2020 Power Rankings

[El Presidente]

I am of the opinion that Cuba makes very few full bodied cigars but people just don't believe me 

Over the weekend I received two emails on the subject. Let's see if we can give them a hand. 

If you can't get to 5, go as far as you can for us  

 

Your top 5 "full bodied" cigars out of Cuba today ( 1 being the most full bodied). 

1.

2

3

4

5

 

 

 

 

Your top 5 "Light Bodied" Cigars out of cuba today.  ( 1 being the lightest bodied). 

1

2

3

4

5

 

[NSXCIGAR]

I'm with you. Full-bodied CCs are few and far between post-2000. Doubt I can come up with 5, but:

BBF

Monte 1935 (counts as 3?) 

Mag 46

Party Presidentes, maybe?

Light-bodied, easy:

ERDM CS

QdO Coronas, 

SLR Regios

Fonseca No. 1, Cosacos, Delicias

RyJ Wide Churchill

[bbguardsp]

Don't quite trust my judgement on ranking exactly so I would say Bolivar CJ, Bolivar RC, RASCC, Dumas, and recent Famosos.  Occasionally a few Reyes in a box will hit full as well.  The smaller I go the more likely a cigar will be full.  As well as the last third can really turn the heat up on some cigars.

Light bodied - ERDM CS, Romeo WC, Rio Seco, Trinidad Topes, Connie A recent examples.

 

[foursite12]

Your top 5 "full bodied" cigars out of Cuba today ( 1 being the most full bodied). 

1. Juan Lopez No. 1

2 Juan Lopez No. 2

3 BBF

4  RyJ Cazadores

5 

 

 

 

 

Your top 5 "Light Bodied" Cigars out of cuba today.  ( 1 being the lightest bodied). 

1 Hoyo San Juan

2 Connie A

3 

4

5

[ElJavi76]

Full bodied:

BBF

RA Jubilee Asia Pacific (young... These things have given me the shakes)

Cohiba Medio Siglo

Light bodied:

Anything HdM

Anything Upmann

Dip No 2

[Corylax18]

Full:

BBF

Mag 46

RYJ Caz

Fresh RASCC and BCJ sometimes

…….

Light:

Monte Opens to a fault

Hoyo Elegantes also to a fault

Most Upmann (bar the 46, 50 and recent Noellas)

RYJ Churchills

Choix Supreme

 

[medzikone]

Your top 5 "full bodied" cigars out of Cuba today ( 1 being the most full bodied). 

1. RyJ Cazadores

2. Partagas E2

3. Partagas P2

4. Bolivar Belicoso Finos

5. Partagas Shorts

 

Your top 5 "Light Bodied" Cigars out of cuba today.  ( 1 being the lightest bodied). 

1. HdM Epicure 2

2. RG PC 

3. PLP

4. HdM Epicure Especial

5. HdM Epicure 1

[cfc1016]

I'm surprised noone else is mentioning RG perlas. I'm not gonna try to come up.with 4 more, much less ones noone else has already mentioned.

[treberty]

Full:

1. RyJ Cazadores

2. BBF

3. Bolivar Libertador

4. Partagas 8-9-8

5. JL #2 - in the last 2-3 years or the Mag 46

Light:

1. QD  Coronas

2. El Rey Del Mundo Choix Supreme

3. Gloria Cubana Medaille d'Or #4

4. RyJ Churchill

5. Fonseca No.1 

[Buck14]

I need to clarify my response here. It seems you are using the term “Full-Bodied” to reflect nicotine strength. The strongest (nicotine) Cuban cigars I’ve smoked MIGHT register as 3 out of 10 on the spectrum of NC cigars nicotine strength. This excludes the Veguero marca which is very strong nicotine with no flavor complexity at all. It’s the Cuban tatuaje. ?

Fullest (nicotine strength)

1. Any Veguero

2. JL2

3. RASS

4. RG Perlas

5. RG Petit Corona

NOTE: I do not find the Bolivar marca remotely “full-bodied” (nicotine strength) but I do consider it to be one of the most “fully flavored” marcas.

