Ok, I'll still fess up to being a cigar noob. So wassup with the facination with ash. White, black, lasted 2 inches before it fell off, etc. What do I not know? Personally I bump it off ASAP so it doesn't fall off at an inopertune moment. I get being concerened about the burn. plugged, viens..... just not ash. :-)
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It can be like trampled grass to a tracker.. indications of things. As cigars age their ash tends to lighten up from whatever starting point. You can see the rolling method, how much binder vs filler etc. Not a big deal but a lil diversion in the anally retentive process.

My fascination with ash is directly related to smoking enjoyment. Keeping a longer ash helps the cigar burn cooler by restricting the air for combustion. There are many times where real or perceived I thought the cigar tasted better by holding a longer ash. In PPP's it can really help reduce the heat on a cigar being hit more frequently than is desired.

Plus the patterns and swirls are cool to look at while "dosing". :-)
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I also find that a cigar that holds its ash seems to burn better, less chance of runs. I will agree with Da Klugs, whether perception or reality they seem to taste better.

On a side not it is always entertaining when I wait a little to long (most times it seems) and drop hot ash in my lap.
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I love your analogies Klugs!!
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I just like a nice piece of ash every now and then :-)

Jason
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Thats why his pelt has holes in it :-) :-):-)
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I don't give ash too much thought except when I smoke naked.
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While I like to see how long an ash I can get goin', I'm always worried once I get a good one that the dang thing is going to land in my lap. Not the end of the world of course. Just stand up and shake it off, don't rub and that usually takes care of it. But then, what's the ashtray I bought for? :-) I'd rather the ash fall in the tray rather than on the deck but the wind will take care of that. So it's all a matter of the mood I'm in. Either let it build and not worry about it or gently roll it off in the tray.
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The longer ash does help keep the smoke cooler. And for that reason, I will try and keep from ashing but I just never understood the game of seeing how long the ash can get. Seems a bit juvenile to me.
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I read that the "lightness" of the ash has to do with the soil that the tobacco is grown in. The whiter the ash, the more rich the soil. I think it was the editor of Cigar Afficionado.....
Anyone else heard of this?
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My reasoning right there!
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I agree with Dave and Hairball as for the cigar being better if the ash stays on longer. I have often wondered why the color was so different from very dark almost black to close to white. I really like a firm ash personally. They seem to "hold" better if you know what I mean. However, getting a little ash in my lap has never bothered me at all. :-)

And ash makes for great thread topic as well.
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dont worry, Bao doesnt get much "ash" either!!!
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How does the longer ash make it cool better? I can't see how that works.

As for keeping the ash, for me it's an indicator of how well rolled the cigar is. If the ash breaks away half an inch, more than likely it's a bit too lose. I also like the look of a cigar with some ash, but I always tap it 1/3 way through (more if it's a lancero).

White ash means that everything is combustable, while a black ash means that everything has not combusted. Nee explains the ash thing, but basicly, as a cigar ages, the fermentation starts to break down everything. A white ash means that more things are broken down and it can be easily burned. A dark or black ash means that there are still a lot of raw materials that have not been broken down from fermentation and therefore not as combustable. Next time you see a dark ash, light it up and you'll see it turn white.

Search my post for "Illustrated Encycopledia" which has the Cliff Notes version of what Nee is saying.
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:-):-):-)
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Al, have you noticed that younger ash tends to be firmer?? I also like firm ash, but the color doesnt really concern me. A piece of ash is a piece of ash




did somebody say something about juvenille???
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From Cigar Aficionado's web site:

Q: Some cigars have bright white ashes, others are almost a charcoal gray. What determines the color of a cigar's ash?
A: The magnesium content of the tobacco.

High magnesium yields a white--and flaky--ash, low magnesium a grayer one. As for taste, it's generally considered more desirable to have high magnesium, and thus a white ash, but that's by no means a firm rule. Some of Cuba's great cigars often have very dark gray ashes.
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This could be true but I don't smoke many fresh ones any more. I can say however that some with a little age on them have a very firm ash.
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well, at your age, im not suprised!!!
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OMG :-) :-) :-)

funny sequence of events
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