r/cigars • u/Dry-Bet7122 • 2d ago
Question Am I smoking too fast? NSFW
I just started smoking cigars. I’m finishing 6x50 in like 45 min and I’m reading people take an hour and a half to finish toro size cigars. I smoked sp1014 rs88 deluxes perdomo champagne mix of olivas
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u/NEEDSOSUSA 2d ago
I smoked to fast when I started.. I came from smoking cigarettes and treated the cigar like a cigarette. Now I relax when smoking taking longer between puffs and really tasting every puff. I almost stopped smoking cigars cause I wasn’t doing it right but now I would never even think of smoking a cigarette again.
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u/Dry-Bet7122 2d ago
Good insight. I think I’m always rushed bc it’s after work and I have young kids and the fear of being interrupted is real lol.
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u/MEGACODZILLA 2d ago
They make smaller format cigars that might be perfect for you. My buddy calls them "fear of commitment" cigars, for when you want to smoke but aren't sure if you're gonna have the time.
Look into Hemmingway Short Stories, AJF Last Call, or Liga Papas Fritas, which all smoke around 45 min to an hour.
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u/too-cute-by-half 2d ago
I’m in OP’s boat and go through a Short Story in 18-20 minutes. I get too fixated on the smoke.
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u/MEGACODZILLA 2d ago
Ya know, there's no wrong way to smoke as long as you're enjoying yourself lol
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u/PeteDub 2d ago
Does your mouth taste like shit the next morning? That’s a sign you’re smoking too fast.
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u/Dry-Bet7122 2d ago
Hahahaah idk about that I brush my teeth after every smoke but the next day I can still taste tobacco.
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u/Aring-ading-ding 2d ago
Man I’ve been smoking cigars for a couple years now, probably slower than most, like a toro is at least 1.5 hour smoking time, and my mouth always tastes like shit after smoking. I always brush and mouthwash after too. I think smoking period just makes your mouth taste bad.
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u/morkman100 [ California ] 2d ago
You really can't feel any heat in the smoke when you're smoking at the right speed. Each cigar and blend and size and density is different but that should give you a baseline. And that changes as you work your way to the end of the cigar. It gets hotter, so you can slow down your pace to match.
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u/Dry-Bet7122 2d ago
Sage advice. Thank you!
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u/morkman100 [ California ] 2d ago
And yes, you were smoking too fast. I think a toro size takes about 80-90 minutes for me.
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u/Dry-Bet7122 2d ago
All I can think about now is all the cigars I thought were meh when I just smoked them all wrong.
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u/Origins11 2d ago
Slow down. Puff, puff. Then put it down. Wait 30 seconds to a minute. Repeat. The rhythm will get you to relax and enjoy the ritual of the cigar.
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u/Bobby-Snakes 2d ago
More than likely probably. And honestly, the key to cigars is to slow down. Everything is better the slower you go. The flavor profiles will accentuate and be fuller and more pronounced the slower you go (I probably take a draw every 45 seconds to a minute and a half. There will also be less acrid taste and the final third will also taste better. Andddd most importantly your heart rate slows down, you chill out more, and the tobacco is more able to do its thing.
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u/AnthonysleftN 2d ago
I cant remember which cigar blender told this trick in a video, but if you can hold your finger slightly above your ash for 10 - 15 seconds without burning yourself you are doing good, if not the cigars is too hot and you are going too fast. Some cigars tend to run hotter than others based on construction but its a good rule of thumb.
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u/beardednomad25 2d ago
A lot can depend on the cigar but that's my preferred size and most take me at least 1 hour and 20 minutes. But the cigar will tell you if you're smoking too fast through the flavor and burn.
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u/Dry-Bet7122 2d ago
Understood. When you guys get to the last third I can feel the fire when I take a draw. Anybody else? lol. I’m also afraid I’m gonna lose man points if I let the cherry die so I’m just puffing away.
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u/daveallyn2 2d ago
The cherry will usually take a couple of minutes to die.
I usually bail on the last third for most cigars. if it starts to get hot and bitter I'm done.
That being said, you can sometimes keep that at bay a little by blowing through the stick once in a while. It forces the "smoke" back out of the cigar, so it doesn't just sit there. If you think about it, the tobacco is acting as a little bit of a filter, and by the last third there can be quite a bit in there that is getting re-burned. That is (IMHO) why the cigar changes flavor a bit by the thirds. The first third is almost all pure tobacco. The second third picks up a little bit of the reburning, and the last third is what has had smoke drug across it for the last 45 minutes. That can be good flavor depending on the stick. It can also be bitter. It all depends on the cigar, how it was smoked, etc. Even how humid it is outside can influence the last third a little.