Light

1. Monte anything

2. Any Party Serie vitola except E2

3. QdO Corona Claro

[DaBoot]

Full bodied

1) BBF 

2) partagas el2017

3) Trinidad Reyes 

 

[Riverstyx]

Most boli but not BBF - I don’t find them full bodied. Libertadors, fo sho. 
 

VR

RG

partagas for the most part, but NOT E2 (I love but find them medium bodied). 
 

On the lighter side: anything Hoyo. And I’d note they can have a “dry” flavor that i don’t like. Not always though

[NSXCIGAR]

2 hours ago, cfc1016 said:

I'm surprised noone else is mentioning RG perlas.

Well, I'd put RGP at medium plus. About the same as Monte 5. RGPC is a true medium to me. 

I'm with Rob (and you, apparently)--true full bodied CCs are a thing of the past. 

Also, I'm seeing some conflation of strong and full-bodied here. A leaf of ligero does not mean full-bodied. JL is a perfect example. Not full bodied to me but they have a ligero kick. Same with RASCC. Or Connie A, SW and or Hoyo EE--not strong at all but I'd put them both at medium plus body. 

Most CCs to me fall into 4 body characteristics: light, medium, medium plus and full. Bell curve here. Maybe 5% of all CCs are light, 70% medium, 20% medium plus and 5% full. 

I really don't think light or full cigars are common. Fonseca lineup, ERDM CS (pushing into medium), RyJ WC, QdO CC is about it for truly light. 

Full, even fewer. BBF, Monte 1935 line, Party 898 or Presidentes (closer to medium plus IMO). 

I'd say the vast majority, like 90% of CCs are medium/medium plus in terms of body. 

 

[havanaclub]

Full bodied? Or full strength in terms of nicotine as others have mentioned?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BoliDan]

2 hours ago, Buck14 said:

I need to clarify my response here. It seems you are using the term “Full-Bodied” to reflect nicotine strength. The strongest (nicotine) Cuban cigars I’ve smoked MIGHT register as 3 out of 10 on the spectrum of NC cigars nicotine strength. This excludes the Veguero marca which is very strong nicotine with no flavor complexity at all. It’s the Cuban tatuaje. ?

Fullest (nicotine strength)

1. Any Veguero

2. JL2

3. RASS

4. RG Perlas

5. RG Petit Corona

NOTE: I do not find the Bolivar marca remotely “full-bodied” (nicotine strength) but I do consider it to be one of the most “fully flavored” marcas.

Light

1. Monte anything

2. Any Party Serie vitola except E2

3. QdO Corona Claro

Buck's hatred for montes is legendary, but calling them light? Did you have any 18-19 montes? I figured you hated them enough to not try them.

Veguero is an intersting pick. I have not explored it yet.

[Islandboy]

Power in a cigar is a bit vague to me. I’m relatively immune to the effects of nicotine, so strength ratings in reviews are a bit cloudy to me. Unless we’re talking about flavor intensity, which I’m definitely seeking out in my current phase of the hobby. Yeah, phases are real - as soon as I think I have it all figured out, a new phase sneaks up on me and slaps me upside the head. 
 

But I digress. Don’t really have a top 5 for each category, but nothing floats my boat in terms of all out flavor right now like Partagas 898’s. I don’t know what they were like pre-2000, but this is the wasabi of cigars for me. I’m talking authentic, fresh wasabi, not the vaporize-your-nose-hairs crap we get 99% of the time. 
 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, a recent experience with a SLR Regios left me wanting. There was a time I craved its delicate, apple-infused flavor. Now it just seemed lacking. 
 

Can hardly wait to see what my next phase has me chasing. 

[Duxnutz]

Partagas Petite Coronas Especiales, PSP2, BBF, Cazadores, JLP. 

Good place to start.

 

I find they all age well. Some of most cheap and pleasant smokes have been aged Party PCE, Cazzies and JLP Brevas.

