31 July 2009
Is it Okay to Smoke Only Half of a Cigar?
Posted by Dave Sabot under: Golf .
One can easily picture the scene. A smoker has stubbed out their cigar halfway through, they pick up the stogie, grab their Nibo lighter and get ready to relight it and are immediately warned by a friend that they should only smoke the first half of the cigar.
This debate stems from inevitable changes that occur in the flavor of a cigar as it is smoked. This results from the act of smoking itself and from the build-up of tar in the tobacco as one works their way through the cigar. Some find this taste objectionable and some find that the cigar improves as one smokes it.
Relighting the cigar is the origin of much of this debate. A cigar which is relit must be lit in the same fashion as is a fresh cigar. One takes a match or a high-quality lighter"Nibo lighters are popular with cigar aficionados"and toasts the tobacco a bit before lighting. This ensures a good light. Many half-smoked cigars are simply plunged into the flame which results in a much harsher taste due to excessive temperatures. Remember to relight a cigar with the same care afforded a fresh stogie.
Of course, as one smokes more tobacco their taste buds become desensitized to the flavor at the same time. This is part of the reason a relit cigar tastes strong during the first few puffs. Not only is the tobacco possessed of a higher tar content, the individual has presumably not smoked in a while and their sensitivity to the taste of the tobacco has returned. There are ways to mitigate this change in flavor when relighting but, when smoking a cigar straight though it is essentially inevitable.
One may choose a mellower cigar, for starters. Though it may taste much lighter when first lit, it will become less sharp as one puffs their way toward the end. This is far-preferable to wasting so much tobacco. Some smokers actually find the last half of the cigar to be the most enjoyable. Experiment a bit with different brands to see which one proves to be the best. It's likely that there's a brand out there that will appeal to any smoker, no matter how far along they are in the process of burning the entire cigar. Waste is not a desirable thing where the prices of some cigars are concerned and finding a different brand is a good way to avoid it.
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