Lower temp = better flavor

[TBaGZ]

When I sit down to enjoy a cigar I am never in a hurry to get it over with because it's my relaxing time. So I always puff slowly so that I enjoy all of the flavours it has to offer me.

 

[GregSVT]

Recently I also have been slowing myself down when smoking and agree that it can bring out better flavors and keep the harsh bitterness from hitting towards the end. Case in point last night I smoked an Opus PL, my first one in that vitola, and I noticed it starting to get a bit harsh at the beginning of the last 1/3. I clipped off a bit from the head where I could see some tar buildup and slowed myself down taking puffs every 2-3 minutes and noticed it got a lot better and stayed that way till the nub. :thumbs:

 

[sinnyc]

Once I figured out that slow meant less hot I finally started to enjoy them. I forced myself to set the cigar down between "sips" and found that they not only were no longer bitter and harsh, they were quite flavorful.

I am a self-confessed hot-boxer, as it brings out some great flavours in certain cigars. That is not to say that I don't 'tease' the smoke out as well, as that can suit certain types of cigars too. I find myself having to purge often when I hot-box the cigars that want to be abused.

These two comments highlight something that I think is under appreciated with regard to the technique of cigar smoking. And that is that the pace and intensity of drawing can significantly affect what the cigar delivers in terms of flavor and also how the cigar performs in terms of smoking "cleanly."

When I used to do more intensive reviews, I would try to purposely vary the draw to see what sort of latitude of abuse a cigar could handle and also what range of flavors I could coax out of the cigar. I found that some cigars did not change much in essential character when puffed more vigorously. Others delivered a range of flavors that otherwise were not present or at least not detectable. And others, just got out of bed and got very nasty. I haven't made enough observations to try and correlate what construction or blend factors might affect how a cigar reacts to different draws, but it certainly suggests that to fully explore what a cigar is capable of offering, neither hotboxing nor sipping alone can do the job.

Wilkey

I'll weigh in here and say that I think that the "style" of smoking is to a certain extent dictated by the cigar. Anyone who has experience with very thin gauge cigars like Panatelas knows that you simply must smoke them gently or you risk overheating them and making them bitter. The technique is similar to the one Alan mentioned for pipes: allow the cigar to cool down and begin to go out, then use a gentle puff to get it going again.

Conversely, I find that stronger, longer draws work better for larger gauge cigars like Double Coronas and Churchills, at least in my experience. Allowing them to cool down too much using the Panatela method begins to create a sort of crater effect where the core of the ember continues to burn down in the center of the cigar but without enough heat to keep the outer area and wrapper burning, resulting in situation where you basically have to re-char the edges to get the cigar well lit to properly smoke it again.

Granted, the humidity the cigar is kept at in a humidor as well as the temperature and humidity that it is actually smoked in all affect the burn. I guess I would say that the cigar will sort of tell you how it should be smoked - a little faster for large or well humidified ones, a little slower for small or drier ones - by the way it tastes. If it is bitter and overly hot, slow down. If it is muddy and a struggle to keep lit, speed up. Regardless, I always like to take the time to actually enjoy a good cigar. If I know I don't have enough time to really dig it I'll usually just smoke a yard gar

- Tim

edited for spelling

 

[Marco-Polo]

I'd tend to agree, too. That said, some cigars simply won't take to being smoked, left to stand, smoked, left to stand. Which is a huge pain.

I note time elapsed in my reviews for the same reason - how long you take definitely affects the flavor, and I've found cigars that I wasn't impressed with at all (RP-blended Esteban Carrera) really come into their own if you're taking your time.

 

[vortex]

I agree some cigars, like larger ring gauge ones, require a different technique to get the best results. But they may also benefit from a bit of "dry-boxing" to allow for a more easy, slower, and cooler smoke.

When the tobacco is a bit drier the cigar(or pack) can be smoked more slowly without it going out and with an even burn and easy draw.

This corollary was overlooked by most responding and I have found that a drier cigar does smoke slowly more easily. Next I plan on trying a larger ring gauge cigar. I have a few Coronado by LFD Corona Gordas(6" x 60) left from a box I got a while back(06). They are the first guinea pigs. I like them and did try to smoke them as slowly as possible but they may benefit from some additional drying. I don't smoke too many cigars at that ring gauge but these are very well made and blended.

