Cigar bitterness

[calcmandan]

Typically, when my cigar turns bitter and unenjoyable it is my signal that it's done. Have you ever powered through the bitterness and found a nice finish?

Just wondering, kthx.

Sent from my SM-T720 using Tapatalk

[josh lucky 13]

Are you getting any tar? I occasionally get some tar but I find a little trim a purge helps

[FidelCastro]

There are some reasons as to why a cigar turns bitter....ammonia....not enough rest...humidity is too high. Sick periods are sometimes a common culprit and if the other two reasons kick in you'll barely have half the cigar to enjoy. I've found with enough rest and a stable RH one can nub the cigar most of the time. I pretty much nub 90% most of my cigars as I don't buy them just to smoke half of it....call me crazy.

[Kidvegas]

There are some reasons as to why a cigar turns bitter....ammonia....not enough rest...humidity is too high. Sick periods are sometimes a common culprit and if the other two reasons kick in you'll barely have half the cigar to enjoy. I've found with enough rest and a stable RH one can nub the cigar most of the time. I pretty much nub 90% most of my cigars as I don't buy them just to smoke half of it....call me crazy.

This ^^^ about sums it up! Although I'd add that smoking too fast will definitely add some bitterness.

Sent from The Cauldron Of Insanity

[Emperor Zurg]

I've never smoked thru a bitter period and ended up with a decent finish. Not with a cigar anyway. I've tried it a few times and the thing just got more and more nasty with every puff. A pipe is a different story though. Sometimes you can hit a harsh spot that will eventually settle down and become enjoyable again. I wouldn't call it bitter though, just harsh.

[calcmandan]

I've never smoked thru a bitter period and ended up with a decent finish. Not with a cigar anyway. I've tried it a few times and the thing just got more and more nasty with every puff. A pipe is a different story though. Sometimes you can hit a harsh spot that will eventually settle down and become enjoyable again. I wouldn't call it bitter though, just harsh.

I typically don't get harshness from most my cigars. But if I do it is usually the same brand and model. Like you, I find pipes are a bit more foregiving. And I've seen cigars just get more nasty.

Sent from my SM-T720 using Tapatalk

[SoCal gunner]

Typically, when my cigar turns bitter and unenjoyable it is my signal that it's done. Have you ever powered through the bitterness and found a nice finish?

Just wondering, kthx.

Sent from my SM-T720 using Tapatalk

I've powered through a few times - some because it was a "premium" cigar, others because it was my only cigar on a trip. And no, they didnt get better. In fact if anything they got worse and then you're left with that bitter lining on the roof of your mouth.
Nowadays, they get tossed. I've learned to pack more and care less about the band.

[CentralTimeSmoke]

When I was still a newbie, I ran into this issue a lot for mostly three reasons: buying crappy cigars, not letting my cigars rest and spending WAY TOO long thinking that 70RH was preferable.

After a lot of trial and error, I now only find myself having to pitch a cigar maybe once or twice a year. Over the years, I've come to figure out which "budget" cigars are actually worth a damn and which are dog turds--and I pretty religiously stick to known commodities. I also let all my internet purchases rest for a minimum of three months, no exceptions. I've wasted too many cigars by smoking them ROTT.

If you stick to quality cigar brands and let them rest adequately, you really shouldn't have issues with "bitter" cigars. And no, they won't get any better as you smoke them. The reason cigars need so long to acclimate is because the humidity needs to make its way down the open foot to the closed cap. I've smoked cigars that I have rested for only a month and they've turned acrid at the halfway point--because they're halfway acclimated. Patience is rewarded in this hobby.