Syrinxx’s Cigar Shack

Last night while smoking a nice 120 minute Rocky Patel, I was reminded of something that I don’t do nearly enough on my longer cigars:  purging.  Simply put, purging your cigar is blowing gently the opposite direction that you would to take a puff.  Why would you want to do this?  There are two reasons:

• Your longer cigar (churchill, toro, etc.) becomes a bit sluggish on the burn in the final third.  It might start to burn very unevenly or go out one or more times and need relighting.  Why does this happen?  As you smoke the cigar, deposits of oil and ‘tar’ can accumulate on the unburned tobacco in the head of the cigar.  This buildup can change the way the tobacco burns, or make it not want to burn at all.  It can also cause the flavor profile to change, becoming bitter or burnt.  Purging your cigar will help to clear out some of this gunk, allow it to burn better and more evenly, and will likely improve the flavor.

• You want to put your cigar down for now, but pick it back up at a later time.  Now, some purists who light their cigars with pieces of cedar might tell you that it’s impossible to pick up a cigar that’s half smoked.  I’m here to tell you that you can have the second half of a cigar the following day with basically no change in flavor, as long as you purge it before you set it down.

Ok, so how do you purge your precious stogie?  If the cigar is fully lit, just blow gently through the cigar several times.  You’re looking to completely clear the tube of lingering smoke and then a bit more for good measure.  If the cigar is not lit (scenario 1 above), use your lighter to get the foot very hot, hopefully fully lit, then proceed with the purge.

You can also refer to this article at Puffing Cigars, which has some impressive visual accompaniment.

Syrinxx Blog, Howto Bitter, Cigars, Purge, Purging, Relight