I plan to try this on the 601 Trabuco(6 1/2" x 58), too. It comes in Habano and Oscuro and I'll try both.

Steve

 

[Ginseng]

I'll weigh in here and say that I think that the "style" of smoking is to a certain extent dictated by the cigar. Anyone who has experience with very thin gauge cigars like Panatelas knows that you simply must smoke them gently or you risk overheating them and making them bitter. The technique is similar to the one Alan mentioned for pipes: allow the cigar to cool down and begin to go out, then use a gentle puff to get it going again.

Conversely, I find that stronger, longer draws work better for larger gauge cigars like Double Coronas and Churchills, at least in my experience. Allowing them to cool down too much using the Panatela method begins to create a sort of crater effect where the core of the ember continues to burn down in the center of the cigar but without enough heat to keep the outer area and wrapper burning, resulting in situation where you basically have to re-char the edges to get the cigar well lit to properly smoke it again.

Granted, the humidity the cigar is kept at in a humidor as well as the temperature and humidity that it is actually smoked in all affect the burn. I guess I would say that the cigar will sort of tell you how it should be smoked - a little faster for large or well humidified ones, a little slower for small or drier ones - by the way it tastes. If it is bitter and overly hot, slow down. If it is muddy and a struggle to keep lit, speed up. Regardless, I always like to take the time to actually enjoy a good cigar. If I know I don't have enough time to really dig it I'll usually just smoke a yard gar

- Tim

edited for spelling

That's about as well put together of an exposition on the subject as I've ever read. Well done. I've experienced the effects you mentioned and I think that in the vast majority of cases, a well-cared for cigar of proper construction will allow you the latitude to experiment without necessarily driving your technique. We're on the same page here. A loose, dry churchill or a tight, wet, robusto can both be bears to deal with but in different ways.

Wilkey

 

[in2xshp]

There is a lot that a cigar can offer if you take the time to explore it properly. The more you discover, the more you want to know. Unlocking a cigar's secrets can be rather rewarding.

Well said. :thumbs:

Honestly, sometimes I just want to puff and experience a burning tube of tobacco in its most basic and straightforward form. But when I am in the right frame of mind to explore, experiment, and tease, it's edifying to know that a cigar can be so much more than just a smoke tube. I guess that's why I love these buggers.

Wilkey

I see both points very clearly here, i also like to try to smoke the same cigar in differnt ways to try to get the differnt flavors and aromas from it. I too started out as the "Hot Box" smoker but i think it was when i actually slowed down when smoking one i really started to enjoy them a whole lot more, i guess it does depend on the stick too, i guess getting oder does mean getting wiser

 

[Bu11dog]

Great read in this thread guys thanks. Being so new to cigar smoking I picked up some tips I'll try tonight when I get a chance to light up. The bitterness factor was getting to me on one last night and I think I may have been smoking it too fast from what I just finished reading.

 

[golfgar]

Having long been an advocate of lower temp smoking in order to fully enjoy the flavors and yesterday I was going through this very mental process while partially enjoying 4 Punch Punch cigars. After the first 3, I wanted to send the box back from whence it came. The 4th one had a lot of flavors and lacked the bitterness and bad burning characterisitics of the previous 3 smokes. The difference was the situation in which they were smoked. For the first 3 I broke my fundemental rule.....no smoking good cigars on the golf course. The fourth was in the car on the ride home and at dinner. The first three were smoked fast in an effort to get more smoke than the wind did and the last cigar went out twice and was still an improvement over the first three by a long shot. Perhaps it was the inconsistancy within the box, but not likely since they all started out tasting the same. I will test that on the next one. More likely it was the lower temp.

 

[ccsmoker]

I love the way my cigars smoke @60-65 deg. and 60-65% humidity.I tend to make love to my cigars,by smoking slooooow.It realy makes a differnce IMHO.Sometimes my wife jokingly tells me that I treat my cigars better than I treat her...lol