Cigars 101

Nubbing Your Cigars With A Little Help

With about an inch to go, I put the matchstick in the stub.
With about an inch to go, I put the matchstick in the stub.When it comes to table manners, remember how your Mom would tell you that there are only certain foods you can eat with your hands such as hot dogs, fried chicken, pizza, fries, etc. I wonder if there are such rules when it comes to smoking cigars down to the nub. For example, is it proper to use a tool to get those last few puffs out of a really good cigar?

I bring this up because of something that I did a few nights ago. I was smoking an Oliva Serie O Perfecto, which is a bit short to begin with, plus it has a tapered head. The cigar was smoking beautifully and offered a lot of flavor. When I got down to the nub I didn’t want to let it go, but I didn’t want to burn my fingers either. In the ashtray was a cedar matchstick that I had used to light a scented candle. So, I plucked it out of the ashtray and inserted the charred sharp end into the nub at just nubbing cigars
Another look at the stub as it begins to form an ash.under a half-inch. I found that this works best if you twist the match in about a quarter of an inch. I also noticed that smoke does not escape from the hole, and the cigar continued to smoke perfectly. So, would this technique be acceptable amongst a group of cigar smokers? You may get a couple of funny looks, but I see no reason to cease doing this. If you can get more out of your cigar, more power to you. The only reason I can offer for not doing this is if the cigar has turned bitter by the time it gets down to nub-size length.

Useful tools for uber-nubbing your cigars are toothpicks, paper clips (though they can cause the nub to spin on you), a jeweler’s screwdriver, and of course, the old, reliable forceps that are normally used for nubbing something else.

There is also one other thing I learned by doing this. Normally, when your cigar is still mostly intact, you should let your cigar rest a minute or so between puffs. This helps prevent it from getting too bitter too soon. how to smoke cigars
Finished with less than half-an-inch left. Now THAT’S a nubber!Now, assuming the cigar still has some good flavor coming from it, you need to let the nub rest about 2-3 minutes. Remember, the nub is going to be pretty hot, so the longer you let it cool, the less chance it will tar up and go sour on you. Just try not to let it go out on you.

As you can see by the photos here, I smoked the cigar down to the matchstick. Whether the credit goes to my technique or to Oliva for making such a great-tasting cigar, even that very last puff was delicious.

Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen any cigar smoker try this in public. Then, I’ve never heard any cigar smokers say it was uncouth, either. If you’re at a cigar bar, ask the bartender for a toothpick and go for it. Practically speaking, if you can, why shouldn’t you try to get all of your money’s worth out of a great cigar?