A Beginner's Guide to Cigars: Body, Strength, Size

If you’re new to cigars and looking for a clear, beginner-friendly guide, this article breaks down everything you need to know about cigar body types, cigar strength, cigar sizes, and how to choose a cigar that matches your taste and experience level. This beginner cigar guide is designed to help you understand mild, medium, and full-bodied cigars, how cigar shapes affect flavor, and how to properly store, cut, and light a cigar for the best smoking experience.

Table of Contents

Start With Flavor, Not Strength

New cigar smokers often assume the largest or darkest cigar equals the strongest cigar. In reality, cigar strength has little to do with size or wrapper color. For beginners, the best approach is to focus on smooth, balanced, medium-bodied cigars rather than jumping straight into full-strength options.

Choosing a cigar based on flavor, not appearance, helps you experience the richness of premium tobacco without overwhelming your palate.

Understanding Cigar Body Types

Cigar body has nothing to do with flavor or nicotine. Instead, cigar body refers to the weight, density, and overall impact of the smoke in your mouth.

It’s about how the smoke feels, not how it tastes.

Think of cigar body as the difference between Tea (mild body), brewed coffee(medium body), and espresso (full body). The texture, weight, and intensity change.

Mild body Cigars

Mild-bodied cigars create a soft, easy smoke with minimal resistance and a light mouthfeel. The smoke feels airy and smooth, making this the best cigar body type for beginners.

Mild-body characteristics:

Thin, gentle smoke density

Minimal weight or pressure on the palate

Smooth sensation with little intensity

Extremely beginner-friendly

Most first-time cigar smokers find mild-body cigars comfortable and easy to understand

Medium-Bodied Cigars

Medium-bodied cigars provide a balanced smoke density—more structure than mild cigars, but not enough to overwhelm new smokers. This is the sweet spot for learning your preferences.

Medium-body characteristics:

Noticeable richer weight

More texture and presence

Moderate intensity without heaviness

Ideal for developing palate awareness

Medium-bodied cigars help beginners transition from soft cigars to richer, fuller experiences. Usually a little more complexity.

Full-Bodied Cigars

Full-bodied cigars deliver heavy, dense, intensely textured smoke. These cigars have the strongest mouthfeel, the most weight, and the greatest overall impact. Even without spicy flavors, the smoke itself feels thick and commanding.

Full-body characteristics:

Dense, heavy smoke texture

Strong mouthfeel at every draw

High intensity and fullness

Best for experienced smokers

Beginners should approach full-bodied cigars later in their journey to better appreciate their richness and structure.

If you would like to know more about a cigars body or the difference between cigar body and strength read our articles:

Body of a cigar

Understand Body vs Strength in a cigar

Cigar Sizes & Shapes: What Beginners Should Choose

Cigar size plays a major role in burn time and how the cigar body develops throughout the smoke. For beginners, choosing a comfortable, manageable size is crucial.

Best beginner cigar sizes:

Robusto (45–60 minutes): ideal balance of time and comfort

Toro (60–90 minutes): slower burn and cooler smoke

Short Robusto / Petite Corona: great for shorter sessions

You don’t need to memorize every cigar size, just match the cigar to the amount of time you have and avoid extremely long or thin cigars until you gain experience.

If you would like to know more about cigar sizes read our articles:

Robusto vs Toro vs Churchill vs Corona: Which Cigar Size Fits Your Moment?

The Ultimate Guide to Cigar Sizes: Inches & Millimeters

How to cut a cigar

Cutting a cigar correctly keeps the draw smooth and prevents the wrapper from unraveling.

Use the Right Cutter
A double guillotine or a V-cutter is best for beginners. They make clean, even cuts.

Find the Cap Line
Look for the curved “cap” on the end of the cigar.
Cut only the very top, never below the shoulder. If you cut the cigar below the cap line the chances are the cigar will start to unravel.

Make One Quick Cut
Place the cigar in the cutter, line it up, and cut in one fast motion.
A clean cut will help you get a clean even draw.

