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Is it me or the Cigars?

405bench405bench Posts: 36
in Cigar 101
I have a question but first I'll provide some info.  50 years old and smoked cigars for 31 and nothing but handmade premiums for 28.  Although I smoke a lot of robust or full body cigars I tend to prefer mild to mid pre-noon and medium post noon.  The past several years, I tend to pull a full body out at prime time (evenings after dinner).  I do this not because I like them but because I want to like them ( stupid huh).  Seems to me, the best quality of cigars recently is in the more robust or full body realm.  Take for example the Olivia V, it is simply beutiful to look at and feel, but for me they are a little to robust.  I have to be very careful in the first half or I will get dizzy smoking them.  I can only nasal about 10% on the exhale but after about a 3rd of the cigar is done it always gets much better and I end up nasaling significantly more and enjoying the experiance much more.  I find this true the vast majority of times regardless of the body of cigar, but I notice it more on full body smokes.  The back half is always better than the front half.  One thing I notice, starting a full body smoke is a little rough on the nasal passages but they wet up and I increase the exhale thru the sinuses on the back half.  I ussualy have to blow my nose toward the end.  So, my question is; Is it the cigars that change in mid stride or is it me (my senses)?    

Comments

  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    thats a darn good question.

    i am gunna have to go with the cigar. the act of you smoking it changes it. the part of the wrapper leaf you are smoking changes it. how fast/slow you smoke will change the cigar.

    lemme 'splain one at a time.

    as you smoke you draw smoke through the cigar and into your mouth. as the smoke goes through the cigar it hits other bits of tobacco. on that tobacco it leaves particles of the smoke. when you burn down to that point in the cigar you are not only burning the tobacco, but those particles as well. the further you go along in the cigar, the more there are to burn because more smoke has gone by/through that spot.
    this is why a cigar will tend to build in flavor or body throughout.


    the wrapper leaf is not uniform throughout. imagine this:
    you have a big tobacco leaf in front of you. the stem to the leaf turns into the center vein of the leaf. from that vein others shoot off. near the edges of the leaf there are almost no veins. these leaf veins are what bring nutrients to the leaf from the plant. the farther away from the center vein, the harder it is for nutrients to reach. when you roll a cigar with that leaf you will go through a progression. the edges of the leaf will have a bit less flavor. this is part of the reason why you get a "sweet spot" in cigars.
    this is also the reason why we have the NUB. when rolling the NUB the rollers cut off a bit of the edges of the leaf where the nutrients are less.... thus giving us "all sweet spot" cigars.

    the speed that you smoke also changes the cigar. If you smoke fast you will heat up the tobacco too much and it will taste funny and bitter. if you like to smoke mild and medium cigars usually they you have an internal pacing system that makes you smoke "X" fast. then you light up a full bodied cigar. your pacing system kicks in. you start puffing away. soon you feel the power of the cigar start to catch up to you. you will have a tendency to slow down the smoking. this will cool the smoke and change the flavor. and in very general terms, cooler smoke = more/better flavor
    Kuzi's Forum Links Page
  • phobicsquirrelphobicsquirrel Posts: 7,347 ✭✭✭
    kuzi16:
    thats a darn good question.

    i am gunna have to go with the cigar. the act of you smoking it changes it. the part of the wrapper leaf you are smoking changes it. how fast/slow you smoke will change the cigar.

    lemme 'splain one at a time.

    as you smoke you draw smoke through the cigar and into your mouth. as the smoke goes through the cigar it hits other bits of tobacco. on that tobacco it leaves particles of the smoke. when you burn down to that point in the cigar you are not only burning the tobacco, but those particles as well. the further you go along in the cigar, the more there are to burn because more smoke has gone by/through that spot.
    this is why a cigar will tend to build in flavor or body throughout.


