How much should we smoke?

[Yeagermeister]

Well, In general, as your cigar burns lower and lower, flavors will get more complex, which can be hard for young palettes to appreciate. Assuming your humidity is correct and all that jazz, and the sticks you're smoking aren't total garbage, I'll tell you to just keep practicing until you're able to appreciate this phase of your smoke.

[Cohibanut]

There's a couple of things here. First of all the quality of the cigar will indeed matter. The second is that "How much should you smoke" is a question of taste. If you don't like the changing taste after the first third (a cigar is usually split in between three distinct changes in taste) who says you should carry on smoking it. It may be a waste but if you don't like it then put it down.

My advice would be to try and smoke a few different brands and find one you like.

Enjoy!

[SuperChuck]

I tend to smoke pretty quickly, myself, which tends to change the flavour early... If I notice it's starting to change, I usually slow down a little. If the flavor doesn't come back, I usually toss it aside. If the flavor is still there, I keep on puffin'...

bigger ring gauges burn cooler, too...

[Jonsey5484]

In addition to everyone's comments, which are very excellent suggestions, another suggestion would be.....as the cigar burns lower and lower the flavor gets stronger. This might be caused by the tar build up at the end that you are smoking from. Try cutting a little more off the end of the cigar to try and eliminate some of the build up. I have found this helpful once in a while. Worth a try.

[Baron Porthos]

I agree with the cut being important. I usually use a punch cut to get the small hole in the end of the cigar. Usually when I'm around others I use the double guillotine because I am going to be involved in things other than relaxing and searching for the subtle changes in flavor.
I would suggest Torano cigars. They are good quality and not top shelf prices. They also have a wide range of strengths.

If a cigar tastes good smoke it, if you no longer find it pleasing give it the heave ho. Keep a log or journal of what cigars you tried and what you thought of it as you smoked it. Learn all you can about how it is made and where the different tobaccos are from. When you buy pick up a 5 pack or even 3 of the same kind. Then smoke one right away and log it. Let the others sit in the humidor and try it in a few months or if you can longer. Then compare. Smoke the second one write down your notes then reread your notes from the first one.

Cigars should be enjoyed not tolerated!

[Kenyth]

The flavor in a cigar will inevitably get stronger as it burns down. This pattern is part of the cigars character. A hotter burn produces harsher smoke. Smoking too fast is the main cause of this, so slow down. If your smoke is getting harsh and hot, blow the smoke out of the cigar and let it rest for a couple of minutes. This will cool it down. Also, leave a little ash on the end instead of constantly tapping it off. Let the ash get a good inch long or so. This slows combustion a bit on the outside layer of the cherry. Size also matters and bigger is generally better in this case. Smaller ring gague cigars tend to be prone to burning hotter than larger gauges. You're trying to get the same amount of smoke from a smaller combustion area, so it must burn faster and therefore hotter. Longer cigars also cool the smoke down a bit before getting to the business end. Conversely, a longer cigar will also accumulate more tars towards the end of the smoke. Though it may seem wasteful, put out a cigar when it reaches 25%-30% of it's original length if you don't like the stronger flavor. It's all about enjoyment, so put it out when it becomes unenjoyable, for whatever reason. You can always buy more.



As far as frequency goes, it depends what you want and is totally a matter of personal preference. I prefer to smoke only a few higher quality cigars a week rather than a bunch of cheapos. This is partially due to time and money constraints, but also has to do with the fact that I just don't feel like smoking all the time. Not to mention, I'm kind of a quality and not quantity kind of guy, to a certain extent.