Again, let nature take it's course. Once a cigar has run its course, it should naturally extinguish itself. It's poor cigar etiquette to "butt out" a cigar as it will create an unpleasant odor for everyone around you.
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Thanks for the post. Great info.
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Good to know I'm not doing too much wrong:-)
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I've been smoking cigars on and off for about 5 years and never did the nose exhale. When I read the OP it made a lot of sense that exhaling through my nose would be an important part of experiencing a cigar to the fullest.

With that in mind, I smoked an awesome Cohiba last evening and tried to exhale some of the smoke through my nose. I was definitely struggling with this and only had limited success. That being said, when it did work, I did notice the flavors of the cigar came to life on my palate.

I guess I need to keep working on my technique and hope I figure it out sooner rather than later. Any suggestions?
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Fairly new to cigars...soooo much to learn
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Great post... I agree a sticky for sure...
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Continue the attempt. I was nowhere near perfect at this technique when I first tried it and had to concentrate very hard to get a bit of smoke out the nose. Practice make perfect, or at least good enough. After about a month of conscious effort to nose exhale it became habit and I now I find it impossible to mouth smoke only.
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Nice post and I need a better cutter, I picked up a cheapy for $1.49 and I hate it, cuts at an angle. I was taught to cut then light, but after seeing the cigar aficionado's youtube on the 3 match light I really want to try this......seems it will make my smoke more enjoyable.

Other than that I'm pretty much following by the rules heh. Thanks again, lots to learn, and right now I'm a sponge.
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Buy a Palio. You'll never need another :-)

Its pretty much all I ever use.
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I believe there was an entire thread about that 3 match thing. If I'm not mistaken the verdict was if you use good butane, there is/was no noticeable difference. Especially to make it worth spending several minutes to light a cigar.
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Thanks Ty'r will have to do some looking.

Bill I'm sure there was, I tried this technique with my new butane last night and it way too long and I ended up burning my finger a bit, :-) I still want to try the 3 match trick.
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i use a zippo usually to light my cigars.. i have a butane but have not found easy way to fill the lighter to use.
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Ugh, Zippo fuel tastes terrible. I wouldn't like a nice cigar with that.


This is a great thread.

I tried the 3 match thing using cedar spills. It took a while, and I swear the cigar had more woody taste to it, and seemed to not be as harsh as the one I had before it. It could (probably) just be that I was taking my time.

I guess I'm not doing too many bad things, seeing as how I've only been smoking cigars for about a month now. I figured the exhale through the nose thing on my own, seeing as how taste has to do with the nose...it still took me a while to figure out *how* to do it without swallowing smoke or inhaling. The first few times I wound up with an upset stomach and belching ashtray flavor...Ugh that was bad.

As for cutting, I'm finding I prefer the punch for everything with a smooth cap. The pigtails and the like I'm using a cheap $2.50 cutter. If I still with cigars, I'll probably pick up a nice boutique cutter. I'd also like to try one of those shurikin (sp?) cutters, but I'm not a cigar biter, so I don't think it will work with me.

Again, great thread!
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So I tried to do the nose exhale or retrohale (are they the same thing?) technique. I didn't notice too much of a difference. I had a Liga Privada Undercrown, a Padron Prinicpe, and an Ashton 898 and some others while on my spring break. These cigars are very different from each other I'm sure. But the only differences I noticed were burn characteristics and smoke output. Some VERY slight flavor pickups but that's it. I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong, and I am considering dropping the habit. If they all "taste" the same to me, then what's the point? I heard that I may be "clenching shut". But I don't exactly know what that means. Any pointers?
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Do what I did. Put one cigar in one hand and one in the other. Smoke them both at the same time. No matter what sticks they are, you WILL notice the difference in the two.

While it may not be recommended by anyone else here, it definitely worked for me. I now know what to look for when comparing one cigar to another.
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It is possible that your cigars are dry or you are smoking too fast. Slow it down a bit, swish the smoke in your mouth, then retrohale.
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If you can't notice the difference, smoke the cheaper ones. :-)
Your palate will improve some over time.
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This is a great thread! As others have already stated, I am going to have to try the nose exhale. Would not have connected the two, thank you!
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Tuck your chin up against your chest. It helps to open your sinuses and makes it easier to learn the habit.
Now, a word of caution! Take it easy at first. The smoke will feel strange running through your nasal cavities and, depending on the strength, can sting a bit. Remember this is for part of your exhale, not the entire puff. Take it easy and learn to enjoy the experience, or be like me ans overdo it at a herf the first time and spend a few minutes in the bathroom deciding if you want to revisit your last meal. A lovely fact that your very best friends will continue to remind you of for years and years to come. LOL :-)
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Wait...there is a technique to this??
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