Body vs Strength

 

The misuse of terms like "Body" and "Strength" are two of the most common and confounding mistakes made by luxury tobacco lovers at all levels.  Words have meaning and it is important to understand them and use them properly.  So, let's define both Body and Strength along with the coterie of other words we will need to know in order to understand the relationship between luxury tobacco and our senses. 

Body: the breadth and depth (spectrum) of flavor of a tobacco.  Body is also referred to as richness and fullness and is commonly perceived as mouthfeel. 

Flavor is the combination of taste and aroma perceived by our human senses.

Mouthfeel is the sensation in the mouth created by the Body (richness, fullness, or thinness) of the smoke.  The fullness of Body will also impact the Finish (lingering flavor) of a tobacco; where a lighter bodied tobacco will have a lighter/shorter finish and a fuller bodied tobacco will have a heavier/richer/longer finish.  A good analogy is the difference between chicken and steak, where chicken has a lighter bodied flavor and steak is fuller bodied.

Common range descriptors for Body include light, medium and full.  It can get confusing when an adjective like "Mild" is used to describe Body since it is better suited and more accurately used to describe [Nicotine] Strength, or in conjunction with another descriptor like Spice.  Spice is the physical sensation, that varies from tingling to stinging in the mouth, back of the throat, palate and throughout our nasal passages and nose.  If you must use the term "Mild" to describe Body, it should be linked and used in conjunction:  mild-body.

Strength is the intensity of the nicotine in the cigar or pipe tobacco.  Read more about Nicotine & Strength here... 

The use of "Mild" and "Strong" is often misapplied to Body.  As tobacconists we must often read 'between the lines' when listening to customer's descriptions and preferences.  We should also choose our words carefully to accurately convey facts, perceptions and opinions.  Now that you know the difference, the misuse of these terms will become evident and prevalent on mail order websites, among internet 'influencers' and in just about every corner of the luxury tobacco world.  Let this be a red flag that exposes those who really know and separates them from those who pretend to know.

Classic Tobacconist Anecdote
My own father is obsessed with "Mild" cigars.  He constantly tells me how much he loves all the "Mild" cigars I give him while he is actually smoking fuller bodied, medium strength cigars.  I don't even keep mild cigars around the house!  He perceives the lack of ammonia, good aging, tempered spice and well-rounded Body of the cigars I give him as "Mild".  This has been going on for my 30 year career as a tobacconist and I can't get him to use the proper descriptors, no matter how hard I try to enhance his vocabulary and knowledge.  While he loves every cigar I give him, he just doesn't care enough to change his vocabulary or way of communicating.  The truth is, he is more like the common consumer than not.  Sadly, most people who sell cigars are regurgitating the same "mild, smooth and sweet" nonsense instead of actually adding value.  With regard to my father, no matter how much I want to correct his descriptive ability, he doesn't give a f*ck.  He just wants "Mild Mild Mild"!  The fact is, many (if not most) of our customers are like this too, so we must 'read between the lines' and ask the right questions to truly understand what our customers are telling us.  In this way you will be able to enhance your customer's pleasure while broadening their options, appreciation and range of experiences.  This is what TOBACCONISTS do!    

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Tobacconist University Glossary

Cigar Myths: Body = Strength

Body = Strength
 
Myth: The body and strength of a cigar are the same and/or related.
 
Truth: Body, in terms of flavor (taste+aroma) profile, does not necessarily correlate with the Strength of a cigar.  Strength refers to nicotine potency or the intensity of spice – two separate factors.  Body is a flavor descriptor which can refer to the depth, breadth, and richness of a tobacco (flavor).

So, a strong cigar can be medium bodied, while a full-bodied cigar can be mild or medium strength.  As an example, imagine that chicken has a mild body, while beef has a richer body, yet both can be spicy/strong, depending on how they are seasoned.

Cigar Myths

 

 

There is enough magic and wonder in the world of cigar making and luxury tobacco, that lies, myth, and marketing exaggerations are totally unnecessary. But that would not seem the case since there are innumerable untruths in the marketplace and many of them have been propagated for decades by successful individuals and companies. Perhaps this is the case because marketers have determined what information consumers receive. Or because there has never been a credible institution dedicated to teaching, learning, and researching the impressive truths of our industry; but the days of biased romanticism and exaggeration should be coming to a close. Tobacconist University is committed to teaching the truth about our industry, not duping customers into brand loyalty and ignorant misconceptions.

 

  

Great cigars and luxury tobaccos are practically miracles in their own right. Our products take more collective skills and longer to create than great works of art, architecture, and furniture, yet their destiny is to be combusted and return to dust. Our products need no exaggeration to be fully appreciated; only to be honestly represented. The following is a list of cigar/tobacco myths which retail Tobacconists hear every day. In our efforts to enhance consumer appreciation, we must help enlighten our customers, not B.S. them.

 

     

Virgin Thighs

  

Myth: In Cuba, cigars are rolled on the thighs of virgins.

  

Truth: This is an absurd concept which sounds interesting and amusing to some, but is not grounded in reality.

  

Cuban Seed  

Myth: Cuban Seed = Quality

  

Truth: Cuban Seeds, grown inside or outside of Cuba, can produce both good and bad cigars. There is no direct correlation between product quality and Cuban Seeds. There are far too many variables impacting the quality of tobacco and cigars, like soil, climate, rain, fermentation, blending, rolling, etc… This myth was started after the American embargo on Cuba when cigar makers wanted to enhance the perceived value and quality of their own brands.

 

      
Body = Strength
  
Myth: The body and strength of a cigar are the same and/or related.
  
