“I don’t want a mild cigar. I need something a little more cigar-y. Mild is just too wussy today. I don’t need full strength, though. There’s no need to go overboard. I don’t want to get high, here. I just need to chill with a nice smoke.
Ah yes, here it is a medium cigar. That’s what I need.”
Okay, maybe none of us have ever gone through that exact thought process. You may not organize your humidor by strength at all. Nonetheless, this is where medium cigars sit. When mild wouldn’t give you enough power and full is not something you’re in the mood for, there are balanced medium cigars.
Middle-strength cigars offer an experience halfway up the potency scale. You're definitely smoking a cigar, but you're not getting the same powerful nicotine impact of full-strength smokes. You're also not getting completely let off the hook, either. Turn your back on a medium-strength cigar and you'll be surprised that there's enough punch in there to get you buzzin' if you go at it fast enough.
Unlike full-strength cigars, these smokes generally don't rely as heavily on strong Ligero leaf from the top of the plant stalk. Instead, they often incorporate more Seco and volado leaf. Seco is harvested from the middle height of the tobacco plant, and volado is found closer to the bottom. These leaves are milder than those found higher on the stalk and don't provide the same high smoke output. They didn’t get as much sun and never became as robust.
The art, of course, is in blending it all together in a way that delivers that exquisite cigar experience we’ve all come to love and crave. A while after you light up a well-blended midway cigar, you’ll know you pulled the right stogie from your humidor. The flavor is there, and you gently ramp up as you puff along. Somewhere towards the end of the first third, you can feel the perfect amount of strength settling into your mind and body.
Ahhhh. This is what we came for.
Medium strength cigars are great as all-purpose smokes (try the Romeo y Julieta 1875 or Cohiba Red Dot, if that's what you're after). They're unlikely to overpower whatever you're pairing them with. Instead, they enhance the flavors of morning coffee, afternoon meals, or evening cocktails. Many people rely on medium-strength cigars as their everyday smoke, especially those people who like to unwind with a cigar after work.
One last thing: balanced and medium isn’t code for boring. Check out the Drew Estate Acid Blondie to taste the creative possibilities.
Please browse our medium-strength cigars at your leisure.