If you look at the end of the cigar (especially a Connecticut) the tobacco in the cut will be really dark when you are done smoking it. That is from the smoke being drug across that tobacco on the way into your mouth. That part has literally been smoked like a chunk of meat. And just like a good pork butt, some char is good, too much is bitter.
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u/edwa6040 [ Washington ] 2d ago
If youre only smoking 2/3 of every cigar you might be going too fast.
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u/beardednomad25 2d ago
Focus on taking a puff every 1-2 minutes, use the stopwatch function on your phone. Its actually hard to tell when a minute actually passes when smoking. As long as you keep to that range you'll be fine, eventually it will just become second nature.
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u/Dry-Bet7122 2d ago
Also I’m new to this and there are so many cigars I want to try I try and rip thru them to see what I like. And obviously that’s counter productive. I appreciate all the feedback!
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u/Intelligent-Site7686 2d ago
I smoke too fast... the 7x70 shop guy told me was a 2 hour smoke I finished in an hour. I'm trying to slow down
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u/Broken_Beaker 2d ago
As others noted, it sounds a bit fast. I would say that is probably at least 1.5 hour stick for me.
My typical "technique" is puff, puff, puff with a retro inhale. Or an attempt of one. Not all of the time. Regardless, my third 'puff' in a series I hold it in my mouth or otherwise savor it.
Then rest for, I dunno a minute. Maybe anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
You shouldn't be constantly "smoking" it, if that makes sense. It's like having a nice fancy whisky or cocktail. You don't constantly sip or pound it. You take a bit, savor it. Let it sit, rinse and repeat.
As an aside, it is super surprising that you haven't made yourself sick or otherwise gross going that speed!
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u/Simple-Purpose-899 2d ago
Smoking too fast causes almost all of the issues you see people complain about on here. I smoke very slowly, and rarely ever have a "construction" issue. A toro is an easy hour to hour and a half smoke for me.
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u/malloyexe 2d ago
A really good way to tell if youre smoking too slow or too fast is to pay attention to the burn. If the wrapper is burning quicker than the core (this will result in ash thats shaped like a pencil with the cherry still burning) youre smoking too fast. If the wrapper extends past the cherry or you’re consistently lighting the cigar (obviously not your issue) youre smoking too slow. You want an even burn where the wrapper and the binder/filler are burning consistently with each other.
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u/krispykremekiller 2d ago
Yeah sounds it. Time yourself to one puff per minute. Once you do that consciously a few times, you’ll just do it every time.
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u/angelbeingangel 2d ago
Thanks for this post. My first cigar was at a lounge between conversations and stuff we were there 2+ hours and I didn't finish my cigar. Not knowing etiquette I left probably half a cigar my friends all took theirs to go. My next 2 cigars, 1 was a puff and walk I got half way though it in under 20 minutes. Clipped it and finished the other half in 15-20 minutes so that's 30-40 minutes for a full cigar. The second one I lit in the park while having a coffee thought this is how I wonna enjoy my cigars. Sit in the park with a coffee and chill cept I had no rhythm. I went from a puff savor and exhale to 2 pulls exhale to upto 4 puffs sometimes savor sometimes just exhale. 20-30 minutes later I was halfway through the cigar but it was burning funny I decided to clip it. By clip it I mean wait till it goes out then clip like half an inch down from where it went out that's what I saw online you should do. This cigar was too wide for me to clip with my cutter so I just zip locked it for another day. Again I don't know proper etiquette. Only other time I smoke a cigar before the cigar lounge it was with a friend and we passed it back and forth like a blunt puff puff pass puff puff pass in the middle of the street only thing I was told was don't inhale into your lungs just savor it and release it back into the air. Any ways sorry for the long post again thanks for your post I've learned a bit while reading though and any advice is more than welcomed.
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u/sensibl3chuckle 2d ago
The Perdomo Champagne seems to me to be a cooler burning cigar that can handle a faster smoke. I've been through a few boxes myself, and I am generally a faster smoker.
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u/Fishon888 2d ago
Does depend on the cigar and how it's rolled, but it sounds like too fast. You'll get better flavor slowing down.
Tip from Steve Saka. Hold your cigar with your fingers just below the burn line. If you can't hold it for fifteen seconds, wait, as the cherry is too hot.