Cigars 101

Why do my cigars sometimes turn bitter in the last third?

Reading Time: < 1 minute

A: It can be either one, or a combination of both. Every time you puff on your cigar the flavors in the tobaccos begin to caramelize and the tobaccos become juicier. As you continue to puff, the juices build up, so, by the time you get to that last third the flavors are naturally stronger. That said, if you draw too hard or too often the juices can turn bitter. As I’ve written in the answers to similar questions, draw slowly and about once per minute.

According to one of my resources, the size of the cut can also impact how concentrated the flavors become as you smoke. A narrower cut naturally permits less smoke through the head, whereas a wider cut permits more smoke and flavor through the head. If you’re not puffing too often or too hard, try clipping the cap of your cigar with a double blade guillotine that will expose most of the tobacco at the head, and avoid punch and V-type cutters.

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Gary Korb

Gary Korb

Executive Editor

Gary Korb has been writing and editing content for CigarAdvisor.com since its debut in 2008. An avid cigar smoker for over 30 years, he has worked on the marketing side of the premium cigar business as a Sr. Copywriter, blogger, and Executive Editor of Cigar Advisor. A graduate of the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, prior to his career in the cigar business, Gary worked in the music and video industry as a marketer and a publicist.

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