Cigars are a commodity that come in countless different varieties to smokers of all backgrounds. Many folks who aren’t even habitual cigarette smokers often appreciate the full-bodied flavor of the fermented tobacco that makes a cigar. There are three types of leaves that go into making these delicious smokables: ligero, seco, and velado. Stronger, thicker cigars are usually made with blends of ligero and seco. This combination makes for longer, enhanced burning and bold, rich flavor and smoke clouds. Seco leaves are thinner and more smooth, which makes for a milder, less intense smoke. These leaves are usually used in cheap cigars and cigarillos.
People who enjoy the rich flavors of cigars usually have their preferences. Folks who like to puff on thicker, richer cigars that create thicker smoke clouds will not smoke cigarillos (small cigars, usually flavored). Instead, they would buy thick, premium cigars, usually imported from the Carribean. Cigars from the Dominican Republic or Cuba tend to be made with Ligero, a top-quality form of tobacco leaf found at the top of the stocks. As special treatment, these leaves are picked last so that they have more time to absorb sunlight. The extra time spent ripening makes these tobacco leaves thicker and more powerful when it’s time to smoke. Ligero is a darker leaf, which makes it more identifiable when purchasing cigars. Even if some Ligero leaf cigars aren’t full of flavor, they’re still powerful and are likely make the smoker a little dizzy if they’re inhaling deeply enough. The full-bodied flavors and intensity of the smoke is what classifies a cigar as “strong.”
Those who want to smoke cigars but don’t enjoy the power or taste of premium tobacco have other options. One option is cheaper, lower-quality cigars which usually use a combination of seco and velado tobacco leaves. Smoking these particular cigars is more similar to smoking a giant cigarette. This is because the tobacco is milder in flavor, but with richer smoke. Cigars with a lower velado content won’t produce overwhelming smoke, and are among the mildest cigars available. There are also super cheap options available called cigarillos. These are much slimmer cigars marketed to people who aren’t cigar connoisseurs. They’re often packed with pure, sun-ripened seco, which makes it light in flavor and slower-burning. Many cigarillos have different flavored leaves that the cigar is wrapped in, giving the smoker choices of blueberry, grape, and other flavored cigarillos. The added artificial flavor helps to make these little cigars the mildest.