If you would like to know more about different cutting styles and their differences read our article:

Cigar Cutting Styles: Straight Cut, V-Cut, and Punch Cut.

How to Light a Cigar

Lighting a cigar is about slowly toasting the tobacco, not burning it. Use a butane lighter, cedar spill, or wooden matches (after the sulfur burns off).

Toast the Foot
Hold the flame close (not touching). Rotate the cigar until the foot darkens and warms evenly. Start from the wrapper (outside of the cigar) and slowly go towards the middle of the cigar. Don’t rush, a slow and even tosting of the tobacco helps you avoid harsh and bitter flavors.

Light with Gentle Puffs
Bring the cigar to your lips. Puff lightly while keeping the flame just under the cigar. Rotate as you puff.

Check the Glow
Look at the foot. It should be evenly lit with a full red glow.
Touch up any unlit spots with a quick flash of the flame.

If you would like to know more about how to light a cigar, read our article:

How to Light a Cigar Properly

How to Smoke a Cigar (Beginner Technique)

Knowing how to smoke properly helps you feel the cigar body, enjoy the texture, finding flavors and keep the experience smooth from start to finish.

Take Slow, Gentle Puffs
A cigar is meant to be smoked slowly.
Take a puff every 30–60 seconds to keep the cigar cool and balanced. If you smoke to fast you risk the cigar getting bitter and harsh in the flavors.

Hold the Smoke in your mouth, Don’t Inhale
Cigar smoke is tasted, not inhaled.
Let the smoke rest in your mouth briefly, then release it naturally. Don’t pull the smoke to your lungs.

Let the Cigar Rest Between Draws
Cigars burn best when allowed to smolder on their own.
Too many puffs will overheat the cigar and alter the body and flavors as we wrote about in the beginning.

Watch the Burn Line
A clean, even burn means the cigar is performing well.
If one side burns faster, rotate the slower side upward, gravity helps it catch up. If it doesn’t make a touch up with your lighter.

Ash Properly
Cigar ash is firm.
Let it grow to, then gently roll it off into the ashtray. No tapping needed.

Let It Go Out Naturally
When you’re done, simply place the cigar in the ashtray and let it go out.
Never crush it, that creates harsh odors.

Learn Your Preferences Over Time

As you explore mild, medium, and full-bodied cigars, you’ll naturally develop a sense of which weight and smoke density you enjoy most. Some smokers never leave the medium category, while others find passion in bold, full-bodied blends.
Your palate grows with every cigar, enjoy the journey.

When you find your interest in cigars, there is a lot to wonder about, a lot to learn and worth knowing. Below we have listed our best articles that can help you in your cigar journey.

Cigar Dictionary the language of smoke

Sometimes you come across a jungle of words among cigars that can be difficult to understand. Here we have listed some of the most commonly used ones with explanations.

How to relight a cigar

Sometimes you’re sitting there with nice company and just when you’re about to take a puff you notice that time has passed and the cigar has gone out. In this guide you’ll learn how to relight a cigar.

5 Rookie Mistakes New Cigar Smokers Make (and How to Avoid Them)

We’ve all been new once. Here you can read about the most common mistakes new cigar smokers make and how to avoid them.

Different kinds of cigar humidors and how to choose the right one

Once you get hooked on cigars, a humidor is not just an accessory, it is an important part of keeping your cigars in good condition and not getting ruined. There are a variety of humidors for sale. Before you invest in a humidor, read our guide, it will help you make the right decision when buying a new humidor.

Is a expensive premium cigar always better choice then a cheap cigar?

Should you choose a premium cigar or a cheap budget cigar? Read about the differences between premium and budget cigars.

How long dos it take to smoke a cigar?

Taking the time to smoke a cigar is a moment you treat yourself to. How long should you set aside? Read our introductory guide here for how long it takes to smoke a cigar.

Why do cigars stain your fingers?

Sometimes when you look down at your fingers you can see a light brown stain, it is usually not a matter of color or poor quality, the stain from the cigar can be a sign of quality tobacco and the right humidity. Read our article to learn more.