    the wrapper leaf is not uniform throughout. imagine this:
    you have a big tobacco leaf in front of you. the stem to the leaf turns into the center vein of the leaf. from that vein others shoot off. near the edges of the leaf there are almost no veins. these leaf veins are what bring nutrients to the leaf from the plant. the farther away from the center vein, the harder it is for nutrients to reach. when you roll a cigar with that leaf you will go through a progression. the edges of the leaf will have a bit less flavor. this is part of the reason why you get a "sweet spot" in cigars.
    this is also the reason why we have the NUB. when rolling the NUB the rollers cut off a bit of the edges of the leaf where the nutrients are less.... thus giving us "all sweet spot" cigars.

    the speed that you smoke also changes the cigar. If you smoke fast you will heat up the tobacco too much and it will taste funny and bitter. if you like to smoke mild and medium cigars usually they you have an internal pacing system that makes you smoke "X" fast. then you light up a full bodied cigar. your pacing system kicks in. you start puffing away. soon you feel the power of the cigar start to catch up to you. you will have a tendency to slow down the smoking. this will cool the smoke and change the flavor. and in very general terms, cooler smoke = more/better flavor
    well put kuzi, I learned some more things and I think I'm all caught up for learning new things today so I think I'll just zone the rest of the day. lol. That is one thing I noticed a while ago, fuller bodied smokes need more time between draws than milder smokes, at least for me.
  • 405bench405bench Posts: 36
    Thanks for the well thought out response Kuzi.  I try to always smoke a cigar slow, as I think that is the one thing most do wrong, ie; smoke'em to fast.  However, I think I may be rushing it on the first 1/3, maybe worried about it going out?  But, once a nice ash forms I'm more confident and slow down.  At any rate I think I may have to get a timer involved for so study.
  • LowSparkLowSpark Posts: 12
    I too worry about my cigar going out right when i light it so i tend to smoke fast.  I had an oliva serie V that just about knocked me on my ass because of this.  are there any tricks or techniques people use to slow down the smoking? do you set the cigar down? do yuo keep a stop watch going to get used to the pace?
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    LowSpark:
    I too worry about my cigar going out right when i light it so i tend to smoke fast.  I had an oliva serie V that just about knocked me on my ass because of this.  are there any tricks or techniques people use to slow down the smoking? do you set the cigar down? do yuo keep a stop watch going to get used to the pace?
    i talk with the people around me. i dont keep my cigar in my mouth. and i find it hard to talk with a cigar in there. if im alone i write. im a right handed smoker and a tight handed writer. hard to smoke with pen in the hand.
    Kuzi's Forum Links Page
  • VidarienVidarien Posts: 246
    Just my little addition to this post - The Oliva V also knocked me into a haze as well. They use some damn strong leaf in that little girl.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    Vidarien:
    Just my little addition to this post - The Oliva V also knocked me into a haze as well. They use some damn strong leaf in that little girl.
    ...and i love it.
    Kuzi's Forum Links Page
  • Otter Tail JoeOtter Tail Joe Posts: 8

    Great information! I really appreciate folks taking the time to share insights and experiences as I am eager to learn all I can about the relaxing recreation of smoking cigars.

     

    Here is a question I have had for a while: There are a number of variables relating to how a cigar with a little punch will affect a smoker but does anyone have an idea relating to the relative strength of cigars running from mild to strong? To illustrate, is an Oliva V ten times stronger or three times stronger - or fifty times stronger - than a Macanudo (or any mild cigar)?

     

    Again, there are so many variables related to leaf primings, climate, soil type, tobacco variety, aging, and on and on. But relatively speaking - from mildest to strongest - what is the scale of strength?

     

    Thanks!

