When most people begin their cigar journey, they mostly start with cigars on the mellow side. Mellowbodied cigars tend to be smooth and creamy, with toned-down flavors, making them perfect for a beginner smoker just getting into the hobby.

However, many of the world’s top-rated cigars are full–bodied and rich in flavors. It is certainly enticing to try the hottest and top full-bodied cigars on the market, but for a beginner, challenging your palate with a full-bodied cigar might be intimidating.

With a little bit of sugar or cola nearby and a full stomach, even the most novice of aficionados can take on the right full-bodied cigar. If you are a beginner smoker looking to become a true connoisseur, these five full-bodied cigars are the perfect introduction to a class that hosts some of the best smokes in the world!

Country of Origin – Nicaragua

Wrapper – Ecuadorian Sumatra

Binder – Nicaragua

Filler – Nicaragua

Length – 5

Ring – 52

Strength – Full

Smoke Time – 60-75 minutes

Always up for consideration on multiple top-25 lists throughout the media, the Oliva Serie V Melanio is a great full-bodied smoke for a beginner to enjoy. The Serie V Melanio is one of Oliva Cigars’ most sought-after and highly regarded offerings, and for it to be consistently top-rated year after year is a testament to just how good these smokes are.

These box-pressed beauties feature a beautiful Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over finely aged Nicaraguan binder and long-fillers grown on Oliva’s family farms. Rich and approachable flavors of coffee, leather, caramel, toasted bread, and tobacco sweetness make them an excellent choice for beginners and experienced smokers alike.

Country of Origin – Nicaragua

Wrapper – Nicaragua

Binder – Nicaragua

Filler – Nicaragua

Length – 5.75

Ring – 54

Strength – Full

Smoke Time – 75-90 minutes

A unique smoke blended by Rafael Nodal and made in collaboration with the Plasencia family, the Aging Room Bin No. 2 is brimming with delectably rich and complex flavors that show off the diversity of Nicaraguan tobaccos.

Aging Room Bin No. 2 cigars are Nicaraguan puros, meaning that all the cigar components, the wrapper, binder, and long–fillers are all from Nicaragua. Most tobaccos from Nicaragua come from Esteli, Jalapa, and Condega, but these top-shelf smokes feature tobaccos from the volcanic island of Ometepe centered in Lake Nicaragua.

These rare Ometepe tobaccos as the binder and part of the long fillers add a deep earthy richness to a tapestry of chocolate, spice, leather, cedar, tobacco sweetness, and a creamy finish. If you want to enjoy one of the finest full-bodied cigars out there, the Aging Room Bin No. 2 is a fantastic option.

Country of Origin – Nicaragua

Wrapper – Brazil

Binder – Nicaragua

Filler – Nicaragua

Length – 5

Ring – 56

Strength – Full

Smoke Time – 60-80 minutes

The CAO Brazilia is another smoke that will provide a unique smoking experience. As the name implies, these gems wear a dusky and zesty Brazilian wrapper over a blend of aged Nicaraguan tobaccos. In fact, the CAO Brazilia was one of the very first cigars to use a Brazilian Maduro wrapper way back in 2001, and it is still a popular choice amongst seasoned aficionados to this day.

Brazilian leaf tends to have a bold, peppery flavor, which makes it ideal for blending into full-bodied cigars, and the CAO Brazilia with a rich profile of black pepper, earth, chocolate, leather, and hints of sweetness. Not only are these tried-and-true treats deliciously good, but they are also incredibly affordable, making them a daily driver for countless aficionados.

Country of Origin – Nicaragua

Wrapper – Nicaragua

Binder – Nicaragua

Filler – Nicaragua

Length – 4.5

Ring – 52

Strength – Full

Smoke Time – 50-60 minutes

Joya de Nicaragua was one of the very first brands to introduce a true full-bodied cigar to the market back in the early 1990s with the famous Joya de Nicaragua Antaño.

Coming from Nicaragua’s oldest continuously running cigar factory, Antaño is blended to capture the richness and greatness of Nicaraguan tobaccos prior to the Sandinista Revolution. In fact, Joya de Nicaragua was the preferred brand of U.S. Presidents during the 1970s following the embargo on Cuban products.

To capture the bold flavors of Nicaragua, Joya de Nicaragua Antaño is made entirely with finely aged Nicaraguan tobaccos as the long fillers, binder, and wrapper.

A cascade of black pepper, earth, chocolate, and tobacco sweetness will pour over the palate with each puff, delivering a rich medley of flavor that harkens back to those great Nicaraguan smokes of yesteryear. This is a full-bodied cigar that any aficionado, beginner or seasoned, should try at least once!

Country of Origin – Nicaragua

Wrapper – Nicaragua

Binder – Nicaragua

Filler – Nicaragua

Length – 7.5

Ring – 50

Strength – Full

Smoke Time – 100-120 minutes

Full-bodied cigars are about more than just bold, in-your-face flavor; they are also about richness, refinement, and complexity. That is exactly what you will get with Illusione Original Documents.

Like a couple of other entries on the list, Original Document is a Nicaraguan puro. Nicaraguan tobaccos tend to be rich and full of flavor, making tobaccos from the country ideal for blending full-bodied cigars.

Crafted at the renowned TABSA factory and made with top-shelf Corojo and Criollo tobaccos grown by Aganorsa Leaf, Illusione Original Documents comes in three distinct wrapper shades to provide a wide variety of flavor profiles.

Over core flavors of leather, dried fruit, earth, and spice, the Candela-wrapped blend has a bright sweetness, while the reddish-brown EMS delivers a healthy dose of pepper, and the Maduro offers rich chocolatey nuances.

With these five full-bodied cigars in your humidor, you will be on the road to becoming a bona fide connoisseur in no time!