Cigar Strengths and Sickness

[Scdalak]

Had some questions about cigars strengths and body ratings and would like to hear your feedback.

Does Full Bodied necessarily mean Full Strength?? Is one more likely to get sick from one as opposed to the other? I have heard that even the most experienced smoker has unexpectedly run into a cigar that kicked their ass. I am wondering if it has happened to you? Would love to know if its happened to El Presidente, Smithy or Ken over the 1,000’s of smokes they have endured.

Personally It has happened to me 2 Times in my life, before My Cuban days with a Nicaraguan maduro cigar, and once about a year ago with a Cohiba Maduro.. “Ouch”!!! Man there is nothing worse especially after a full meal….

Curious to hear your stories.

[benjaminbbush]

Still a newbie, but I have personnally noticed that maduros affect me much differently that naturals or EMS.

[Cohiba007]

I can count on one hand how many cigars have made me a little "uneasy". I smoke 1-2cigars a day. Usually always one after breakfast with a coffee early in the morning. Almost always a pc or robusto. I don't think I have gotten green at all in the last five years, until last week. It was after a custom Tampa. Lol. Not sure if it was the lighter breakfast than usual or the much longer smoke than usual but oh mama was I spinning. Really enjoyed the cigar though.

[dicko]

Interesting topic.

I always find cohiba's to be very strong nicotine wise even if they smoke medium-medium full bodied.

[kevinfj]

I once got "uneasy" smoking a Litto Gomez chisel. Felt like I was smoking an old tire.........VILE WEED!

FJ

[thechenman]

Full bodied in general is not the same a strength. Body typically refers to the taste and feel of the smoke. Strength tends to focus on the nicotine content. If you find yourself in this situation, enjoy your cigars with a sweet/sugary beverage like a soda or iced tea. If you prefer other libations, just have a single serving packet of sugar on hand. When you begin to feel the queasiness associated with nicotine, just eat the sugar...it should help.

[Scdalak]

Interesting idea thank you, I have been lucky really only happened a few times, typically some of the Bolivar and Partagas selection offer a "kick" in the strength department. I was just curious as to everyones experience in this area, tobacco sickness and vomiting always seems to play a part in this hobby and is a question I have seen many times on various boards over the years.. Still curious to hear if El Presidente has ever met "Ralphhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh".

[thechenman]

The sugar helps counteract the negative affects of the nictoine. I have to say that it is pretty rare for me to get queasy from CCs, but with all the NCs out there competing to make the strongest all ligero cigars...I've had a few NCs that really brought me to my knees.

El Prez has had a bad enounter with the Ramon Allones Celestiales Finos. For details...check out his video review on this cigar.

[michael69]

never once happened to me... mind you, I have a strong constitution I reckon (I have actually never had a stomach upset of any sort in my life except, presumably, when I was a baby....)

I've smoked Bolis, Partis etc on a completely empty stomach; never had any negative effect at all (lucky me I know!!)

[cigcars]

*Strong *Full-bodied *Heavy; all can mean that which may "set you down" "knock you out", etc. and that is exactly what I'm looking for in my smoke - FLOOR ME!! The ones I can attest to that have "done it" for my little behind are: Ernesto Carillo's LaGloria Cubanas that were featured in 1993. They were GREAT! AWESOME!! Wonderful! But for some reason, nowadays it seems no matter what they do, they just aren't able to recoup that wonderful, brilliant, absolute knock-out power they once had when they were being manufactured in Miami.

*Next would be the first batch release of Camacho's Coyolar Hondurans. THOSE were bad-assss!!! Now, it seems they've lost power too, with the next batch releases recently.

*Then, my all time favorite Padron 45th Anniversaria, the maduro I do believe, being the strongest. Also the most flavorful.

I'm happy to experience power, strength and flavor in the current batches nowadays, yet nothing seems to match what used to be in prior days

[Scdalak]

Great Feedback all, seems that the Nicotine can be the culprit more so than the age of the tobacco. I also have read you English types had stomachs of Iron. Lucky You...

I loved to be floored as well, but I will not soon forget that cool summer night last year after a large clam bake and mutiple drinks. What a night, on my back deck, overlooking the ocean, great friends, food and cigars... Until,,, Oh Boy that Cohiba Maduro got me.. Maybe was a combination of all 3 factors, but...... All that poor sea food I ate went right back in the ocean where it came from.

Thank goodness it has only happened once.. But I cant lie, when ever smoking a Full Strength Cigar I puff away "slowly" just to make sure!

[bc8436]

I have not experienced some of the more powerful offerings from Cuba, so I haven't had a Cuban cigar that made me queasy.

There are a few NCs that really kicked my butt though, such as the La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero Chisel, Joya de Nicaragua Antano and Camacho Triple Maduro. I also recall getting so wired up after smoking a Padron 80th Anniversary that I couldn't sleep until 5am.

[stogieokie]

Fresh Ashton VSG's are the ones that got to me on more than one occasion back when they first came out. I love 'em with lots of age as they still have the full flavor but not the nicotine kick. I still have a considerable number of them well aged, so I can't say if they're still as strong today or not.

[CanuckSARTech]

Last/only one I can recollect that kicked my arse was something from last summer. I smoked a Trinidad Ingenios EL 2007, and had my butt handed to me after finishing this smoke. Many others don't like these (thinking they're bland), but I found this to be very flavourful and with a potent blend, and they definitely have the legs for the long haul it seems, that one box does anyways.

I'm thinking that there might have been one or two other occasions, years ago when I first got into cigars. But, it's escaping my memory right now if there was or not. Mustn't have left that big of an impression as the Ingenios then.

[stargazer14]

Its interesting you mention this happened 'after a full meal' - i would think one would be more likely to feel the effects of a strong cigar on an empty stomach. I enjoy a stronger smoke after a nice meal.

[Colt45]

Does Full Bodied necessarily mean Full Strength??

I agree with Chenman - I don't feel they're necessarily one and the same. For me body is the sense of how dense the smoke is on the palate.

I consider strength what I feel in the head or stomach. For example, I consider Guinness Stout full bodied, but not really strong.

Then there's the burn of a high alcohol whiskey - that's what I think of when I think of strength.

Obviously, they are not always mutually exclusive, either.