Smoking cigars simultaneously

[planetary]

Was just watching a few cigar videos, and happened upon one in which James Suckling and Edward Sahakian from the Davidoff shop in London are smoking the Trinidad Reyes and Montecristo Petit Edmundo simultaneously, to compare.

However, I get the impression that smoking two cigars at once is not a common practice, even among reviewers.  (Though I don't know for certain.)  Apparently Mr. Suckling finds some advantage in smoking cigars this way, as opposed to back-to-back.  

Was wondering if anyone has tried this, or has thoughts about the practice?  It seems like you'd lose something of the immersion, but gain more in head-to-head comparison.

I'm interested enough to try it myself once or twice, I think.  What do you think?

[JohnS]

@planetary do you remember the video that Rob and Ken did where they compared the RyJ Petit Churchill against the Montecristo Petit Edmundo? I don't think they did it simultaneously. I think they also did a Cohiba Lanceros vs Trinidad Fundadores one too.

My opinion on this is to savour and concentrate on one cigar at a time...take in the experience. After smoking, evaluate it, and then smoke the other you want to compare. Well, at least, that's how I'd do it.

[HarveyBoulevard]

Just recently watched that video myself.  I enjoyed it.  I thought it odd at first but I think it would be an excellent way to compare cigars.  Laurence Davis has a few vids similar.  Battle of the robustos and battle of the pyramids.  Not something I'd do often but would be fun I think.

[planetary]

1 minute ago, HarveyBoulevard said:

Just recently watched that video myself.  I enjoyed it.  I thought it odd at first but I think it would be an excellent way to compare cigars.  Laurence Davis has a few vids similar.  Battle of the robustos and battle of the pyramids.  Not something I'd do often but would be fun I think.

You know, you're right -- I'd forgotten about those battle-of videos.

[HarveyBoulevard]

2 minutes ago, planetary said:

You know, you're right -- I'd forgotten about those battle-of videos.

Difference is the video you mentioned, they seemed to smoke them and savor them.   Mr. Davis was mostly just tasting the first 1/8th and moving on.  I'd try the former as the latter seems a waste of my cigars.  I'd waste them like that if I owned a cigar shop...but I don't.

[SMQQKIN]

I tend to smoke too fast & have to often force myself to slow down to not overheat the cigar. I think the benefit of a side by side would be not only for taste comparison but also to allow for one cigar to cool while puffing on the other. Trying this with two smaller cigars seems more appealing vs. smoking two Churchills.

[PigFish]

I think it is stupid! Yes, I said it!

But I suppose when people are paying you to say nice things about their cigars, giving them to you so that you can smoke an inch off one and toss it, 'cause you'da expert, you do things like this.

Of course you need to know your friends to share a cigar. Yes, it sounds gross, I get it. But I have tasted the cigars of friends, while they have tasted mine. Perhaps a bit too intimate for you??? Well, maybe...!

So yes, if this counts, tasting some cigars concurrently with a buddy has made me 'two fisted' smoker. Lighting up two cigars for myself at the same time evokes the same response... Sounds pretty stupid!

Cheers! -Piggy

[OZCUBAN]

to smoke two cigars back to back i need to find two that are not  rubbish 

if this thread is about chucking cigars simultaneously I am your man 

[oside]

I've done this, it's not very relaxing. 

[canadianbeaver]

Sorry but this thread made me giggle a bit. Suckling... two cigars at once?

Then Ray, the two fisted smoker.

Almost fell off my chair.

[Fugu]

Never did it. I am not a tester, I am a smoker.

Honestly, I think it wouldn't work for me, more distraction than focus.

[SaintMickey®]

Never tried. Never will I think.

[NSXCIGAR]

I think it's only useful for purposes of analysis, and even then, only to a certain degree. I've tried it and found I did not care for it. Doesn't really allow you to enjoy the full experience of a cigar and relax. I'd rather focus on one cigar and extract all I can from it without contamination or confusion.

[Colt45]

I guess it makes sense from a comparative tasting / review perspective.

[LordAnubis]

Ive done it a few times to compare things. For example a BPC from 2015 and a BPC from 2009. When you smoke one whole one you can find you "forget" the experience even if it was 2 mins ago! Try it out. a few puffs of one, a few puffs of the other. The differences are really noticeable when side by side.

 

[PapaDisco]

1 hour ago, LordAnubis said:

Ive done it a few times to compare things. For example a BPC from 2015 and a BPC from 2009. When you smoke one whole one you can find you "forget" the experience even if it was 2 mins ago! Try it out. a few puffs of one, a few puffs of the other. The differences are really noticeable when side by side.

 

I concur with this.  It's not for the purpose of relaxing and savoring so much as it is for really digging into the flavors and comparing; educating the palate perhaps.  Skillful palate memories like Rob and Ken can do cigars consecutively, but like LA said, a side-by-side helps you notice things by noticing differences.

