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.
The taste of a cigar will, of course, change a bit as one gets closer to the end. Whether or not this is desirable is completely a matter of personal taste. The best way to find out is to experiment and there are few cigar smokers who would object to this sort of investigation!
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.
Fine cigars are not cheap and their price is justified in the quality of their tobacco and in the technique used in wrapping the leaves. Saying that one should smoke only half of a cigar is akin to saying one should only eat half of a gourmet chicken because the taste of the meat changes slightly as one approaches the bone. It is a matter of preference and little more. Some individuals will find that the cigar becomes too strong for their taste toward the end and, in these cases, it is preferable to change brands rather than to waste fully half of a gourmet cigar. There are many mild brands on the market from which to choose.
Brian is a business consultant for an online butane lighter store and has expert knowledge of triple flame torch lighters.
