Mild to Medium - Do you feel like you are still using training wheels?

[CigarVolante]

We are traveling this week, visiting some cigar stores in the Tidewater area of Virginia while we take a week off. We went to a local Herf last night where we introduced our Panacea Cigars to a group of about 20 of the regulars. To a man (and woman) they found them to be impeccably constructed and the only complaint was that they were too mild. The strongest cigars we got were rated as "Medium" to "Medium-Strong" by this group.

I spent the summer introducing the cigar in Virginia and found that one of the best ways to get this stick in people's hands was at some of the local festivals. At the end I found that wine festivals and Pirate/Renaissance/Celtic festivals were the best ones for us. One of the reasons, I think, is because we are a milder strength cigar and do appeal to the more casual cigar smoker. This shows itself in our ability to pair our cigars very effectively with wines and our Panacea Pairings have become quite popular.

I smoked little else beyond the Panaceas this summer, I was smoking 6 to 8 at festivals -- you have to keep your bait in the water -- but I have been smoking some of the more popular cigars to get a sense where we land. I found that the San Lotano Oval, the Savinelli Vintage Reserve and the J Fuego Origen were three that fit my palate. These would combine with some of my old favorites, the Montecristo #2, the Pleides Envoy, The Greycliff, the Diamond Crown and the Temple Hall.

Brian Tate, owner of our newest store, Pop's Tobacco and Coffee in Yorktown, admitted to having a taste for milder cigars as I do but most of the regulars that I smoke with or speak with tend to favor the big peppery sticks. How many of you consider yourself to be a serious, long-time cigar smoker (I have smoked for 30 years) but still enjoy the milder to medium bodied cigars?

I sometimes get the sense that the stronger cigar smokers feel that they have graduated to the stronger cigars. Do you feel that you are stuck with training wheels and that you will find yourself smoking the stronger sticks "when your taste matures"? I certainly don't. I love the subtle flavors especially when I am drinking wines that have a similar complexity and that have been properly paired with the cigar that I am smoking.

What is your experience?

 

[usmcpurcell]

I ve been smoking about a year and a half and I started out smoking all full cigars and I've notice as of latly I enjoy throwing a medium smoke in my rotation. I'm not fond of mild cigars but I do enjoy some thing a little more mellow latly.

 

[njstone]

There are multiple factors at play. Newer or casual cigar smokers tend to prefer mild to medium cigars because they are easy to smoke, don't have too much nicotine, and they are able to get a lot of flavor out of them.

All of those things are still true for more experienced smokers. But the more you smoke cigars, the more nicotine you can handle (or want, for some people), so stronger sticks are no longer off the table. Since the stronger cigars tend to have more flavor, they are very appealing. Also, the more often you smoke, the stronger flavor and body you need (in my experience) in order to cut through a potentially "dirty" palate.

A newer smoker probably does't have a developed enough palate to get the nuances of flavor from a stronger cigar (even if they could handle it nicotine-wise) and it will just taste muted or muddy to them, whereas a more experienced smoker can get a lot of complexities out of the same cigar.

I still smoke mild-medium cigars, usually in the mornings. I don't "need" the nicotine, so that's a non-issue for me. As long as there is plenty of flavor--and I like the flavors, obviously--I'm smoke it.

 

[Skitalets]

I think Nate has it. I don't mind smoking a mild or medium cigar -- in fact, as my tastes evolve, I find I prefer medium-bodied cigars to full-flavored ones. But it's really all about taste.

My beef with some full-flavored cigars is that some of them are just a blast of flavor with no nuance. I have gravitated toward flavorful, complex medium-bodied cigars because they're strong enough for my palate to get a lot out of while not overwhelming. I still love mild and strong cigars, though, as long as the flavors are there.

 

[TravelingJ]

I certainly don't have 30 years of smoking under my belt, but I've been smoking cigars for 3-5 years (lost track of it somewhere in Texas). Medium is still my preferred strength. I never go for a cigar that is a full on pepper assault, I don't get the appeal to that at all. I feel the same on the nicotine from it all, if it's supposed to be an 'ass kicker' I'm probably not going to really enjoy it.

 

[javajunkie]

you don't usually start wine novitiates out with huge asskicking cab's. also, as you progress, you start valuing that depth and range more. but still, a nice fluffy p.gri or a tart and tasty s.blanc are perfect I'm their own ways, and better at certain times or certain situations.

smoke some huge cigars myself, and love the bottomless new nicaraguan scene. BUT still keep some conn.'s in rotation, sometimes for the time, sometimes the mood, and sometimes the pairing. the flavor of the week is strong, but judging by all the new CT cigars lately that may be swinging back. if you have a developed palate, you have both favorites and range in your collection/ rotation.

 

[BrooksW]

I enjoy a full strength cigars as much as the next guy, but lately (i.e. the last 3-4 months or so) I have really been enjoying medium strength cigars with full flavor...Think Espana, Tat black PL, Sangre de Toro, EPC etc...

