Cigar basics
Cigar strength, body and flavor, explained
What each word on a cigar label means, and why labels don't agree.
By Rahul Gupta, Certified Retail Tobacconist · Updated The quick answer
On our pages, strength means nicotine: the physical effect you feel. Body means the weight and texture of the smoke. Flavor means taste and aroma, and much of it reaches you as smell. The three often rise together, but they don't have to. Labels use these words inconsistently, so check which one a label is rating before you buy.
In this article
Strength: what the nicotine does
Strength is physical. A strong cigar can leave you lightheaded, sweaty or a little queasy, especially if you haven't eaten.
Most of a cigar's strength comes from the blend of tobaccos inside, and especially from ligero: the leaf from the top of the plant, which carries the most nicotine. Some makers name it in the blend description. Oliva describes its Serie V as blended with "specially fermented Jalapa Valley ligero" under a "high priming" sun-grown wrapper. Priming means where on the stalk a leaf grew, and "high" means near the top.
Two things people use to guess strength don't work well.
Size. There's no correlation between a cigar's size and its strength. The blend sets how strong each puff is. If you're choosing between two common sizes, see Robusto vs. Toro.
Wrapper color. A dark maduro wrapper usually means a sweeter taste, and plenty of maduros are mellow. The strength is in the tobaccos inside, which you can't see.
Body: how heavy the smoke feels
On our pages, body means the weight and texture of the smoke. A light-bodied cigar gives a thin, dry smoke that clears your mouth quickly. A full-bodied one is thick and coats your mouth, and it sits there after you exhale. Think skim milk versus whole milk.
Body tends to rise with strength, since the same heavy leaves add both. But they're separate. Oliva describes its Connecticut Reserve as both "mellow" and "medium-bodied," so a mellow cigar can still be medium-bodied.
Flavor: what you taste
Much of flavor is smell. Your tongue picks up sweet, salty, sour, bitter and savory. Notes like coffee or cedar reach you through your nose. Pepper's burn comes from a separate sense, the nerve endings in your mouth, nose and throat.
Labels and reviews describe flavor with words like earth, wood (such as cedar), leather, pepper and other spice. You'll also see coffee, cocoa, nuts, cream, and sweet or fruity notes like raisin or citrus.
Flavor intensity is separate from strength. A cigar can be mild on nicotine and still have a lot of flavor, and a strong cigar can taste fairly plain.
Why the labels disagree
Some sources rate strength. Cigar Aficionado's ratings print a "Strength" line, such as Medium or Medium-Full.
Some rate body. Drew Estate's spec pages list "Body" instead. Liga Privada No. 9 is listed as Full and Undercrown Maduro as Medium–Full. The Undercrown page's own description then calls it a "medium-bodied" maduro, a step lighter than its spec line.
Some treat them as one word. One retailer's glossary defines strength as "also referred to as body." Another retailer's guide says body "is also the intensity and strength." A third retailer's guide keeps the two apart.
How to read a label
| The label says | It usually means | Check this |
|---|---|---|
| Mild, mellow | Low nicotine, sometimes light body too | Whether the maker also lists body |
| Medium | Middle of whichever scale this source uses | Which scale: strength or body |
| Full-bodied | High on that source's body scale | Strength separately. Full body isn't always strong. |
| Full strength | A lot of nicotine | Eat first and smoke slowly |
| Bold, rich, robust | General description | The strength or body line, if there is one |
When the label and a review disagree, find out which scale each one is using before you decide one of them is wrong.
Choosing by what you want
Mellow, still some flavor
Oliva Connecticut Reserve. Oliva calls it "medium-bodied" and "mellow," with "subtle notes of wood."
Medium–full body
Undercrown Maduro. Drew Estate lists the body as Medium–Full and the taste as "earthy, rich, and naturally sweet." On the product page, choose a Maduro size. If you're weighing it against the Undercrown 10, see Undercrown 10 vs. Undercrown Maduro.
Full body
Liga Privada No. 9. Drew Estate lists the body as Full and the taste as "dense earth and espresso."
Ligero in the blend
Oliva Serie V. Oliva lists Jalapa Valley ligero in the blend and describes "rich coffee and dark chocolate tones." Cigar Aficionado gave the Double Toro 89 points and a Strength line of Medium-Full (December 2024).
Oliva- Strength
- Medium-Full (Cigar Aficionado, Double Toro, Dec. 2024)
- Flavor
- Coffee, dark chocolate (Oliva)
Or come into the shop in Jessup and tell us what you've liked so far.
If a cigar makes you feel sick
Stop smoking. If you feel ill and think nicotine may be the cause, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for advice. Call 911 for trouble breathing, collapse, seizures or other severe symptoms.
Frequently asked questions
How can you tell if a cigar is strong?
Look for a strength rating, such as Cigar Aficionado's, and check whether the blend lists ligero. Size and wrapper color won't tell you. If you're unsure, smoke the first one slowly and after a meal.
Which type of cigar is the strongest?
No type is strongest by name. Strength comes from the blend, especially its ligero. To compare two cigars, compare their strength ratings from the same source.
Which is stronger, Habano or Maduro?
Neither name tells you. Habano describes the kind of wrapper leaf. Maduro describes how a wrapper was processed: fermented longer in more heat or toasted under pressure until it's dark, which usually makes it taste sweeter. The nicotine comes mostly from the tobaccos inside, so a mild blend under a maduro wrapper is still a mild cigar.
What is a mild cigar called?
There's no special name. Shops label them mild or mellow.
What is ligero in a cigar?
It's the leaf from the top of the plant, which carries the most nicotine. Blenders use it to add strength.
Does a thinner cigar taste different from a thick one of the same blend?
It can. Cigar Aficionado notes that thin cigars tend to burn hotter. The strength per puff comes from the blend either way.
Sources
Sources
All 12 sources
- Oliva Cigar, Serie V and Connecticut Reserve, official blend descriptions (read October 13, 2026)
- Drew Estate, Liga Privada No. 9 and Undercrown Maduro, official Body and Taste Profile fields (read October 13, 2026)
- Cigar Aficionado, Cigar Shapes, Sizes and Colors; ratings database "Strength" field, e.g. Oliva Serie V Double Toro (December 2024)
- Cigar Advisor, What's the Difference Between Cigar Strength and Body? and Cigar Sickness: How to Fix Nicotine Nausea
- JR Cigar, Developing Your Cigar Flavor Profile; Renegade Cigars, glossary
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Taste disorders
- MedlinePlus, Nicotine poisoning