Do you "retrohale"?

[samb]

It actually looks quite painful lol.

It doesnt always feel too good if you blow out too much! I do it once or twice per third of the cigar.

[Dbone]

I have had this link bookmarked for a while, it's a good understanding of tasting cigars. Also, it relates to this topic so I thought I'd share.

How to Taste a Cigar

[rizzle]

Always. Definitely helps me pick up on flavors.

[landhoney]

Wow. I'm really surprised that so many here don't do this. I can't imagine smoking a cigar without retrohaling. I get so much more flavor when I exhale through my nose. I think I'd miss so many of the nuances of many of cigars if I just kept all the smoke in my mouth.

This.

When I learned to do this, especially with CC's (and even more so with aged CC's) it was like a whole new world of flavor. Suprised to see many do not do this with CC's.

[Dbone]

This topic spiked my interest, I'm kind of glad too. Smoking a Siglo II and for the first time I'm tasting a baked sweet bread?!? flavor. Wow, Lol !!

[brutusthebuckeye]

I blow out my mouth and retrohale the second half of the smoke with every draw. I pick up more flavors in my sinus cavity than taste buds.

X2....

[fugwumpy]

I do this a couple times a third. Usually I inhale a little through my nose most every draw. Retrohaling only seems afford me a measure of the pepper/spice in the stick, but maybe I push too much out volume. *shrug* I'll try to remember to try just the last little bit and see how that works.

[ucla695]

It's a guaranteed sinus infection for me, so I try not to. I wish it weren't the case though.

[Dbone]

Some of the best advice on "how to start" was to blow 1/2 to 3/4 of the draw out, close off the back of your throat, fill your lungs with air through your nose, then as you let the air back out your nose "chew" the smoke as if you where chewing a mouthful of food. go ahead and smack your lips while your at it. It'll happen naturally and get you started (like training wheels). Practice it without a cigar to start

[thechenman]

I've tried this, but find it unpleasent, so I don't do retrohale.

[groza]

I can't pick out a lot of flavors while retrohaling because I'm limited to very small amounts of smoke or else my nose will sting. It's useful for judging the strength for me though.

[Leopolis Semper Fidelis]

not a chance. i'd vomit green bile and no one wants that.

no doubt a scientist could tell us but i think that holding the smoke in your mouth for a little longer should provide the same aromas as that sort of thing. don't see the advantage.

The same would happen to me. However, I think the olfactory sense in the nose should pick up aroma(s) that can't be detected by the palate. After all, smell and taste are different senses.

[edameff]

I actually prefer to "Recto-Hale", and blow it out my ass.

[adic88]

"recto-hale" -- ICWHUTUDIDTHAR!

lol!

[docbp87]

Same here

That is a sure sign that you are actually expelling too much smoke through your nose, which can cause irritation, and a burning sensation, and basically nothing but spice. Try exhaling 2/3 of the smoke from your mouth, THEN retrohale a small amount, and then release the rest through your mouth.

I retrohale probably 2/3s of the draws I take on any given cigar.

[imangelo]

I can't retrohale to save my life. I've tried and tried and tried with no luck.

[jedipastor]

I find that many of the subtler flavors just can't be tasted without putting the smoke through my nose. Am I alone here?

I retrohale at least a little with almost every puff, usually the last 20% or so of the mouthful of smoke. At the very least I keep the passages open when I expel the smoke through my mouth, just the same way I do when tasting wine or single malt--only those I don't expel Maybe it's just me, but I get so much more flavor and complexity this way.

I will also "chew" the smoke quite often while I expel it from mouth or nose, I find this also has a similar effect as it does with wine or spirits. Though when smoking with others I"m often mocked for it, lol. I just tell then to try it a few times. And almost without fail they look at me wide-eyed and say "Wow!"

[Blippio]

Some of the best advice on "how to start" was to blow 1/2 to 3/4 of the draw out, close off the back of your throat, fill your lungs with air through your nose, then as you let the air back out your nose "chew" the smoke as if you where chewing a mouthful of food. go ahead and smack your lips while your at it. It'll happen naturally and get you started (like training wheels). Practice it without a cigar to start

I typically do retrohale the last bit (1/4 or less out through the nose) and it does add flavor as others have stated--but wow, I just tried Dbone's technique and it kicks the flavors waaay up! Thanks for the tip! Usually I'll just get white pepper or black pepper... Other nuances come through...

I'm also a bit of a lightweight on nicotine, I do find that retrohaling too often through a cigar will push my limits... You (or me) definitely have to be a bit gentle with it for the best effect

[earthson]

I'll do what we used to call a "french inhale" whereby the smoke resting in the mouth in sniffed into the nose (not through any internal cavities)

[celtmick1984]

Of course, though not the whole cigar. Variety is the spice of life.

[Laynard]

Nearly always. It's just part of how I smoke a cigar.

[Ramrod918]

I find that many of the subtler flavors just can't be tasted without putting the smoke through my nose. Am I alone here?

I retrohale at least a little with almost every puff, usually the last 20% or so of the mouthful of smoke. At the very least I keep the passages open when I expel the smoke through my mouth, just the same way I do when tasting wine or single malt--only those I don't expel Maybe it's just me, but I get so much more flavor and complexity this way.

^^same with me

[LeafLover]

Again, retrohaling is a big deal for me. You can experience so much more flavor than your taste buds.

Ever try eating while you had a stuffed up nose while you were sick?

Try pinching your nose while you eat and compare it to slowly exhaling through your nose while you chew. Is there a difference?

Having answered that question, the only question that needs to be answered is if you can do it while smoking your cigar.

[subport]

Yes I do.

I detect 35-40% of the flavors that way. Would be a huge miss without.

Yes I do

[TheCoach]

For me its the only way I can taste all of the flavors the cigar has to offer. but I just don't take a pull from the cigar and push it through my nose. Its kind of hard to explain, I open up my nasal cavity to allow the smoke to come through my nose while tasting the smoke on my palate through my mouth. For me that's the only way I get to taste the cigar, I also noticed that some flavors just don't get recognized for me unless I put the smoke through my nose.