Prominentes and slow starts. You too?

[cfc1016]

As I sit here enjoying a Lusitania, graciously gifted to me by @Hotboxx , I'm having deja vu. I seem to forget every single time I smoke a prominente. I start reaching for the perfecdraw. I start cursing myself for 'lighting it up when it wasn't ready yet'. Then I remember. It seems like every single time I smoke a prominente, they start with a really tight draw, and really cold, low-volume smoke production. The first inch or so seems to all be build up to the main attraction. As I remember this, I put down the torch. Instead of relighting, I just do a bunch of starter puffs, keep it going, and remember what's in store for me.

Once I get ~2-3 inches in, they always take off. I remember why I love them so much. I accept the first few inches as the cost of admission to an amazing show. It's weird though. I don't recall this being such a frequent experience with similar vitolas (dalias and julieta no. 2s, most prominently).

So I ask you - do you notice this as well? If so, do you have an explanation for why this would be so common with prominentes but not as much with dalias or julieta no. 2s? @JohnS and @NSXCIGAR - you guys always seem to have quite insightful ideas about questions like these. Any sage wisdom to offer?

Also, to qualify - I AM NOT complaining. Simply musing. Call it 'lusitania induced shower thoughts', if you will.

[JohnS]

Lonsdales, Dalias, Churchills and Double Coronas represent vitolas that seem to be ever-dwindling in the Habanos S.A. regular production catalogue, especially in the last 10 to 20 years. What I believe is likely to occur in this instance is that when we reach for cigars 6 inches and less, we are prone to instinctively burn the wrapper precisely, usually with jet lighters with an emphasis on preventing the wrapper being charred. Even if we light it up, enough to get it going, the cigar will fully light up within a few puffs. In the case of a Double Corona, it may be the case that such a precision lighting will not result in enough volado leaf (the leaf on the outer rim of the cigar inside the binder which assists with regulating an even burn) being lit and hence the volume of air from drawing can be insufficient to get the draw required. To compensate for this, I would suggest that the lighting procedure stay the same for the centre of the cigar, but burn a little more than normal on the outer rim to get a little more volado leaf lit, and therefore draw less on the cigar at the beginning to get it going.

[cfc1016]

Little bit of a rough finish. I need a humidifier. 30-40% rh ambient in my house. Gotta love the Alaskan winter. Still a delicious smoke either way 

[Fugu]

Prominentes are made for smokers who want a large cigar. Coronas Grandes, Cervantes and Dalias are made for smokers who want a long Smoke.

(historically speaking)

[NSXCIGAR]

I suppose the longer the cigar the more chance of a tight draw and certainly the more overall resistance from foot to head. Having not ever smoked a Monte A perhaps someone could share their experience and if that phenomenon occurs often with Gran Coronas.

I don't seem to find a correlation between length and draw problems, however if there is a draw issue a longer cigar is, more challenging to rectify with the Perfecdraw. 

[cfc1016]

1 hour ago, Fugu said:

Prominentes are made for smokers who want a large cigar. Coronas Grandes, Cervantes and Dalias are made for smokers who want a long Smoke.

(historically speaking)

If i could have a dalia, cervantes, laguito no. 1, julieta no. 2, seoane, ninfa, palma, corona grande, minuto, perlas, and londres in from every marca, i would be a very happy smoker. I like long and skinny. I like short and skinny. I really just love <~45rg in general. Doesn’t necessarily have to be a long smoke for me to enjoy it. I just like the way skinnies develop and rapidly vascillate from one profile to another. Here’s to hoping for a vitola revolution ? Viva la skinny!

 

Edit: Wow. I got off on a tangent and went WAY off topic there. Sorry. Though they're definitely not everyday-go-tos for me, lusitanias and hdm dcs are still definitely favorites. There's just something about them. They're a nice special occasion cigar for me. I'm still celebrating my move and the ability to smoke in my living room now (instead of outside where it's currently 11F/-12C). That lusitania was from a really heartwarming gift @Hotboxx sent me this summer. In addition to being a great cigar, the person giving it/thought behind it gave it extra sentimental value. I rarely want a cigar of that magnitude. When I do, it's a special occasion.

