Like any other well-respected ritual, smoking Cuban Cigars is surrounded by many myths and false legends. In most cases, those who truly enjoy puffing on Habanos are, also, capable of distinguishing a fact from a myth when it comes to properly smoking a puro. However, it seems that many cigar enthusiasts or avid cigar smokers, carried away by pure excitement, seek to enhance their smoking experience with habits that manage to do the exact opposite – lower their overall smoking pleasure. Having said that, here we discuss the six most common mistakes a cigar aficionado should never do.
“CUTTING TOO FAR DOWN COULD DECOMPOSE YOUR CIGAR”
CUT OFF TOO MUCH – We start with a very important yet many times underappreciated principal. An avid cigar aficionado should never cut off too much of their puro and there’s a simple explanation behind that. The cap of a cigar contains a vegetable-based adhesive, known as gomma, that manages to bind together the wrapper tobacco with the rest of your cigar. Therefore, cutting too far down the head of a puro will end up possibly with the wrapper leaf fall right off the binder – decomposing your entire smoke. To avoid that disastrous outcome, cut your Habano like cigar aficionados do. Just cut right above the rounded shoulders of your cigar’s head. That will both provide you with an excellent smoke and, at the same time, will keep your Habano from falling apart.
PUFF UNCONTROLLABLY – Always pace yourself when smoking any of our Cuban Cigars Online; at least, if you wish to be considered a true cigars aficionado. Smoking casually is important for two reasons. First, puffing frequently leads to overheating the inside of your smoke and that results in altering its flavours. It would be trully a waste to not properly enjoy the aromas of a fine Habano, like the Cohiba Coronas Especiales Cigar, by puffing it frequently. Measuring at 152 mm in length by a 38 ring gauge, this Cohiba puro delivers a delicate yet flavoursome profile that nobody should rush through. The second reason why you shouldn’t puff that uncontrollably is simply because smoking cigars is an act of ease, leisure, and relaxation. Leave at least thirty minutes between each puff – that will certainly allow your smoke to fully develop and showcase its aromas.
Cohiba Coronas Especiales Cigar
“FLAVOURS ARE NOT TRANSFORMED BUT ENHANCED OVER THE TIME”
PUT HALF SMOKED CIGARS IN YOUR HUMIDOR – If you want to be considered an avid cigar smoker, once you have lit your cigar, you better finish it as well. However, if for some reason you can’t, do not place it back in your humidor. Of course, humidors are designed to store and protect your smokes but, also, keep in mind that humidors and cigars exchange and absorb aromas. That been said, putting a half-smoked Habano back in your humidor can both jeopardise the cigars inside and, simultaneously, damage your humidor, lending it a charred, ashy aroma that won’t be easy to get rid off.
BELIEVE THAT FLAVOURS CHANGE OVER TIME – Overall, cigars are not entirely a vintage industry, which means that manufacturers try to ensure that the aromas and flavours of each puro remain mostly the same over the years. In other words, every Cuban Cigars brand seeks to guarantee that tobacco blends offer the same quality of aromas throughout the years. Of course, Vintage Cigars differ in flavours from their regular production cousins, but their aromas and overall flavours are not transformed, as many believe, but enhanced and intensified over time. Thus, when choosing to smoke a well-aged Habano, do not expect an entirely different flavoured profile from that of the prototype, but a deeper and more well-developed one. Aged for ten years, the Vintage H. Upmann Magnum 50 (MOA AGO ’09) Cigar is a characteristic example of a puro whose flavours have been distinctively enhanced over time. Featuring the favourite amongst cigar aficionados Grand Robusto vitola, the aged Magnum 50 cigar has developed some very unique and complex aromas over time, making it perfect for those who prefer a more refined smoke.
Vintage H. Upmann Magnum 50 (MOA AGo '09) Cigar
“HABANOS ARE MEANT TO GO OUT BY THEMSELVES”
DIPPING YOUR PURO INTO ALCOHOL – Although this may sound unconventional and somewhat extreme, there are some cigar smokers who believe that by dipping their cigar into alcohol, they manage to actually maximise their smoking pleasure. This is not just untrue but could, also, be harmful to your smoke. Dipping your cigar into any kind of liquid could lead to the disintegration of your cigar. But even if this does not happen, mixing harshly the aromas of your puro with these of any alcoholic drink will undoubtedly confuse your taste and overwhelm your senses. In addition, dipping a cigar into your drink will alter the taste and, generally, the flavour profile of your smoke from what the manufacturers originally indented it to be. Therefore, the best way to enrich the flavours of your Habano with any type of drink is by casually sipping and puffing, respectively, letting their aromas blend naturally.
STUB OUT YOUR CIGAR – Cigars are nothing like cigarettes and, thus, should never be treated like ones. Stubbing out your cigar as you would typically do with a cigarette is most certainly a violation of the entire cigar smoking ritual. Habanos are meant to go out by themselves once you have finished puffing. Why would you harshly stub out a fine cigar like the Romeo y Julieta Churchills Cigar and not simply let it go out gloriously? Coming in a Julieta No. 2 vitola, this reputable puro delivers very complex and rich flavours, worthy to be experienced up until the moment that the cigar’s flame will be naturally extinguished.
Romeo y Julieta Churchills Cigar
There is no doubt that each smoker finds their own way to enjoy their smoking ritual, however, true cigar aficionados should be extra cautious as to avoid making mistakes which would eventually lower their smoking satisfaction. Why not learn more about the fascinating industry behind our Cuban Cigars for Sale Online from our recent blog posts?