Weekend Question Kick Around. If you are not retrohaling, how much are you missing? Are you really smoking a cigar to it's full capacity?

[Çnote]

On 10/18/2025 at 5:44 PM, cigaraholic said:

I will retrohale vintage and very mild cigars, everything else burns the rat piss out of my nose.

Ditto.

[teamrandr]

Yes, retrohale any cigar.  

[Grimlock]

Retrohaling is a must.

[dicko]

Retrohale every second or third puff or the last little bit of an exhale. Definitely think you get the full spectrum of experience. That said, if it's a pepper bomb, I'll back off on the retrohaling.

Sent from my SM-G986B using Tapatalk
 

[Redgoldband]

I retrohale every now and then. Sometimes it elevates the experience, and other times it’s me just going with the flow. Perhaps I need to be more consistent with it to fully capture all its benefits.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dmex]

I always retrohale, I know a bunch of guys who can't or don't retrohale and they also can't seem to describe any flavor of any cigar that is remotely accurate or consistent when I ask them. Usually they just look at me bewildered not knowing how to answer the question.  I think if you don't retrohale your definitely doing something, but it's not smoking or tasting a cigar to it's full potential lol.  

[El Hoze]

I retrohale and, as a friend pointed out (I do it unconsciously), I immediately put the foot of the cigar to my nose after drawing almost 100% of the time. For me the smell is a big part of the experience. 

[my happy place]

Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. If I enjoy a cigar more while retrohaling, then I do it more frequently, if I don't, then I do it less.

I don't think about it at all while smoking.

[JDoughty]

9 hours ago, BoliDan said:

Even a Padron, I'd rather clench my ass and feel the burn than just let it sit on my tongue and puff out.

I am fairly confident that cigars do taste much better when taken orally. 🫣

[Capn_Jackson]

Retrohale. Every puff, every time. I basically taste sourdough toast on most cigars if I don’t retrohale. One exception. Padróns, natural wrapper. For whatever reason, i get much more flavor off them, particularly raisin, cocoa, and leather, without the retro. I can’t figure it out but it’s the only cigar I don’t retrohale. When I do, I’m missing those prominent notes. Very strange. So if I feel like giving my nostrils a break, I usually reach for a Padron Natural 1964.

[GP012]

I'm not a super taster, so I retrohale every second or third puff. I'm not picking out exotic amazonian woods or 7 year old burnt madagascar vanillas per se, but retrohaling provides the best experience for my palate.

I almost exclusively smoke CC's, with F005 and some Honduran exceptions, I don't think I'd be able to retrohale most Nicaraguans or medium/full plus NC's through the nose as often if at all.

[mtd057]

100% of the time with CCs and rarely with others. I feel like I miss out on too much of the overall experience if I don't retrohale.  

[griller]

On 10/19/2025 at 3:17 PM, BoliDan said:

With almost every puff, probably 80% of the smoke is processed through the olfactory. I've tried no retrohaling and i don't get a majority of the flavors without it. They are so flat, and a boring experience. Even a Padron, I'd rather clench my ass and feel the burn than just let it sit on my tongue and puff out.

It also makes me question reviews. I ask does this person smoke like i do? How can I find another person's experience reliable or helpful if I don't know if they aren't using the same technique. Sometimes I'll see people say they hate a cigar and say how tasteless it is, but I'm getting a blast of cinnamon and nutmeg through my nose and am like, "yeah, that's just wrong". Nudie N4 is a good example that I had the other day. I didn't get much on the tongue, but when I retrohaled it was all toasted brown sugar and just absolutely lovely with a morning coffee 

Obviously, it's more complicated and I can't imagine what another person tastes on the palate, and maybe mine just sucks. I've always respected Ken's write ups and opinions on cigars who claims never to retrohale. 

+1 this is me, too. Without doing so my palate isn't developed enough to pick up the nuances of the cigar. Retrohale = detection of complexities, flavor, etc. 

[joeypots]

I retrohale just about all the time and think the cigar experience would be much diminished if I am not exhaling smoke through the nose. 

 

[gormag38]

On 10/19/2025 at 9:41 PM, my happy place said:

Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. If I enjoy a cigar more while retrohaling, then I do it more frequently, if I don't, then I do it less.

This pretty much sums it up for me as well. I certainly retrohale more when I'm smoking something that's vintage or light bodied as well.