The taste of cigars and whiskey

I am the opposite. I don’t drink much whisky or bourbon but I do smoke cigars.

To taste different things with cigars, you have to do a few things. These are all assuming that you are smoking premium cigars and not swissa sweets. Also, get away from flavored cigars. Those are for the kids that wear fedoras and have neck beards.

1. Take your time and before you even clip or punch it, smell it. Does it smell like leather? Does it smell fermented? Does it smell fruity?

2. Once you clip or punch it, take a few drags off of the unlit cigar. This is where you will probably taste fruity or berry flavors if there are any. Either way, this is where you will get the raw flavors and it will show you what you can “look” for later in the smoke.

3. Take your time with the draws. If you smoke it too fast, it will burn the tobacco too hot and it will taste like smoke. Smoke at a nice leisurely pace so that the smoke is cool.

4. As you exhale, “taste” the smoke. Also, taste your mouth afterwards.

5. Notice that the flavors change during the smoke. We refer to cigars as “thirds”. First third, second third, and third third. From a good cigar, each third will have a distinct flavor.

Good luck.