Cigars
Go Bold! A Curated Selection…
Jan
There are some cigars you just know are going to make you stand up and take notice before they’ve even been lit. Their wrappers are often (but not always!) dark and oily, their aroma calling to you even from beneath the cellophane.
What exactly makes a cigar “bold?” Does that mean it’s spicy? Full-bodied? Strong? There is definitely a distinction…
One of our favorite resources, The Tobacconist Handbook, does an excellent job of clarifying this very topic:
Myth: Full-bodied cigars are strong. Strong cigars must be full-bodied.
Truth: A cigar can have a full body, characterized by depth and breadth of flavor (i.e. richness, earthiness) and not be strong. Strength relates to nicotine intensity and can refer to spice levels (i.e. strong spice) but not necessarily profound, rich or full flavors.
The cigars we have selected for this edition of The Caucus Brief are indeed full-bodied. These are some of our favorite full-bodied blends to recommend because despite their density of flavor, they remain smooth. They are a credit to the master blenders who have created them. This is by no means an exhaustive list… there are several other great full-bodied blends we recommend every day, so stay tuned for future editions of the Caucus Brief!
For anyone who has ever thought that Dominican cigars were too mild, take note: The cigars included in our “Bold Picks” hail from Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic.
As for strength, well, that’s a tough one to measure and can be a bit subjective given varying tolerances for nicotine. If you’ve ever had a cigar “sneak up on you” and all of a sudden felt a little woozy or nauseous, that’s the nicotine talking. (Pro-tip: A tablespoon of sugar will help counteract that, should it happen again in the future.) Hopefully you’ll have a great meal before indulging in a stronger smoke and truly take your time to savor it.
Smoking full-bodied cigars is also not something reserved for seasoned cigar smokers. Many people new to cigar smoking will equally enjoy fuller bodied blends so don’t be shy! It’s good to try many shapes, blends, countries of origin… it’s part of the beauty of this industry and the joy that we share having so much variety from which to choose. So go bold!
Our “Go Bold Picks”:
My Father Cigars Le Bijou 1922
La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero
