An Education In Cigars For The Enthusiast

Do you consider yourself a cigar enthusiast? How much do you know about the experience of smoking a cigar, or selecting the best cigar to satisfy your palate? Do you feel a bit inexperienced when you visit your local cigar shop on the hunt for the same old brand every week?

The Humidor, a cigar shop based in Eastern New Mexico, has grown to enjoy educating every cigar lover as a way to enlighten its followers with some common words and definitions to think about regarding both the construction and the experience of smoking a cigar.

From the physical appearance to the finish, there are many levels to smoking a quality cigar and more importantly, understanding the sensations brought on during the enjoyment of it. Let’s break down the process and explore the components for you here.

The Cigar Appearance

“Don’t judge a book by it’s cover” is an age-old phrase meant to encourage an individual to approach whatever with an open mind. However, this does not apply to cigars; the construction and overall make-up of a cigar affects the experience of smoking it.

The very wrapper of a cigar itself are vital characteristics of a cigar. For example, there is a noticeable difference between a shade grown and sun grown cigar wrapper. Shade grown wrappers are more elastic with thinner veins while sun grown counterparts have noticeably thicker veins.

Also, some wrappers are seamless, where the exterior is a smooth, consistent wrap, while others not only show the seam, but may appear splotchy with inconsistent coloration. As an enthusiast, you undoubtedly develop a preference in these aesthetics.

The Smoking Experience

Beyond looks, once you fire up a cigar, every stage of the smoking process is similar in ways to culinary experiences. From the character of how the cigar smokes all the way through how you exhale matters and can either enhance the experience or cause it to fall short.

Also affiliated in the construction experience, the burn of a cigar has a big impact on the overall smoking experience and should happen evenly at the foot. This allows the blend of tobaccos to taste the way they should. This also helps a cigar be well-rounded, in that it stimulates all the senses on both the tongue and the palate.

As you draw, how does the cigar smoke overall? What about the flavor of the smoke? And whether you exhale or retro-hale, where you circulate the smoke from your mouth through your nose without ever inhaling, the finish should be a positive experience that lingers on your palate in that aforementioned well-rounded way.

Learn More from The Humidor

This is merely a brief overview of the physical and experiential characteristics of smoking a cigar from The Humidor, so if you would like to further improve your education in cigars to help you better select your next one, follow The Humidor Facebook page.

They will also be launching their new website soon, so be sure to stay tuned for its debut!