Hot Bitter Cigars

[JonathanRudiger]

Recently, I've noticed a strange and sudden bitter/burned taste from my cigars towards the end of my smoke. The smoke starts out fine, but then it gets this burnt taste and the smoke gets really hot as well. I keep my cigars in a properly maintained humidor and I don't think it has anything to do with them being too dry. They are completely healthy other than that strange taste near the end of my smoke. What can I do about it and what might be a reason for it.

[pds]

Many cigars will get that taste as the get near the end. The heat is a lot closer to your taste buds and can disrupt the taste of the cigar. There's not a lot you can do about it, although some of the best cigars I have had have been able to avoid this. Additionally, when I started smoking cigars I would smoke them to hard, and cause this to happen as well.

[LowCostCigars]

try smoking them slower. The faster you smoke sthe cigar, the hotter and more bitter it gets. Sip it like a fine wine, every 30 seconds to a minute as you near the end, letting it cool between puffs

[tbateman]

Great advice... Slower is the key.

[cyclops]

Great advice... Slower is the key.

Makes sense! That cigar today (my first ever) was hot at the end! I'll slow down next time.

[Wetterhorn]

Once I slowed down throughout the cigar I was smoking, I found that the entire experience was better. Cooler smoke and better flavor. :w

[relaxnsmoke]

The Purge will help this too, some cigars collect nicotine and gases in masse towards the last half, one of the coolest tricks I've learned hanging around the Jungle is the purge. If the stogie is starting to heat up, beginning to draw hard, taste off color or bitter, try putting the lighter up to it, when you get a flame, begin to blow out thru the cigar. If after you remove the lighter, the flame keeps going, keep it up till it goes out, not only does it look cool, now you've burned off all the accumilated gases and nicotine. Should draw better, cooler and taste fresher. rns

[kamikaiguy]

I too had the habit of smoking too fast. The trick that I used to slow down is to have a nice glass of port wine with the cigar. It always helped the experience. My Cousin also makes his own wine that we affectionatly call Gasoline / Deigo Red. That wine will actually enhance the flavor of a fine stronger cigar.

[bluesmoke]

I have found there are usually two reasons for cigars being hot and or bitter. 1) smoking to fast or 2) the cut on the head. some times if not cut properly (especially on cigars of the larger ring gage ) to small of a cut or punch doesn't allow for a good draw and aids in the build up of excess nicotine causing the bitterness and higher temp.