Truth: Body, in terms of flavor (taste+aroma) profile, does not necessarily correlate with the Strength of a cigar.  Strength refers to nicotine potency or the intensity of spice – two separate factors.  Body is a flavor descriptor which can refer to the depth, breadth, and richness of a tobacco (flavor).   So, a strong cigar can be medium bodied, while a full-bodied cigar can be mild or medium strength.  As an example, imagine that chicken has a mild body, while beef has a richer body, yet both can be spicy/strong, depending on how they are seasoned.

Refrigerate Cigars
  
Myth: Keeping cigars in your household refrigerator will keep them “fresh” (or optimally conditioned).
  
Truth: Refrigerators are far too dry to keep cigars optimally conditioned and the more humid “crisper” drawer is also inadequate.

Spanish Cedar Necessary

  

Myth: Humidors and Cigar boxes need to be lined with Spanish Cedar.

  
Truth: Spanish Cedar is not necessary. It was historically and geographically convenient and practical. While it may be a valid taste+aroma preference, it is not required.
 
Cigar Licking

  

Myth: An entire cigar should be thoroughly licked/wet-down before being smoked.

  
Truth: This practice was common a century ago when humidification was not as accurate and consistent as it is today. Wetting the wrapper would help keep the cigar from unravelling, but it is not necessary when smoking a well conditioned cigar.
 
Angled Cut

  

Myth: Some people claim that cutting the cap/head of a cigar on an angle helps aim the smoke directly to the palate and enhances taste.

  

Truth: In contrast to a Perfect Cut, an angled cut jeopardizes the integrity of the cigar head and may lead to it unravelling. In addition, a mouth filled with smoke will taste the smoke, whether it is aimed at the tongue or not. The other down side of an angled cut is that the heat of the combusted cigar will be aimed directly at the tongue.

  

Self Sharpening Cutter

  

Myth: Some Double Guillotines are believed to sharpen themselves.

   

Truth: This is untrue; the physics of metal sharpening have nothing in common with the way Double Guillotines function.

 

Packaging = Quality

  

Myth: It is natural to perceive and equate beauty with quality; this is a natural human trait.

  

Truth: Many cigars with the simple packaging are extraordinary and many cigars have extraordinary packaging which is not commensurate with the product.

 

Strength = Body

  

Myth: Full-Bodied cigars are Strong. And Strong cigars must be Full-Bodied.

  

Truth: A cigar can have a Full-Body and not be Strong. Strength relates to Nicotine intensity and Spice, but not necessarily profound flavor.

 

Cigars Attract Hot Women

  

Myth: While sexuality is used by many companies to lure customers to their products, this usually has nothing to do with the actual product. There are many companies that advertise and promote their cigars with attractive and/or scantily clad women – the implication being that ‘these cigars attract women like this’.

  

Truth: Using sex and sexuality to sell cigars may get attention or momentarily make the product seem to taste better (see Emotional Taste Perception), but the effect is short lived.

 

    

Absolutes Depend
   

Myth: “This is the Best Cigar”, “This brand must age _____ months/years” and any other Absolute Statements are typically wrong in the world of luxury tobacco.

 

Truth: Everything in the world of luxury tobacco DEPENDS on one variable or another. Every batch, type, and crop of tobacco leaf is different. There are no Absolute time periods for growing, fermentation, or aging. There are no Absolute ways to quantify or qualify taste. There are absolutely no Absolutes in luxury tobacco: Everything Depends…

 

Maduros Are Stronger
  

Myth: Dark Maduro wrappers give consumers the impression that Maduro cigars are stronger.

  

Truth: While Maduros undergo a longer Fermentation, they do not increase in strength, rather they become richer and a little sweeter, as the sugars develop.

 

Perfect Consistency
  
Myth: Perfect Consistency Exists.
  
Truth: It is impossible to create a perfectly consistent cigar and blend from one batch to another, much less from one crop/year to another. In addition, it is impossible to construct every cigar perfectly. The nature of handmade cigars requires some deviation. It is OK for a cigar to burn a little crooked and for cigars to taste a little different from batch to batch. In fact, the human senses cannot taste or smell perfectly, so we would not even recognize Perfect Consistency if it were possible.

Perfect Consistency is more likely to be found in the wine and/or spirits industry where the final product is a liquid. Liquids are much easier to measure, rate, and blend, so the final product is more likely to be consistent.

Lost & Found [Cuban] Tobaccos
  

Myth: The classic marketing story about a long lost batch of perfectly conditioned tobacco being discovered and used to create a ‘once in a lifetime’ cigar.

  

Truth: The ‘Truth’ is hard to find in this case. Discovering the how, what, when, and where of a ‘re-discovered’ tobacco is difficult, if not impossible to prove.

 

Cuban Cigars Are “The Best”

  

This is the mother of all cigar myths, probably because it was true decades ago and can occasionally seem true today. Cuba is the birthplace of great tobaccos, seeds, and cigars, but time has moved us forward. Great Tobacconists and Consumers everywhere know that our ‘Cigar Renaissance’ exists mostly because of the efforts and products created by those outside of Cuba. Today, claiming that ‘I only smoke Cubans’ or ‘Cuban cigars are the best’ is the last bastion of ignorance, uneducated pompousness, or extreme prejudice; and of course, taste is subjective.

 

 

 

Romanticism plays a big part in the world of luxury tobacco. It is a romantic process to smoke a great cigar; sitting back watching the smoke, smelling the aromas, tasting the notes of flavor, and savoring your time. Luxury tobacco is inherently sensual and romantic. But real romance and pleasure need no embellishment. And the actual magic and wonder of luxury tobacco is enough, without the myths and lies. Enhanced appreciation requires Enlightenment, and that requires The Truth.