Enjoying New Smoking Products

Cuban cigars, like Tatuaje cigars, are preferred because they have such nuanced character. Experienced cigar smokers can taste the flavors of cedar, leather, and warm spices as they smoke these cigars. If all you're tasting is smoke, then it's time to kick your cigar-smoking game up a notch! Here are some ways to get a more nuanced flavor from your Cuban cigar.

Light the cigar indirectly.

Most new cigar smokers light their cigar by sticking the end directly in the fire. The problem with this method is that it tends to scorch the tobacco leaves and make the cigar taste overly burnt, which masks the more nuanced flavors. To get more flavor from your Cuban cigar, light it by holding it right next to the flame but not in the flame. If you keep inhaling through it, the end leaves will get hot enough to self-ignite, yielding a cleaner flavor.

Take longer draws.

If you take longer draws on the cigar, you will keep it burning at a more even temperature, which makes for a more nuanced flavor. Try drawing to the count of five, rather than taking short puffs. Remember, though, you are not supposed to inhale the smoke — just draw it into your mouth.

Sip some sparkling water.

Have a glass of sparkling water next to you when you smoke the cigar. Every couple of puffs, take a sip of the water. This will cleanse your palate. The bubbles help clean your palate even better than still water. Sipping water also keeps your mouth moist, which can help you detect more flavors in the smoke. Don't use flavoring of any type in your water, as this can have the opposite effect of disguising some of the flavors in your cigar.

Don't stub it out.

If you decide you are finished smoking before the entire Cuban cigar is gone, do not stub the cigar out. This will compact the ash into the end of the cigar, which will make it taste terrible the next time you light it. Instead, just let the cigar burn out naturally. It will go out sooner than you think once you stop puffing on it.

If you're going to smoke a nice Cuban cigar, then, of course, you want to be able to notice the flavors it offers! The tips above will bring them out, allowing you to enjoy that nutty, toasty, spicy cigar to the fullest.