[JohnS]

Full-bodied (i.e. intense in aroma and/or flavour)

1. H.Upmann Magnum 46
2. Romeo y Julieta Cazadores
3. Juan Lopez Seleccion No.2
4. Ramon Allones Specially Selected
5. Bolivar Belicosos Finos

Light-bodied (i.e. subtle in aroma and/or flavour)

1. El Rey del Mundo Choix Supreme
2. Quai d'Orsay No.54
3. Fonseca No.1
4. Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo de San Juan
5. H.Upmann Connossieur A

[Fugu]

Surprised to see so much BBF mentioned.

Current full-body Cubans for me BT3, QB, Noellas, the odd Reyes and BCJ (but mostly just med-full). RyJ Cazadores coming behind but maximum med-full for me at best these days. Fullest ever I remember had been a SS1 from 2002. Still could taste it two days later.

Strong in terms of nic: Choix (good example for the strength-body "paradoxon" )

[lovethehaze]

It's so interesting to read these threads and see how different the responses can be

FULL

1. bolivar PC, without question the ballsiest smoke i consistently smoke
2. MAG 46
3. YOUNG PARTY D4
4. RASS
5. PARTY SHORT

LIGHT

1. HDM ELEGANTE
2. FONSECA NO1
3. HDM EE

I see many BBF as full which amazes me b/c when i smoke them they are very airy, earthy and creamy but not full or strong at all to my pallet, maybe straight medium but flavor is always off the charts.

 

  

[Buck14]

9 hours ago, BoliDan said:

Buck's hatred for montes is legendary, but calling them light? Did you have any 18-19 montes? I figured you hated them enough to not try them.

Veguero is an intersting pick. I have not explored it yet.

??

???

[cfc1016]

12 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

Well, I'd put RGP at medium plus. About the same as Monte 5. RGPC is a true medium to me. 

I'm with Rob (and you, apparently)--true full bodied CCs are a thing of the past. 

Also, I'm seeing some conflation of strong and full-bodied here. A leaf of ligero does not mean full-bodied. JL is a perfect example. Not full bodied to me but they have a ligero kick. Same with RASCC. Or Connie A, SW and or Hoyo EE--not strong at all but I'd put them both at medium plus body.

 

I'm with you on most points. The 2011 OR perlas were particularly in-your-face,btw. I'd say maybe most of them fall in medium-plus, but the only cigars in quite some time, that I had to slow down on, just because my palate was just overloaded,were all perlas.

Using your grading scale, I'd've put the old BBF in Full. Today? Not even close.

Atleast from my limited experience (1 box of tapados), I'll agree with buck on the vegueros.

[Tstew75]

Your top 5 "full bodied" cigars out of Cuba today ( 1 being the most full bodied). 

1 Boil Soberano

2 BBF

3 Partagas Series No. 1 EL 17

4 Cohiba Maduro 5 Genios

5 Monte Linea 1935 Series

 

Your top 5 "Light Bodied" Cigars out of cuba today.  ( 1 being the lightest bodied). 

1 Foseca No. 1

2 Hoyo No1/2

3 QDO 50

Stopping @ 3 b/c I don't smoke many mild CCs

[Wookie]

I don't detect nicotine in cigars...I do detect body and flavor.  For CCs I categorize as follows: Med/Med+ and Light/Med-

Med/Med+: BRC, BBF, BCG, Esplendido, RASS, Monte 2, Mag 54 and 46, RyJ Churchill, 2014 Genios, Vigia

Light/Med-: Punch DC, Punch Punch, HU #2, Siglo VI, 2015 Wide Churchill, La Trova

[Puros Y Vino]

Current? (In no particular order.)

• RyJ Cazadores
• Esplendidos.(a fresh one can give me a buzz).
• RASS (fresh=buzz),
• PSD4.
• Mag 50. (typically medium bodied,but I've had some of my 2009's taste stronger, aged. Odd)

Notable outliers from the past.

• RACF. ( a real monster when released.  Definitely made my brain swim)
• LESF (similar to RACF strength, but more enjoyable.  Both have aged magnificently though)
• LEDJ (very raw smoke when released)
• Bolivar Bosphorus (S. T. R. O. N. G.  Enough to make you  yourself.  But a real treat with age)
• 1966 (also deadly upon release)