Full, Medium, and Mild

buddyrichink

i'm somewhat new to cigar smoking and i have a pretty good grasp on all of it. One of my last questions would be the difference between full, medium and mild. Could anyone try to describe the difference between the three? thanks

Vidarien

Have a glass of tea with a tea bag. If you dunk it in once and drink, it will taste very light. If you dunk it in a few more times, itll have a rounded flavor. If you turn the entire mug dark from dunking it, you're seriously gonna taste that tea. Same idea with cigars, except tobacco replaces the tea-bag and air replaces the water. Youll understand easily if you just get one of each. Like...a cusano18 Double connecticut, 5 vegas classic, and a partagas black. There will be a dramatically different taste for each of those, and youll understand very quickly what each means.

buddyrichink

awesome, thank you

kuzi16

i was gunna go with a macanudo vs a camacho diploma.

phobicsquirrel

well that is by far the best description I've heard. Though one more thing to consider, what is full body to one person won't be to some others. I run across this all the time. What some people would consider a strong cigar I find mild.

kuzi16

it is a good description with only one minor flaw:

you can have a full flavor cigar with a mild body.

make sense?

kuzi16

no?

lets go back to the tea.

one dunk and you have mild flavor and body. let it all turn black from dunking it you have both.... this is with black tea.
if you use green tea then you will have mild body (less caffeinated and what not) but the flavor will still be strong.

NOW does it make sense?

j0z3r

Makes sense to me. I think people often forget there is more that just strength when evaluating a cigar and calling it mild, medium or full....what about its flavor?. I'd rather have a full flavored, medium strength cigar than a full strength cigar with a mild-medium flavor...not that I've had too many of the latter, they're usually more full flavored, but I take flavor over strength any day.

kuzi16

j0z3r:

...I take flavor over strength any day.

well said.

Rob1110

I think the tea analogy works better with cigars if you compare white, green and black teas. You have strength (caffene) in black tea, less in green tea and none in white tea. However, depending on how long you steep those teas in hot water, and what type of tea you use, you will get a very mild flavor for less time and fuller, more rounded flavor with more time (but don't over steep, or it'll get bitter). I'm a tea snob, so this made more sense to me. Even mild teas in strength (white) can be very complex and flavorful (ashton classic would be a good cigar comparison).

kuzi16

Rob1110:

I think the tea analogy works better with cigars if you compare white, green and black teas. You have strength (caffene) in black tea, less in green tea and none in white tea. However, depending on how long you steep those teas in hot water, and what type of tea you use, you will get a very mild flavor for less time and fuller, more rounded flavor with more time (but don't over steep, or it'll get bitter). I'm a tea snob, so this made more sense to me. Even mild teas in strength (white) can be very complex and flavorful (ashton classic would be a good cigar comparison).

i was gunna use white tea also but i didnt know how many people knew of or about white tea. Green was common.

bbc020

kuzi16:

Rob1110:

I think the tea analogy works better with cigars if you compare white, green and black teas. You have strength (caffene) in black tea, less in green tea and none in white tea. However, depending on how long you steep those teas in hot water, and what type of tea you use, you will get a very mild flavor for less time and fuller, more rounded flavor with more time (but don't over steep, or it'll get bitter). I'm a tea snob, so this made more sense to me. Even mild teas in strength (white) can be very complex and flavorful (ashton classic would be a good cigar comparison).

i was gunna use white tea also but i didnt know how many people knew of or about white tea. Green was common.

what about Oolong tea.....For those medium lovers

Rob1110

Love the white tea. If you haven't had and ever get the chance to try silver needle, I highly recommend it. I purchase most of my teas through an online company called adagio. Oolong would probably fall somewhere between green and black.

bbc020

Rob1110:

Oolong would probably fall somewhere between green and black.

This is true...usually a percentage of oxidization...where black is fully oxidized and green is barely if any oxidized.

betasynn

I love how threads here seem to wander a little, there are a lot of funny things said. I myself love to blend tea, generally green with something sweeter, like red or herbal.

rwheelwright

I myself love to tea bag. :-)

phobicsquirrel

rwheelwright:

I myself love to tea bag. :-)

lol

Rob1110

There goes the conversation, right down the gutter. Thanks wheel.

Beta: try mixing black tea with white. It's tough to get the right mix and steep time is off because black is supposed to be steeped for much shorter time, but the white tends to take a bit of the edge of the black and add some natural sweetness to it. I go with a good ceylon and silver needle.

betasynn

Honestly, I only drink black tea in the morning, and if I softened it, I wouldn't be using it right. BUT, for the purposes of you being a total bad-ass, I'll try this tomorrow night when I eat my japanese food.

rwheelwright

Rob1110:

There goes the conversation, right down the gutter. Thanks wheel.

Beta: try mixing black tea with white. It's tough to get the right mix and steep time is off because black is supposed to be steeped for much shorter time, but the white tends to take a bit of the edge of the black and add some natural sweetness to it. I go with a good ceylon and silver needle.

:-)

ScottU

I first read that as "I love to tea bag myself" Wrong...Very Wrong...

betasynn

I'd give him points for flexibility though.