different shape = different flavor?

[weigle]

Thank you for this website! As a newb I am happy to hide behind a computer to ask all the embarassing questions I have while making the switch from pipes to cigars.

I have noticed that ratings vary among shapes of the same cigar.

ie: an Ashton VSG (my favorite!) torpedo could be a 9 and a belicoso might be a 7.

The question I am asking. . . does the actual shape among the same blend change the flavor. I was under the impressions that shapes were for personal preference or duration of smoke.

Please advise. Many thanks,

- jeremy

[madurolover]

Yes the shapes do influence the flavor. Most of the time it is slight but in some cigars it can have quite a bit of influence. The most common thought on this is that it is due to the wrapper/binder/filler ratio. The wrapper is a very flavorful leaf and is thought to impart quite a bit of flavor to the cigar. In smaller RG (Petit Corona, Lancero, Corona, etc.) you are tasting more wrapper when you are smoking it.

[Cigary]

Originally Posted by madurolover

Yes the shapes do influence the flavor. Most of the time it is slight but in some cigars it can have quite a bit of influence. The most common thought on this is that it is due to the wrapper/binder/filler ratio. The wrapper is a very flavorful leaf and is thought to impart quite a bit of flavor to the cigar. In smaller RG (Petit Corona, Lancero, Corona, etc.) you are tasting more wrapper when you are smoking it.

Donnie is right about this. Even though I love Churchills the Lancero tends to give you more taste for your smoking pleasure. They just aren't big enough for me so I tend to go with the larger size cigars as I like to sit for a couple of hours while watching a movie, having a drink,,relax and not think of things that tend to make me anxious. I'll take a cigar over xanax anyday of the week.

[scottw]

Both make very good points. I too have been moving towards Corona and Petite Coronas over my regular Robusto and Torpedo sizes mostly because of time restraints. They are tasty. I also believe most Lanceros use two wrappers which makes them very flavorful. It's either the Lancero or Panatella that have two wrappers i believe.

[madurolover]

Moved this to the Cigar Questions section.

[Rubix^3]

Yes, different sizes of the same cigar line have different strengths and fullness of flavor. I made the same discovery earlier this year and a great informative thread evolved out of it. Check out the science that Cypress drops about halfway down the page:

Why do different vitolas taste different?

Learning about cigars only enhances the joy of smoking them...Enjoy!

[denarok]

Which size in general then would give you the most flavor?

is it the Corona? or the Lancero? I never heard of the Lancero until now

I will have to look for those now

I have been smoking mostly Corona's mostly.


For example If a cigar brand only came in following choices:

Torpedo, Robusto, Sixty, Petit Corona, and Corona

Which one would give you the most Flavor?

[madurolover]

Originally Posted by denarok

Which size in general then would give you the most flavor?

is it the Corona? or the Lancero? I never heard of the Lancero until now

I will have to look for those now

I have been smoking mostly Corona's mostly.


For example If a cigar brand only came in following choices:

Torpedo, Robusto, Sixty, Petit Corona, and Corona

Which one would give you the most Flavor?

Most of the cigar blenders use the Corona as their testing cigars. I enjoy mostly Petit Coronas, Coronas, Lanceros and Robustos.

[e-man]

Typically, thinner cigars will have more flavor, due to the wrapper:filler ratio mentioned by others.

Also, longer cigars will filter out more tar as the smoke travels through them, This makes them taste smoother...initially. The longer the cigar, the more tar that build up as you smoke it. Now you're smoking the tobacco PLUS the tar from all the previous puffs. Tar burns hotter and really changes the dynamics of the flavor.. If you smoke them to the nub, the Churchill will become MUCH stronger than the same cigar in a Rothchild.

Probably the biggest part of the equations is how you smoke them. Cool smoke tastes smoother and gives you a broader range of flavors. Hot smoke has a harsh off-flavor. If you smoke them fast, I suggest wider cigars that won't heat up as easily.


Another thing to realize is that there is a BLEND of tobacco in a the filler. some of the leaves only exist in certain areas of some cigars. Larger cigars offer more space to be filled by various leaves, which gives the roller more control of the flavor when portioning each leaf into the filler. It's harder to accurately portion 5% of a given leaf when a single leaf takes up 70% of the allotted space.