Also, I forgot a vitola from my dream-team lineup: entreactos. I really desperately miss bolivar demi tasses. They were so sublime. With the erdm and du maire being the only options really available to me right now (don't even get me started on petit julietas), the value-for-dollar equation just doesn't work out when I could get coshos or chicos at a small fraction of the price.

[fabes]

I always attributed this to the intention of the blend on longer cigars. They generally start out milder and build intensity as they burn along. Would be a little uncouth if they came out sprinting from the beginning. If I’m smoking a longer cigar I’m partly doing it because I want to be romanced or wooed or told a story. Building up to a crescendo is what we’re after and a slow start is part of the journey. Think of it as laying the groundwork for the brilliance to come. For me it is like this with all longer cigars regardless of ring gauge.

[ayepatz]

It’s about airflow. The longer the cigar, the further the smoke has to travel to begin with.

If you draw the same way as you do with a short cigar, the smoke will barely make it to your mouth. Lol

Try a double puff - @PigFish calls it Dot-Dash. Always seems to work well for me.

[PigFish]

35 minutes ago, ayepatz said:

It’s about airflow. The longer the cigar, the further the smoke has to travel to begin with.

If you draw the same way as you do with a short cigar, the smoke will barely make it to your mouth. Lol

Try a double puff - @PigFish calls it Dot-Dash. Always seems to work well for me.

... maybe a double dot, dash, but then again, a double dash might do it...! -LOL

[cfc1016]

4 hours ago, ayepatz said:

It’s about airflow. The longer the cigar, the further the smoke has to travel to begin with.

If you draw the same way as you do with a short cigar, the smoke will barely make it to your mouth. Lol

Try a double puff - @PigFish calls it Dot-Dash. Always seems to work well for me.

 

3 hours ago, PigFish said:

... maybe a double dot, dash, but then again, a double dash might do it...! -LOL

sometimes i feel the need for... dot dot dot | dash dash dash | dot dot dot

 

In all seriousness, though - I'm no stranger to the starter puffs. as @ayepatz alluded, you've gotta get the smoke to travel farther. I think my big problem last night was really the humidity in my house. It's ~30% rh in here. I think the cigar is just getting quite a shock going from 62-65% and unmolested, to 30% and set on fire. I wouldn't normally blame burn/draw issues on ambient humidity, but that's a REALLY severe contrast. I'm doing my research now and buying a humidifier.

[Derboesekoenig]

7 minutes ago, cfc1016 said:

 

sometimes i feel the need for... dot dot dot | dash dash dash | dot dot dot

All dashes here homie.

Lol did you know Thomas Edison proposed to his wife in Morse code?

 

....and she responded in Morse code as well.

[cfc1016]

9 minutes ago, Derboesekoenig said:

All dashes here homie.

Lol did you know Thomas Edison proposed to his wife in Morse code?

 

....and she responded in Morse code as well.

... --- .-. .-. -.-- / -... .- -... -.-- / -.-- --- ..- .----. .-.. .-.. / .--- ..- ... - / -. . ...- . .-. / -.-. --- -- .--. .- .-. . / - --- / -. .. -.- --- .-.. .- / - . ... .-.. .-

[Hookmaker]

You’re spot on cfc1016, I smoked a Lusi the other day and exactly the same thought came to mind. I love RA Gigantes, Lusis and other prominentes cigars. But the other day after lighting up I thought: what am I doing with this, why keep buying boxes of Lusis? But then 1 1/2 - 2 inches in the feeling blew away and the smiles came back. Great smokes they are ?

[Habana Mike]

20 hours ago, cfc1016 said:

... --- .-. .-. -.-- / -... .- -... -.-- / -.-- --- ..- .----. .-.. .-.. / .--- ..- ... - / -. . ...- . .-. / -.-. --- -- .--. .- .-. . / - --- / -. .. -.- --- .-.. .- / - . ... .-.. .-

.... .- .... .- .... .- / -....- / --. --- --- -.. / --- -. . -.-.--