what's stronger?

wmaxham

Ok. Do I'd still have to say that the nub was the strongest cigar I have had. But I was talking to someone who said a smaller ring guadge makes the cigars tobacco more dence thus stronger, but I always thought the larger ring guadge means more tobacco and that would make it stronger? So what's your take on it guys?

bass8844

IMO size doesn't really dictate strength. From what I've heard it's the amount of ligero leaf in the blend that contributes to the strength.

Just in case you don't know, ligero leaves are leaves from the tops of the plants, so they recieve the most amount of sunlight. That leads to a more robust and nutrient-rich leaf...thus producing a leaf that is stronger.

Hope that helps!

CastleCrest

Normally a large ring gauge means more air & a softer smoke.
The strength has to do with what tobacco they used.
Normally the center leaf (The Ligero) it what adds the strength!

kuzi16

a smaller ring gauge is a higher wrapper to filler ratio and an argument can be made that it has more flavor. flavor and power are very different though.

CastleCrest

Here was a friends thoughts on Ligero:

Ligero tobacco is leaf tobacco, taken from the top of the tobacco plant. These leaves have had the most exposure to the sun during growth, and as a result are the richest in the various aromatics and oils that tobacco produces. As a consequence of this, they are not only the strongest-tasting type of filler leaf, but they also are the slowest-burning. They are typically used as long filler in cigars, to regulate the burn and to form a 'base' for the taste. Since they are so strong, they are typically mixed with other types of tobacco (usually of seco or volado leaves) in order to even out the experience. The 'taste' of a cigar will vary on the type of tobacco used in the filler. It will also vary on the ring size of the cigar, since a narrower cigar will tend to taste much more strongly of the wrapper tobacco (as more of that leaf, by proportion, is burning). This is one reason that cigars of the same type and maker will taste different depending on their construction and type; the 'fatter' the cigar, the less the taste is influenced by the wrapper.
Ligero is not typically used for wrappers, as it requires around two years of aging before the strong flavors and harsher oils are matured enough. As a result, the leaves do not have the flex and strength required to hold together the cigar, and will not look nearly as 'clean' as wrapper tobacco does.

http://everything2.com/e2node/Ligero%20tobacco

jlzimmerman

CastleCrest:

Here was a friends thoughts on Ligero: Ligero tobacco is leaf tobacco, taken from the top of the tobacco plant. These leaves have had the most exposure to the sun during growth, and as a result are the richest in the various aromatics and oils that tobacco produces. As a consequence of this, they are not only the strongest-tasting type of filler leaf, but they also are the slowest-burning. They are typically used as long filler in cigars, to regulate the burn and to form a 'base' for the taste. Since they are so strong, they are typically mixed with other types of tobacco (usually of seco or volado leaves) in order to even out the experience. The 'taste' of a cigar will vary on the type of tobacco used in the filler. It will also vary on the ring size of the cigar, since a narrower cigar will tend to taste much more strongly of the wrapper tobacco (as more of that leaf, by proportion, is burning). This is one reason that cigars of the same type and maker will taste different depending on their construction and type; the 'fatter' the cigar, the less the taste is influenced by the wrapper. Ligero is not typically used for wrappers, as it requires around two years of aging before the strong flavors and harsher oils are matured enough. As a result, the leaves do not have the flex and strength required to hold together the cigar, and will not look nearly as 'clean' as wrapper tobacco does. http://everything2.com/e2node/Ligero%20tobacco

I'll agree with this.

Considering that 70% of a cigars flavor/strength comes from its wrapper, its typical that a smaller ring gauged cigar (larger ratio of wrapper to filler and binder) is going to stronger than normal if the tobacco that makes up the wrapper is strong.