Bitterness can really break down a cigar-tasting experience, especially when it’s unexpected. It can also leave a bitter taste in your mouth when you think about a certain cigar flavor or brand. Whether you are new to lighting up a stogie or have been enjoying cigars for years, you will, at some point, experience the dreaded bitterness from a smoke.

Cigar bitterness can occur because of many factors, but it can be the hard line in your cigar-smoking experience. However, you must remember this doesn’t necessarily begin with the cigar itself. Before lighting up your cigar, you need to consider why your cigar might taste bitter. This includes knowing or learning the best way to cut and light a cigar, puff on the smoke to make the most of it and avoid any disappointment.

If you experience any bitter-tasting notes, the first step is to review the storage and ensure the cigar has not dried out.

Remember, your humidor is there to preserve the quality and taste of cigars, giving you the best experience out of your chosen smoke. However, if you have experienced a bitter taste from a cigar stored in your humidor, this may be a sign you need to make a change.

Altering the humidity in the humidor is something you should consider. If your hygrometer reading is perfect and your cigars are still feeling or tasting a little unusual, there is a simple fix. You may need to add another Boveda pack or some distilled water to help. Double-check your gauge to ensure the reading is spot on, and once you feel the humidity is just right, you need to wait. Check the humidor once a day for a week or so, and you should start to notice life coming back to your cigars.

After checking your humidor, if you feel your cigar is not up to the usual standard, you can look at other factors. Here are some other potential causes of a bitter cigar.

Inefficient lighting

When lighting a cigar, some skill is required. You need to ensure you are using a top-quality lighter and a steady hand. This will allow you to light the cigar at the perfect angle and provide a reasonable distance from the cigar to gently toast it without setting the whole stick alight. The key to this is to invest in a good lighter. Do not use a cheap lower, quality butane lighter, as this can create a bad taste when you light your cigar.

Moist cigar head

When the cigar head is too wet, it can result in bitterness coming through when the cigar is lit. This can happen when you leave the cigar in your mouth for too long. Whether this is for a cold draw or just puffing in general, you want to avoid leaving it in your mouth for longer than you need. Try and ensure the cigar remains reasonably dry so it can provide you with sensational flavored notes and avoid any bitterness.

Over-puffing

Sadly, as much as puffing on your cigar is super enjoyable, doing so too frequently can result in the cigar being too hot. Overheating can result in an unexpected bitter taste, which can ruin your cigar-tasting experience. To enjoy your cigar to the fullest, you need to avoid over-puffing. It is thought that one puff per minute is the ideal amount and shouldn’t overheat the cigar.

Another method you could try is to ‘purge’ the cigar. This is when you blow air out and through the cigar instead of taking a puff. Doing so can remove any tar that may have built up and prevent any overpowering bitter flavors from seeping through. Once you have mastered avoiding over-puffing, you also need to consider your ashing technique. Having a well-maintained inch-long ash on the end of your cigar will improve your experience.

Food and drink pairings

It’s no secret that food and drink can impact your taste buds, leaving a heavy aftertaste that can be overwhelming. A strong aftertaste lingering on your palette can ruin your cigar, especially if it’s not a complementary flavor for the cigar you are smoking.

When you pair food and cigars together, the main goal is to enhance the flavoring of your cigars and your chosen dish. For example, when you want to smoke a full-bodied cigar, think of meat. The intense flavors of a full-bodied burn balances the heavy tastes and textures followed by steak or lamb. Seafood pairs nicely with light or medium-bodied cigars and can enhance the flavor to get the most out of your pairing experience.

As well as making the most of these fantastic food pairings, we should also consider that you can pair many different drinks with cigars, the most popular being whiskey, brandy, and rum. These spirits are a good match for cigars because they can enhance the flavor of your chosen smoke. However, drink pairings are not exclusive to alcohol, and great drinks to go with cigars also include coffee and tea.

Low-standard cigar

When it comes to smoking a cigar, it is a super enjoyable experience, tasting the variations of flavors at every draw. However, suppose you are still experiencing bitterness and not enjoying the cigar as well as you should after ruling out all of the above options. In that case, consider that the cigar you are smoking is just a low-standard cigar and lacks in quality.

Here at JR, we offer only the best premium cigars full of tasting notes for you to kick back and enjoy after a long day. Browse our online store to find your next perfect smoke.