Would you take a taste off someone's beer? Or a shot from their flask? Not any different IMO.
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Also be mindful of the additional nicotine absorption through your nasal passages. If you are at all sensitive to nicotine you should start snorking real gradual. (I speak from experience):-)
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Great post as always Dave!

Here is a picture of me trying out your techniques in the backyard. :-)

Image
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I have always been a nose smoke-extractor. Never knew you DIDN'T expel through the nose until I had my first mini-herf experience at my local cigar shop. The owner saw me snorking like a bull and fusses at me, "Don't inhale cigar smoke!!!" I responded that I didn't. I just have always gotten more flavor / palate response from "exhaling" through my nose. She and the 3 others herf'n with me looked at me like I had 2 heads.

Oh well, I thought. To each their own...
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I hear ya,,,and ditto the thoughts on the puff puff pass. If I want to try a cigar I'll smoke my own,,,,not that I don't like my fellow brothers but I'm just funny that way.
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Is it virgin day or something? :-):-)

To each his own.
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Terrific info...specifically about the punch cut on loose cigars. I will definately try that. As for the nose exhale...I have had problems learning the technique for this without inhaling the cigar into the lungs. The only way I can seem to exhale through the nose is if I inhale into the lungs.
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Hold your tongue against the roof of your mouth and push it through your sinus's.
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I tried that again to day and for whatever reason I just can't get it. Not sure if it's because of my severely deviated septum or because I'm just not that coordinated...lol.
:-)
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Just be careful about pushing too much full bodied smoke out your nose. Unless you're a cigarette smoker the smoke from some cigars is so thick and heavy it might make your sinuses burn. That, and the afforementioned nicotine absorbtion issue is why I tend to put only small amounts out my nose so that I can pick up more aromas, but nothing more.

EDIT: Heh, whoops, I see Cigary has already warned about this. :-)
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Well...what do ya know. I pulled out a PL panatela for my drive up to Lexington this eve. I finally got it! The first time...made me cry like a girl. I was so glad no one was there to see it lol. I kinda figured out that blowing the entire amount in your mouth out through your nose wasn't wise. The second time was much more successful. I thought I would share my new found smoking skill. :-) Thanks guys.
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Congrats Shawn. Puts an entirely different face on every cigar you "think" you the flavors of. Enjoy the re-exploration.
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Thanks...I'm pretty stoked. Of course, my first session was filled with too much nasal burning from poor technique. But, after a few of these I was already able to appreciate more complexity within the smoke. I'm excited to go through all my favorites and not so favorites and rediscover.
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Great news,we knew you could do it :-)
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Nice work!!
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I have a question about the draw intensity. I take a puff, a nice steady draw what ever will fill my mouth and let it sit. Now a friend wants a taste of the cigar I have and I notice that he takes multipul draws, something like puff, puff, puff, and then draw. Is that good for the cigar or is it overheating it?
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I find it improves the smoke volume on some cigars. But, that might have to do with the humidity at which the cigar has been stored at. You might find that "wetter" cigars need more of that puffpuffpuff technique.
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I have found that two things that greatly improve any cigar (and I do mean any cigar....taking even a perfect cigar and changing it into a "I've looked into the eye of God" experience)....

1) the Purge. But, I have modified it slightly, more into a mini-purge. About every three or so draws I will put 3 quick "reverse puffs" through the cigar, even with the ash still in place. Then I let the cigar rest for a minute or so. Doesn't seem to appreciably shorten the burning time of a cigar. But, what it does do is it seems to significantly freshen the flavour of what ever cigar you are smoking. I will still throw in the appropriate full-purge as well, whenever the ash falls off.

2) Rinse and spit. I have been meaning to write a thread on the best way to avoid the possible health risks of cigars while still enjoying them. Well, good intentions sometimes cower before staunch procrastination. But, one of the things one can do to possibly limit the chances of laryngeal cancer (one of the risks that doesn't disappear to near-zero simply by having less than 2 cigars a day and not inhaling....it might have to do with swallowing your smoke-ridden saliva) is to rinse your mouth out regularly with water, remembering to spit the water out. This is the first reason I started doing this. However, I soon realizes that a quick swig of cool water, swish it around the mouth a couple of times and then spit it out....also seems to greatly freshen the flavour coming off your cigar. I do this after each smoke-exhale.

Between the mini purge and the swish and spit, my cigars seem to get to that "sweet spot" and stay there much longer. It may seem like much added work...but give it a try, you may find the benefit so astounding that you become an immediate convert.

But that's just my experience.

Cheers

Cyanide
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awesome post! very informative....u have furthered the training of padawan learners everywhere
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Great post for the newbies...we all were there once with all the same questions that you answered nicely! :-)
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