[kuzi16]

i find it frustrating that many people believe that there are no milds or mediums worth trying. (i am not saying the original poster is saying that, but this thread popped this into my head)

there are TONS of mild and medium cigars that are worth trying. it is only relatively recently that the ultra full market has become popular.it wasnt too long ago that cigars like the el cobre, camacho diploma and the Antano were the strongest on the market and there were few others that compared.


one of the problems that i have found with very full cigars is that there is so much emphasis on the power that they seem to have forgotten about the flavor. the attitude is to pack them full of ligero and market them as powerful and people will flock to them. and they do.

balance, nuance, complexity, seem to be a dying trend in the cigar market these days as does the small ring gauge. Any one can make a flat but powerful cigar, it takes real talent to make a mild cigar with tons of flavor and complexity.



another thought:
over the last few years there has been an increasing demand for cigars. cigars are becoming popular again. not as big as the 90s boom but still on the rise. Cigar smokers tend to have a journey into cigars. I know i did. maybe we are just at that point in the progression. that progression goes something like this:

first cigars tend to be milder. the people that are mentoring the new smoker dont wanna scare off the new guy. if your first cigar makes you sick, you may not have a second. the new guy buys a few mild cigars and a humidor.

then as the new guy craves more, they naturally progress more to medium cigars to get more flavor out of them. because of a yet to be refined palate, these cigars offer way more than the milds do. they also feel more relaxing, satisfying and may last longer. medium cigars are purchased. the previous mild cigars are long gone, either smoked or traded.

soon the new smoke isnt so new anymore. they can handle fuller cigars. the mild cigars start to seem boring and dull. there just isnt as much flavor or power. even medium blends dont quite live up. finding very full cigars is priority. the mediums are traded, sold, or smoked to make room for more ligero. most palate development is done at this stage. there is so much flavor in full bodied cigars that it smacks you in the face. yes, you can argue there is less nuance and complexity (for the most part) but you cant deny the fact that there is flavor. the smoker starts to really understand flavor on many different levels.

then, one day, a package arrives in the mail, or that smoker is digging through the humidor and come across a cigar that is mild. thinking "eh what the heck" he gives it a try. his fully developed palate is now able to understand flavor on a level like he never could the last time he smoked a mild cigar. mind is blown.
there is now an entire world of cigars that he has had before that he will want to try again since the palate has been developed. all the mild cigars that he had in the past are new again. there is a new understanding.

but there is one problem.
the humidor is packed to the brim with full bodied smokes.


not everyone has this EXACT progression. but something similar may happen. or, somewhere along the line, you may stop. some never go back to mild cigars. (personally i think they are missing out). some may appreciate them and just like a medium body or a full body even more.

but most go through a progression similar to the above and end up not necessarily with a love of, but at least an appreciation of mild cigars.