars in a certain strength category, note that our cigar subscriptions are completely customizable around what you, the cigar smoker, are looking to experience.
That being said, full-strength cigars are definitely not for everyone. In fact, many people view smoking a full-strength cigar as a special occasion sort of experience, and one that calls for a full stomach and maybe a pour or two of the good stuff prior to getting underway. Kind of like hopping in the backseat of a Pontiac Aztek when it's time to head home after a night at the pub.