A really great ash

[skunkmilk]

So people have told me that I should leave as much if the ash on a cigar as possible. Apparently this adds to the flavor of the cigar. Is this really the case? What should I be doing with the ash?

I apologize if this has been answered before, but it's difficult to search for posts by just "ash". I couldn't find any that answers the question.

[canucks6024]

I think the main benefit of the ash is that it cools the smoke dramatically. A cooler smoke makes for a better experience because more flavours can be tasted.

[Maplepie]

Your profile picture adds to my enjoyment of this thread.

[Colt45]

Some years back there was a discussion re cigar ash as an insulator (with no true resolution). Does cigar ash act as insulator in that it insulates the ember from air, thereby keeping it cool? Or does it insulate the ember, like home insulation in winter, thereby allowing it to stay hot? After some time, smoking a few cigars, I don't think it really makes all that much difference - to me excessively long ash is a fashion show.....

[fokker4me]

After reading this I tried to see how long I could keep it going. I do find it burns straight if you get a great ash on the start and your able to discern more flavors with a good ash and cooler burn temperature.

[fokker4me]

Addition to the quote above.

[skunkmilk]

Ok, so it's a debatable thing. Thanks for the help.

[leftimatic]

I always found I could judge the quality of the rolling job by the ash. On any decent smoke I've had it always seems to break in thirds.

I just took it to mean they did a good job. I found on nc's anyway that the cigar was always a bit to harsh if the ash kept dropping and unbearable by the end. I ended up turfing a lot of cigars. Strong solid ash equalled decent tasting cigar. Just my opinion of course.

[Lotusguy]

Addition to the quote above.

Should probably not smoke the band, though...

[rodrigodeanda]

My general impression is that the cigar actually heats just a bit more for a few moments after the ash has fallen and just as leftimatic says, for me, it's an indicator of the good or bad manufacture of the cigar.

[PapaDisco]

How does a longer ash lower the temperature of the smoke? The smoke you're sucking in is from the opposite side of ember from the ash, so it's going to be flaming hot no matter how much ash it passed through, no?

[skunkmilk]

I could see it hindering air flow in to the embers though.

I agree that the higher quality cigars seem to have a tighter ash that stays on longer. The lower quality ones seem to expand a bit.

[PapaDisco]

So less 'fanning of the flame' but not enough to noticeably reduce the draw I guess . . .

[Mckucci]

I find leaving the ash on for too long "filters" the air flow to the cherry, and causes a tighter draw.. Also, in my experience, it's insulated the burn, causing it to burn at a hotter temperature, I always ash the cigar around 1" However, that's just me! I know some people who will try and smoke the entire cigar without ashing!

[tjohn7]

I don't know if the ash changes the flavor at all, but a longer ash has been correlated with better cigars. I like to see how long the first ash can stay on the stick without breaking up. After that I ash as desired, so that I don't keep covering my clothes in residue.

[Phillys]

I just find that a good ash keeps the cigar lit longer, keeping the smoke cooler and requiring less effort to keep it lit. I have also found that a tight square ash that holds for a long time is strongly correlated with good construction, but maybe that's just me.