Cigars Tips: What is retronasal? And umami? What is acclimatization? What are the differences in storage between Cuba and Non Cuba cigars?
What is "retronasal"?
This is one of the important cigar tips. Retronasal cigar enjoyment enhances the taste. What it is, why it works, and how to do it: you'll find the link below in the resources.
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 pacifier. Try this technique with a cigar. Very little smoke enters the mouth. But this passes over the tongue and goes right through the nose. I tried it on about 10 cigars before I mastered it. Please be very careful with this technique when practicing: the smoke got to the back of my larynx several times when I did this. It was really bad. But now that I can do it, it's an accomplished technique for enjoying a cigar.
What is umami?
This means "savory", "spicy", "essence", "meaty". This blending of taste sensations is perceived in the middle of the tongue.
Non Cuba cigars and the important acclimatization
This is one of the most important cigar tips: The fact is, you don't know when the cigar was imported and how long its resting period was at the importer. You also don't know how long the resting period was at the retailer. The cigars have a shock after their transport from the tropics to us in Europe. They have to acclimatize first. The industry is sales-oriented. The cigars have to get to the retail market quickly. Therefore, it can happen that they do not taste as they should.
Cuban cigars and the important maturation phase
This is among the very-most-important cigar tips:Cuban cigars are super tasty after rolling for the first 1 - 3 months. After that, the cigar begins to mature. The tobacco used is not ready for tasting. Cuba has too few resources. The tobacco cannot mature as long as it should. The cigars are rolled and have hardly any resting period. Depending on the brand and format, the maturation phase in the home humidor takes between 2 to over 8 years (or even longer). Very important: This is not a fault of the cigar.
Cuban cigars prefer storage no higher than 69%. At a conventional storage of about 72%, they become too moist and can lead to a strong draw resistance. This is not a fault of the cigars, but the Cuban tobacco does not like it too moist.
What is the Boxing Date of the cigar (BD)?
On the back of the box is a stamp. There you can see when the cigars were placed in the box. From this date Cuban cigars are excellent to taste within 1 - 3 months. If you did not buy a whole box, please ask your dealer for the boxing date.
Note: The boxing date can also be placed in other places. E.g. on the outer carton.
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 single cigar in a Zippo bag and put a small Boveda in it. Then you put it closed in the humidor. Cigars that are stored open without cellophane or a box lose their flavor very quickly.