To Inhale Or Not To Inhale?

[Leopolis Semper Fidelis]

When I took up cigars, my mentors advised that it was bad form to inhale them - only cigarette addicts did such a thing! They said it was sufficient to taste the flavour in one's mouth before blowing the smoke out. Regardless, I did inhale just once, and the experience made me so ill that I vowed never to do it again.

Regardless of the advice, I note that not a few on the Forum do inhale. A couple of questions to such folk: Has the experience ever caused you to become sick, feeling dizzy, etc.? If not, how do you manage it?

To those who don't inhale: Is it because you think it's not prim and proper to do so, or does the practice make you feel unwell?

[LeafLover]

I inhale to feel its strength. Old cigarette habit. Never felt dizzy or sick. I guess due to my past love of a different kind of leaf.

[investandprosper]

When I took up cigars, my mentors advised that it was bad form to inhale them - only cigarette addicts did such a thing! They said it was sufficient to taste the flavour in one's mouth before blowing the smoke out. Regardless, I did inhale just once, and the experience made me so ill that I vowed never to do it again.

Regardless of the advice, I note that not a few on the Forum do inhale. A couple of questions to such folk: Has the experience ever caused you to become sick, feeling dizzy, etc.? If not, how do you manage it?

To those who don't inhale: Is it because you think it's not prim and proper to do so, or does the practice make you feel unwell?

If you inhale, it drastically increases your risk of cancer. There's no real reason to do it, it doesn't heighten the flavors or experience of your cigar. Now, retrohaling, or exhaling through the nose, does in my experience help pick out flavors, and doesn't require you to inhale into your lungs first.

I wouldn't inhale into my lungs, although some undoubtedly does get in there just from breathing after you exhale. I just don't see any added benefit.

[Ken Gargett]

never had a cigarette in my life so wouldn't know how to inhale but on those very rare occasions when a tiny whiff of smoke gets through, i'm immediately about an inch from a green vomiting mess.

[anacostiakat]

To inhale a cigar makes you a huge risk taker in my book. To each their own.

That is why the make chocolate and vanilla ice cream.

[NitrousPurger]

sometimes i get a sick feeling without inhaling. dont know why. it is very rare and isnt cigar specific. although it does usually start near the end of the cigar and can last up to 2 hours... usually makes me take a break from smoking for a while lol. Never smoked cigarettes so maybe the nicotine in cubans is a little much for my "virgin lungs" even when i dont inhale.

[coneatty]

Years ago, way before internet cubans, my francophile little brother would take my cigar orders and send the cubans to me via 3rd class mail. Nice ones, too...best #2s I've ever had came from Paris... At the time, I had just quit smoking cigarettes, after 30 + years, and enjoyed telling everyone: "All the cigars in Cuba are not worth one Marlboro Light" and I meant it. But I don't need those cigarettes anymore, these spicy Cubans (and the occasional Padron anniversario 64s or 26s, whatever) suit me just fine. But believe me, if you are going to inhale.-- I mean really inhale-- like you are actually going to get something out of it, you are fooling yourself with a cigar. Try a Marlboro. (certainly, this is my opinion...your mileage may vary)

[coneatty]

sometimes i get a sick feeling without inhaling. dont know why. it is very rare and isnt cigar specific. although it does usually start near the end of the cigar and can last up to 2 hours... usually makes me take a break from smoking for a while lol. Never smoked cigarettes so maybe the nicotine in cubans is a little much for my "virgin lungs" even when i dont inhale.

You know, some of those killer smokes, like a nice Bolivar Corona Extra, will take you out on an empty stomach. So just make sure you've eaten before you commit to one of those bad boys. I think that's why so many of us "mature" cigar smokers have "beer" guts. Also, I think its nicotine getting to you through your mucus membranes....not your lungs. (I could be wrong on this)

[Colt45]

To those who don't inhale: Is it because you think it's not prim and proper to do so, or does the practice make you feel unwell?

I don't - I don't believe it serves any purpose in tasting.

[Leopolis Semper Fidelis]

If you inhale, it drastically increases your risk of cancer. There's no real reason to do it, it doesn't heighten the flavors or experience of your cigar. Now, retrohaling, or exhaling through the nose, does in my experience help pick out flavors, and doesn't require you to inhale into your lungs first.

I wouldn't inhale into my lungs, although some undoubtedly does get in there just from breathing after you exhale. I just don't see any added benefit.

