Cigar tips: What is retronasal? And umami? What is acclimatisation? What are the differences in storage between Cuba and non-Cuba cigars?

What is „retronasal“?

This is one of the most important cigar tips. Retronasal cigar enjoyment enhances the flavour. What it is, why it works and how to do it: you'll find the link in the resources section below.

What is the „R+ ZiZo vacuum technology“?

This is the consummate pleasure of a cigar. Hard to describe. I'll try. Here's an example: a baby sucking on a dummy. Try this technique with a cigar. Very little smoke gets into the mouth. But it passes over the tongue and goes straight through the nose. I tried it with about 10 cigars before I mastered it. Please be very careful with this technique when practising: the smoke hit the back of my larynx several times. That was really bad. But now that I can do it, it's a perfect technique for enjoying a cigar.

What is umami?

This means „savouriness“, „spicy“, „essence“, „meaty“. This mixture of taste sensations is perceived on the centre of the tongue.

Cigar tips / Tongue flavour perception — The tongue and the perception of flavour. Umami„ is in the centre of the tongue.

Non Cuba cigars and the important acclimatisation

This is one of the most important cigar tips: The fact is, you don't know when the cigar was imported and how long it rested with the importer. You also don't know how long the resting period was at the retailer. The cigars have a shock after being transported from the tropics to us in Europe. They have to acclimatise first. The industry is sales-orientated. The cigars have to be sold quickly. Therefore, they may not taste as they should.

Cuban cigars and the important ageing phase

This is one of the most important cigar tips: Cuban cigars are super tasty for the first 1 - 3 months after rolling. After that, the cigar begins to mature. The tobacco used is not yet ready for tasting. Cuba has too few resources. The tobacco cannot mature as long as it should. The cigars are rolled and hardly have a resting phase. Depending on the brand and format, the maturing phase in the humidor at home takes between 2 and over 8 years (or even longer). Very important: this is not a fault of the cigar.

Cuban cigars prefer to be stored no higher than 69%. With a conventional storage of approx. 72%, they become too moist and can lead to a strong draw resistance. This is not a fault of the cigars, but Cuban tobacco does not like it too moist.

Cigars.zone Social Network: What it offers you — The two cabinet humidors contain only Cuba cigars. They are stored at approx. 67% humidity.

What is the boxing date of the cigar (BD)?

There is a stamp on the back of the box. There you can see when the cigars were placed in the box. From this point onwards, Cuban cigars are excellent for tasting within 1 - 3 months. If you have not bought a whole box, please ask your retailer for the boxing date.

Note: The boxing date can also be affixed in other places. E.g. on the outer carton.

Secret of the outer box — The boxing date is on the outer box. The boxing date is sometimes missing on the boxes when an outer box is in play.

If you buy single copies

Place the cigar with the cellophane in the humidor. If your cigar does not have cellophane: Put them in tubos and then in the humidor. Or you can put the individual cigars in a Zippo bag and put a small Boveda inside. You then seal it and place it in the humidor. Cigars that are stored open without cellophane or a box lose their flavour very quickly.