I suppose it's sort of like wine tasting: we don't drink a whole bottle before going on to the next wine.  Of course I suppose if one lit the bottle first then, like a good cigar, one would be compelled to finish the bottle before going on to the next one.  Hence the difficulty inherent in "cigar tasting."  

[Fugu]

The problem I'd rather have (as I said, never actually tried it, so can't say with any certainty) with this is, that for me the enjoyment of a cigar, thus its percieved quality, lies not necessarily in the absolute comparison of flavours. Or in other words, one cigar beating the other. An important part of the enjoyment for me is the development, the transition in flavours, complexity, body and strength during a smoke (which is why I am a fan of slender cigars... ). So, it may very well be that in a direct, parallel comparison of two cigars, one of them will always "beat" the other in terms of "absolute" flavours or body, an a 1:1 level. But the smoke as a whole may very well be giving me the nicer experience from the other, the so to speak "weaker" one, from which I'd be finally drawing more enjoyment. And while I might eventually forget on the particular nuances, I won't forget the enjoyment factor. And there is also a particular difference to wine (and I am not one putting too much stock in sip & spit tastings...), that is the lingering smoke, the room note, which is part of the enjoyment for me.

Taking alternate draws from one cigar at one moment may overpower my palate to perceive the quality of the other in the next moment.

That, for the most part, is due to the fact that we sensorically adapt to taste sensation. Like we adapt our vision to light intensities (e.g. most obvious effect of dark adaptation during twighlight, when you hardly percieve any actual change in light intensity for a while). The perception of contrast, variety and change is what is giving us enjoyment. Like a rollercoaster or driving a sports car would be pretty boring at constant high speed (driving a small winding mountain pass is more fun than driving a highway...). It's the de- and acceleration phases, the centrifugal forces that we so much dig. So, while we may better notice the "contrast" between two cigars smoked simultaneously, we might likewise miss a significant part of the transitions and qualities within the individual cigar.

It is a too artificial set up for me, not reflecting how I would normally enjoy a smoke, and therefore would be of very little practical value to me. On an industrial level though, for comparison of different individual leaf qualities, such may have its raison d'être.

 

N.B. I liked the video. Always enjoy the calm, understated and pleasantly relaxed but clear talk in which Edward Sahakian is presenting his knowledge.

[PapaDisco]

I agree with the whole notion of the "room note," or as the Food and Drug Administration calls it, "SECOND HAND RADIOACTIVE ZOMBIE KISS-OF-DEATH-END-OF-THE-WORLD SMOKE"   To me, cigar smoke gently lingering in the air in the right proportions is the world's greatest incense and if I could get a cigar to just gently smolder all day on my desk I would get twice as much work done!  

[1LegLance]

With new cigar folks at my house I often will fire up 2 different petite coronas so they can really contrast the sticks...

A Monte 4 vs a Boli PC, or a Sancho Non-plus vs SCdlH El Principe (yeah I know minuto)...

this really lets them understand the differences in taste perception and how cigars change over the length of the stick.

But not something I do often or recommend to folks other than newbies.

[rhcolbert]

I've only had a juvenile experience with this. After a tad too much drinking had a cigar and hookah at same time. While drinking more. 

My final report is "not a good idea"?

[Troels]

Never understood that people can do a serious comparison back to back. My taste buds need some rest before I taste the same way. 

[DWC]

I think it’s great to smoke two cigars at the same time. 

I do it often, although not really on purpose.  I’ve never smoked two by myself and I don’t plan to.   My girlfriend smokes with me pretty regularly and we usually swap cigars for a bit when we smoke.

  Smoking two at once removes all the subtle variables that affect the perceived flavors of a cigar.  You can never replicate a smoking experience, so it’s tough to tell if there are real differences or if it’s just poor memory or outside influences that’s changing the way a cigar tastes on any particular day.  It also eliminates those “Is it me or is it the cigar” questions.

 It’s interesting to taste the differences in cigars.  Especially the couple of times that we’ve been smoking the same cigar.  Two seemingly identical cigars, out of the same box.  To be able to see the sometimes huge differences.

 It’s also  good sanity check too for the times some oddball flavor shows up.  It’s nice  to be able to pass over a cigar to her and ask “Am I crazy or do you taste dill (or whatever) in this?”

 

         -Dan

[Guest robertsccr5]

I've tried it before and one just overpowered the other. Wasn't really helpful and just wasted a cigar.

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[HarveyBoulevard]

I'm gonna double fist a couple Bushidos tonight and see if I can tell a difference. They are a month apart so I expect sweet citrus in one and chocolate coffee in the other. ????☕

[YOM'$]

Frankly I don't see why you'd stop at two.