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There's a Thread over on FOH at the moment, it's interesting in it's way, and concerns cigar etiquette. I haven't posted in it because what I would have to say might not go down very well over there.
The more I smoke cigars, the more I'm coming to appreciate that Zino Davidoff was probably correct, and that often I take my cigars past the point of most enjoyment and am smoking them just for the smoking's sake. In terms of clean discernible taste most cigars are done prior to reaching the band, the last third is generally a fudge of corrupted tastes caused by the build up of chemical gases during the smoking process. I've tried in the past to convince myself that the darker bitter tastes of the last third are normal and should be appreciated. The truth is I rarely do these days, cigars ? irrespective of their cost or reputation ? which are acceptable for two thirds become unacceptable when the taste turns.
Because I smoke alone my appearance doesn't bother me too much. A newly lit cigar, even if not true, lends a certain elan and status, but a cigar two thirds smoke is not so becoming and makes a prince and pauper alike look like down-and-outs. (Strangely, butts only look good on the hero in films when they're unlit).
The dilemma is, should we follow Davidoff's advice to Edwardian gentlemen, because that's what cigar smokers were back then (and when tykes like myself only smoked Woodbines, or if they got lucky, picked cigar butts from pavements), or should we follow the modern, smoke to the last pennies worth course .... even if we don't really enjoy it?
The more I smoke cigars, the more I'm coming to appreciate that Zino Davidoff was probably correct, and that often I take my cigars past the point of most enjoyment and am smoking them just for the smoking's sake. In terms of clean discernible taste most cigars are done prior to reaching the band, the last third is generally a fudge of corrupted tastes caused by the build up of chemical gases during the smoking process. I've tried in the past to convince myself that the darker bitter tastes of the last third are normal and should be appreciated. The truth is I rarely do these days, cigars ? irrespective of their cost or reputation ? which are acceptable for two thirds become unacceptable when the taste turns.
Because I smoke alone my appearance doesn't bother me too much. A newly lit cigar, even if not true, lends a certain elan and status, but a cigar two thirds smoke is not so becoming and makes a prince and pauper alike look like down-and-outs. (Strangely, butts only look good on the hero in films when they're unlit).
The dilemma is, should we follow Davidoff's advice to Edwardian gentlemen, because that's what cigar smokers were back then (and when tykes like myself only smoked Woodbines, or if they got lucky, picked cigar butts from pavements), or should we follow the modern, smoke to the last pennies worth course .... even if we don't really enjoy it?
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