When I came across Forum members referring to exhaling through the nose, I supposed (possibly incorrectly) that they had inhaled, not retrohaled. I wonder how one exhales through the nose without inhaling? Excuse my ignorance, but even though I took up cigars quite a while ago, I'd not been a cigarette smoker prior to this.

[Leopolis Semper Fidelis]

never had a cigarette in my life so wouldn't know how to inhale but on those very rare occasions when a tiny whiff of smoke gets through, i'm immediately about an inch from a green vomiting mess.

Same here, Ken. I suppose, then, that you've never retrohaled?

[Leopolis Semper Fidelis]

sometimes i get a sick feeling without inhaling. dont know why. it is very rare and isnt cigar specific. although it does usually start near the end of the cigar and can last up to 2 hours... usually makes me take a break from smoking for a while lol. Never smoked cigarettes so maybe the nicotine in cubans is a little much for my "virgin lungs" even when i dont inhale.

This also happens to me, even though I've been puffing cigars for a quarter of a century.

[bob25]

Even as a former cigarettes smoker I dont inhale,its too strong and I start to cough.

Smoking without inhaling is dangerous enough,you dont want to add to that the risk of hurting your lungs.

Off course some of the smoke gets through but not as much as full inhale would do.

[hakamo0o]

Hello,

I just want to share my knowledge as a Chemical engineer with you; so here you go:

1. A Cigar is 5 ~ 20+ times larger than a cigarette so it contains 5~20 times the Nicotine, if you inhale that in; it will be absorbed more into your blood since lungs has an extremely large surface area and waaaay larger than the mouth's mucus membrane.

2. Cigars have no filter, so all the tar and other stuff are going directly into your system (lungs) which is a bad idea!!

3. Just a heads up; if you keep on inhaling you won't be there long enough to enjoy much Cubans

so think it over

[samb]

Even as a former cigarettes smoker I dont inhale,its too strong and I start to cough.

Smoking without inhaling is dangerous enough,you dont want to add to that the risk of hurting your lungs.

Off course some of the smoke gets through but not as much as full inhale would do.

Same here for me.

[bolivr]

Not me, but taking the smoke in, holding in the mouth before exhaling through either the mouth or the nose seems easy for me, not sure why.

I am sipping a beer right now and notice that i can exhale the beer flavour through my nose after taking a sip. never really took much notice before but it seems to make the taste and flavour appreciation more intense, just like when smoking a cigar.

[hddeucebrad01]

I smoked cigarettes and quit. I do not inhale and have read that those who smoke several per day (and do inhale) have higher rates of coronary heart disease & chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

[Warren]

That is why the make chocolate and vanilla ice cream.

I have this vision of you sticking your face in a plate of ice cream and sucking it up through your nose.

[anacostiakat]

I have this vision of you sticking your face in a plate of ice cream and sucking it up through your nose.

: I think that might cause one hell of a headache.

[PointSource]

Inhaling? Negative. Veto. Bypass.

[Torontonian]

I wonder how one exhales through the nose without inhaling?

How about the unpleasant/embarrassing experience of laughing with a liquid in one's mouth, could there be a parity there?

[Colt45]

I wonder how one exhales through the nose without inhaling?

I don't know if I can properly explain it better than other members have in the past, but I'll try.....

First, I wouldn't try it with a mouthful of smoke - exhale about half or so after taking a draw. Then use your tongue to compress the remaining

smoke to the back and roof of your mouth. At this point, you should be able to exhale through your nose. It does take a little practice.

I think I'm one of the few who doesn't get a great benefit from nasal exhalation - I smell things while inhaling

[kafreeman]

I don't know if I can properly explain it better than other members have in the past, but I'll try.....

First, I wouldn't try it with a mouthful of smoke - exhale about half or so after taking a draw. Then use your tongue to compress the remaining

smoke to the back and roof of your mouth. At this point, you should be able to exhale through your nose. It does take a little practice.

I think I'm one of the few who doesn't get a great benefit from nasal exhalation - I smell things while inhaling

I tend to taste the same thing on retro, so i dont bother with it.

Alot of the times I get a feeling of a massive amount of pepper going through, make me tear up.

[Dbone]

I don't know how to post the video within my message, but here's a promo video from Habanos and they tell you how to smoke a cuban cigar which says not to inhale! But of course, to each their own.

[Ellery]

When I first started smoking cigars, I would take a small inhale so that I could exhale through the nose. I have read, and heard multiple people say that it helps with noticing different nuances in the smoke, but honestly, it is too harsh for me and ended up giving me a headache. Instead, I tried inhaling a little through the nose as I blow the smoke out, but that too is unpleasant for me.