Do you toasted the foot?

[Cigary]

I actually did a study on this topic and read and watched video from "official" afficionados and came to the same conclusions they did. I have lit cigars both ways,,,toasting and just lighting it up the quickest way possible. When you light them too quickly with a torch you end up burning the tobacco too quickly and then drawing on that burnt portion of the cigar into the full length of the cigar. That is like taking a match without letting it burn off the sulphur content of the match head and drawing all of the sulphur thru the entire length of the cigar. You have unintentionally contaminated the tobacco with these contents.

If you toast the foot with a single torch flame or a soft flame you burn the foot at the proper temperature,,,pretty much at the same temperature that the cigar burns at while you smoke the rest of it. I read where one afficionado put it like this,,,," If you brew a cup of coffee and you set the brewing temperature at a point above where it is usally brewed it will take on a burnt taste. How many of us have had ' burnt coffee' before?

Another point that was made was that cigar smokers are sometimes so used to lighting their cigars too quickly that they have become used to the taste. I thought that I would put this to the test over about 3 weeks time and made notes to myself. I took a cigar that I regularly smoke and knew the taste ( RP Edge ) and put this cigar to the test. I did 2 cigars w/quick lite and then 2 cigars taking my time and toasting it and over 3 weeks time I learned that the cigars where I took my time were always within 90% of the time a better smoke from beginning to end. When I just lit it quickly the taste of the cigar, while still good, did not have the same smooth tasting attributes as one that was toasted. The burn was better, the taste was better and the whole regimen actually made it more pleasant. I'd say it made a cigar at the very least 25% better.

This is something that I learned for myself thru reading and watching and I like my cigars to be as good as they can be.

[Patrick B]

I do, seems to make for a more even start to the cigar. And it is kind of fun.

[Jonjonmacky]

It kind of depends on what cigar Im smoking and If I need my fix quick..

[Kilobyte]

Toasting a cigar before lighting it is akin to toasting a drink before imbibing.

[SixPackSunday]

always... to me smoking is a slow ritualistic thing... so anything to prolong it i do!

[FunkyCold5]

I toast it like I was having breakfast.

[penguinva-cl]

[SIZE=3]Always toast the foot - find makes easier to get end lighted completely, smells good and seems to improve burn. [/SIZE]

[kevind1680]

I say Toast it.

[Screwtape]

I always toast it also. I like being able to see as it starts getting lit, I think it helps me get an even burn going rather than blindly puffing away.

[shortstory5]

I enjoy the act of doing it, but it's not necessary for me to do. I do feel like it has a better chance of burning more even when you do toast it though...

[Denahue]

I always do, it has become part of the ritual...

[cruisin66stang]

I toast then blow out (as squid described). I have only started doing this recently but I am convinced the cigar burns and tastes better.

[havanitascigars-cl]

If I feel like it I do. Other times I do not. I have found on big ring gauge cigars and longer cigars it helps them light up more evenly. On smaller stuff (lanceros, coronas, lonsdales... all of which I smoke often) it does not matter so I usually do not.

[nativetexan_1]

I need to change my response. I said (at first) that I just light it up. That's not so. It has become such a part of "lighting it up" that I totally forgot that I at least warm the foot for about 10 seconds first. Surely, that counts as "toasting". My, my, my. The things we forget.