How is tobbaco strength measured?

i.e.

Ligero, Criollo, Corojo etc.

How do they rank, from mildest, to strongest?


Thank you
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Couple things to start off... criollo, corojo, etc are top-level varieties of tobacco. Within each, there are different strains that have been developed, such as Corojo 99, corojo 06, etc. Ligero is typically used to refer to the top primings on the plant (leaves located at the top of the tobacco plant).

Both are tied to the strength, or body (the terms are interchangeable), of the tobacco in their own ways.

On a tobacco plant, the primings down at the bottom are older, larger leaves that have had limited sun exposure prior to harvest and really aren't that strong. As you progress up the plant, the leaves become fuller bodied (stronger), finally getting to the crown of the plant, where the most flavorful and strongest leaves are found.

From the bottom up, the primings (about 3-5 leaves per priming depending on the variety of tobacco - some plants are bigger than others) are named, if you are in Nicaragua, Honduras or Central/South America: Seco, Viso and finally Ligero at the top. If you are on an island (Cuba, DR, etc): it's Volado, Seco and Ligero. Same things, just two different names. This goes for any tobacco plant, although some manufacturers, Joya de Nicaragua in particular, are working with such strong tobaccos that they have an extra classification, "Laheron", which is basically the ligero's ligero, it's "super ligero". Unbelievably strong, a whole leaf in a cigar blend would light your nose on fire.

The varieties of tobacco vary in strength/body from strain to strain. Some are stronger than others. Criollo is typically stronger and fuller than Sumatra for example, which in turn is fuller than some of the Connecticut strains.

So it's not straight across. Viso from one strain might actually be as strong as ligero from another.

Lastly, how and where it's grown along with how it's processed can all further change the relative strength of the tobacco.

If you're looking for body in the cigars, I would recommend the simpler route of the manufacturer descriptions, since the full bend information and tobacco specifics are never fully revealed, and they can give a better overall assessment of the strength of a cigar as a whole than one can get by guessing at the partial descriptions.
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Excellent post by T.G. But I can add even one more confounding factor, uptake. Not all people will react similarly to the same tobacco. I may find one leaf strong that you do not and vice versa. Also, the ambient pH of one's saliva also has a huge effect. All other things being equal If your mouth is more alkaline than mine, you will think it's a stronger leaf. Most folks suggest a sugary drink with strong cigars with the assumption that the sugar will raise nicotine tolerance, when in fact most of the pain easing comes from lowering the pH in the mouth.
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That's my problem, I have been violently sick 4 times in my cigar quest. It has made me gun shy about trying a lot of brands, and or their cigars:-)


I see cigars I want to try, but then I'm like, "Remember last time, better not"
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How big are the smokes you are getting? Some of the darker, heavier ones can get ya, hell, they can get experienced members from time to time.

Maybe sick with some mild/medium and robusto size, 5 inch or so.. Not a mega ring gauge as well?

:-)
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Full stomach. (meal).
Something sweet to drink (Rootbeer for me)
Smoke slow and take breaks
Don't inhale.

That's my recipe and I have had good luck.:-)
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I tend to stick to Toro sized cigars. The 4 that got me were:


Carlos Torano Exodus 1959
Onyx Reserve
Cusano LXI
Gurkha G5

I always smoke on a full stomach, and I've gone the Sugar Cube, sweet drink route
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Are you inhaling more than you think? I smoked the Torano and Onyx a bunch early on with never a problem. Don't know about the Cusano and the Gurkha is capable of making all people sick by even looking at them or talking about 'em.....I feel queasy.:-)
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The CT Exodus 1959 was super tight, and did not want to stay lit. So I had to keep lighting it and sucking like a madman to draw through it. So I'm sure that did not help the situation:-)

I think a lot of it had to do with my technique, but it has made me nervous to try new ones
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My suggestion is start with mild cigars. There's no harm in smoking those and eventually getting up to the stronger smokes.
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This is outstanding information. Thanks for providing it. I tried to bump you, but apparently I need to spread reputation around more.
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This is a common misconception among new smokers. Size has very little correlation to strength. It may seem counter intuitive but the additional filler leaves are often milder than the original blend in order to keep the blend consistent. An example would be the Litto Gomez event/limited cigar called the Toothpick. A slim PC sized smoke this is one of the strongest cigars ever rolled.

Color of wrapper is also not a good indicator of strength. It is an indication of a high priming(oscuro) or a higher level of fermentation(maduro) but it does not indicate strength. :-)
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I thought for the most part the darker, the stronger. Good info.
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I learn something new on here everyday! Love it
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I thought the same thing, the darker the stronger:-)
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The darker the stronger is a very general rule thats good for beginners, but you'll eventually learn that that is not always the case. A good example of this not being true is Onyx Reserve vs. DPG Blue label, the Blue label hands down is the much stronger smoke, despite the Onyx being a very dark cigar.
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So the criollo or corojo are types of ligeros?

And seco can either refer to either the bottom or middle leaves, depending on the geographical category (island or continent) they're from?
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Corojo and Criollo are strains of tobacco.
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No.

Ligero refers to where the leaf came from on the plant. Ligero are the topmost leaves.

Criollo, Corojo, Sumatra, Mata Fina, "Connecticut", etc. are varieties of tobacco.

That is correct.
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