  • betasynnbetasynn Posts: 1,249 ✭
    We generally rate cigars on the Quadriplegic Hamster to Superman on Human Growth Hormone scale.
  • hawaiianbasshawaiianbass Posts: 123
    I've noticed in most of my cigars they take a bit to open up. For example: I had a Gurkha Beast today and right off the bat it was pretty bland I wasn't enjoying it much but ten or fifteen minutes later it opened up and 2 hours later I put the last inch and a half in the ashtray. CK
  • KriegKrieg Posts: 5,188 ✭✭✭
    Vidarien:
    Just my little addition to this post - The Oliva V also knocked me into a haze as well. They use some damn strong leaf in that little girl.
    I smoked a Rocky Patel Olde Worlde Reserve over the weekend, I got home from the cigar bar and was sitting on my couch and my blood sugar tanked, felt like I was about to pass out...even my wife said I looked pale...I would hate to think it was the cigar...never had a smoke affect me like that before.

    "Long ashes my friends."

  • phobicsquirrelphobicsquirrel Posts: 7,347 ✭✭✭
    that isn't fun, smoking too fast or smoking with no food in your belly. been there before, drink sugar water, I hear it helps.
  • kaspera79kaspera79 Posts: 7,257 ✭✭✭
    phobicsquirrel:
    that isn't fun, smoking too fast or smoking with no food in your belly. been there before, drink sugar water, I hear it helps.
    Funny you should say the sugar thing.. I read that sugar gets rid of that stomache problem from "FULL" cigars.. It works for me, I chew up a sugar cube .. that and sip water slowly .
  • j0z3rj0z3r Posts: 9,403 ✭✭
    I think the best cure for a full bodied stomach ache is an even fuller bodied cigar...makes you clean forget about the first one. :)
  • kaspera79kaspera79 Posts: 7,257 ✭✭✭
    j0z3r:
    I think the best cure for a full bodied stomach ache is an even fuller bodied cigar...makes you clean forget about the first one. :)
    I like the way you think.. That can work with drinking too..
  • j0z3rj0z3r Posts: 9,403 ✭✭
    kaspera79:
    j0z3r:
    I think the best cure for a full bodied stomach ache is an even fuller bodied cigar...makes you clean forget about the first one. :)
    I like the way you think.. That can work with drinking too..
    Hair of the dog, right? :) (Nazareth plays in the background)
  • phobicsquirrelphobicsquirrel Posts: 7,347 ✭✭✭
    kaspera79:
    j0z3r:
    I think the best cure for a full bodied stomach ache is an even fuller bodied cigar...makes you clean forget about the first one. :)
    I like the way you think.. That can work with drinking too..
    lol, yeah there ya go.
  • KriegKrieg Posts: 5,188 ✭✭✭
    phobicsquirrel:
    that isn't fun, smoking too fast or smoking with no food in your belly. been there before, drink sugar water, I hear it helps.
    Yeah, I think you're right, I didn't have any food in my stomach so that's what probably did it...definitley learned a lesson! lol

    "Long ashes my friends."

  • KriegKrieg Posts: 5,188 ✭✭✭
    j0z3r:
    I think the best cure for a full bodied stomach ache is an even fuller bodied cigar...makes you clean forget about the first one. :)
    Heh, if I did that the other day after the way I felt, I probably would have woken up naked in the desert somewhere with a strange tatoo...

    "Long ashes my friends."

  • kaspera79kaspera79 Posts: 7,257 ✭✭✭
    j0z3r:
    kaspera79:
    j0z3r:
    I think the best cure for a full bodied stomach ache is an even fuller bodied cigar...makes you clean forget about the first one. :)
    I like the way you think.. That can work with drinking too..
    Hair of the dog, right? :) (Nazareth plays in the background)
    ....now your messin' with a .......
  • LukoLuko Posts: 2,003 ✭✭
    kaspera79:
    j0z3r:
    kaspera79:
    j0z3r:
    I think the best cure for a full bodied stomach ache is an even fuller bodied cigar...makes you clean forget about the first one. :)
    I like the way you think.. That can work with drinking too..
    Hair of the dog, right? :) (Nazareth plays in the background)
    ....now your messin' with a .......
    sonovabitch
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