Smoking Properly: The Unhurried Rhythm

Cigar smoke is tasted, not inhaled. Anyone who has internalised that one sentence has understood what matters most — the rest is a question of rhythm.

Do Not Inhale

Unlike with a cigarette, the smoke does not travel into the lungs. You take it into the oral cavity, let the aromas pass across the palate, and release it again. That does not make the pleasure harmless — nicotine acts through the mucous membrane of the mouth too, and precisely for that reason the cigar belongs among things one enjoys consciously and in moderation. But inhaling would not only be less healthy; it would simply be wrong: the aromas unfold in the mouth, not in the lungs.

The Right Rhythm

As a rule of thumb: roughly one draw per minute. If you draw significantly more often, the cherry overheats and the smoke turns sharp and bitter; if you draw too seldom, the cigar goes out. Of the two, going out is the lesser inconvenience — relighting is permitted and no cause for concern. An overheated burn, on the other hand, cannot be undone: once overheated, the cigar tastes scorched from that point to the end.

Ash and Setting Down

The ash does not need to go at every opportunity. Let it stand until it is about to topple on its own — a firm cone of ash insulates the cherry and keeps the burn cool. Between draws, rest the cigar in the ashtray rather than turning it constantly in your hand; that keeps the rhythm calm. And at the end it is not stubbed out like a cigarette — crushed tobacco produces an acrid stench. Allow it its own exit: in the ashtray it will go out of its own accord within a few minutes.

Retrohaling: the Further Horizon

Experienced smokers release a portion of the smoke slowly through the nose — without inhaling. This retrohaling opens up aromas that the mouth alone cannot perceive, because the receptors in the nose differentiate more finely than the palate. For beginners: try it with a mild cigar and a small amount of smoke — it stings slightly in the nose at first. Not an obligation, but a door to a larger world of aroma.