While I went through a phase where I wanted nothing but power, now I am looking for more then that out of a smoke...

 

[Alwayslit]

Really depends on my mood. Mild to medium smokes are nice to have in the rotation.

 

[tedski]

Been smoking for 15+ years and I still prefer cigars that are medium in strength or less. My personal body chemistry does not tolerate high doses of nicotine without nasty side effects ... :barf:

Even so, I don't feel restricted or "like I'm using training wheels". There are plenty of excellent cigars that fit my taste + strength profile.

And where is it written that you need to be able to tolerate strong cigars in order to be considered an experienced smoker? I say "Fu@K that notion."

 

[StocktonJohn]

I'm really enjoying med cigars these days. Lots of really good new ones to enjoy now.

 

[gibbleguts]

Well I think it really tends to be an American trend as Habanos doesn't put out much that I would really consider on the full side when compared to NC's. That said nicotine doesn't bother me much but I tend to prefer mild to medium.

 

[ciggy]

I'm deffinatly in the Med-full catagory. I like the stong/flavor combo. If a Medium blend is full on flavor then that's a perfect cigar. Trouble is the only ones I've found in that catagory are cc's and well...you know. As far as nc's go I think flavor and srength seem to go hand in hand but thats me.
The only time I will smoke a Mild cigar is when I have a cold or sore throat issue.

 

[Zen Cigar Man]

i prefer mild-med full and have been smoking for over 10 years..

 

[vivalanation734]

I think people mistake mild-medium for flavorless. You can have a low strength cigar that still has a good amount of flavor. The problem is that most casual/social cigar smokers is that they don't have the palates to truly enjoy the flavors that come from a 'weaker' cigar

 

[CigarVolante]

I tried a Tatuaje Grand Reserva and found it too strong but am now on board the Pete Johnson train with the Tatuaje TAA Exclusive. The two have similar flavor profiles but the TAA is in that Med to Med-Strong range that allows me to enjoy the subtle flavors. I read that it is like the "Brown" which is hopefully a little less spendy. At $15 a stick the TAA won't make my rotation.

 

[tonytoohot]

I have been smoking for about 14 years off and on. I also prefer the medium to mild blends. It is customary for me to have 2-3 sticks a day so I try not to overdo it.

One of the thing I have heard from some of the reps that come through the local shops is that their demand is for the bigger the better and stronger! In side conversation they admit that it is not there favorite blending strategy. It takes more tobacco to make the larger ring guages and it becomes harder to blend a stick that has the complexity and nuance that older smokers prefer.

I have lamented that it is harder to find a good lancero or corona gorda in many shops because of the tastes of the newer smokers who are driving sales.

Like anything else learning how to enjoy a good cigar is a process. Unfortunately do to the sparcity of smoking establishments and time constraints some smokers only have time for one smoke and go for the shotgun approach (pun intended).

I have had the opportunity to expose/educate some of my buddies on the nuances related to the smaller ring guages and have been thanked over and over. If you make a good product people will eventually find you!

 

[Clint]

For me, the strength of a cigar is completely irrelevant...It's the overall taste (or 'flavor profile') that matters most.

I could smoke a cigar that is considered light and then one that is considered strong...If I enjoy the flavor profile of either, then I will get that cigar into rotation, period.

 

[MI Dave]

I've been smoking for about 15 years and up until about 4 years ago I preferred maduros or anything with a little bite but I think that was because I was only smoking 4-5 sticks a month. Now it's 3-5 a day and I find myself gravitating towards medium sticks with lots of flavor with a good light cigar like a 777 in the morning.

 

[kuzi16]

i actually feel just the opposite. i smoke mild to medium cigars and i feel that i get more out of them than new smokers do.

when i first started (late 2005) i started on mild to medium. i couldnt handle the more full bodied cigars. as i got used to them i upped the power because i was also getting more flavor. my palate was unrefined at that point. i just wanted more flavor and power even though i didnt understand what i was smoking. as i continued to develop my palate i was noticing different nuances in the fuller cigars. i was learning how to identify flavors and get the most out of those full cigars through use of the nose. for a while, i was one of those guys that would ONLY smoke the fullest of the full. my humidor was full of LFD, DPG, Camacho, etc.

one day on a fluke i pulled out a Zino classic. thought i would give it a shot. This cigar opened my eyes to mild cigars again. Now that i knew what to look for and how to smoke to get the most flavor i could enjoy mild cigars unlike i had in the past.

a well balanced, well blended, mild cigar can be one of the best treats for a seasoned smoker.

i tend to stick to the medium range for the most part now but my humidor has very mild cigars like Davidoff, and Avo and very full bodied/power cigars such as LFD DL Maduro, Camacho Diploma, LP no.9 and T52.

do i feel as if i have training wheels on because i smoke mild-medium?
no
I feel like i am getting the most out of every cigar i smoke.