If you smoke a lot of different cigars, at some point, you’ll need to purge. If you’ve never heard the term, you may ask, “What is cigar purging?” It doesn’t mean you have to get rid of some of your cigars, purging is merely expelling bad chemicals out of a cigar, usually which build up in the cap — where your lips and mouth go. It’s a simple concept, and learning how to do it is fairly straightforward. The real complexity comes into play when you consider the “why,” and we’re going to explore that a little. But first, let’s talk about how to purge a cigar.
How to purge a cigar for a more enjoyable experience
Typically, when you smoke a cigar, you’re puffing or taking in the smoke and exhaling — or retrohaling, which I always recommend. When your mouth is on the cigar, for lack of a better term, you’re sucking in. Purging involves doing the opposite for a short while. You put your mouth on the cap of the cigar and blow out, but only lightly. You’re not trying to explode the tobacco packed inside the cigar out the foot.
You don’t want to blow haphazardly, though. Before you do it, make sure you tap any loose ash into an ashtray so it won’t blow all over the place. Second, if the cigar is lit, give it a little time to cool before purging so you’re not increasing the heat and flame inside. If it’s not lit, and we’ll talk about why in a bit, you don’t have to worry about that.
As you smoke a cigar, especially stronger full-bodied blends, tar and stale smoke can build up in the head. That’s especially true if you’ve left a lot of saliva on the wrapper. Sometimes, it happens if you’re smoking fast or drawing too often. Usually, you’ll know if there’s tar because the cigar will taste more bitter than usual, and you may even see thick, brown residue on your fingers. I have also had situations where a cigar tasted like chemicals, with an ammonia scent or something particularly offputting. Purging can help with that, for the most part.
Why purge your cigar(s)?
There are a couple of valid reasons, and this is a big point I wanted to make. The obvious reason we’ve already touched on is that tar or nasty flavors and chemicals have built up in the head, and you want to reset, so to speak, and get back to those natural flavors. Some even recommend doing a quick purge before lighting the cigar for the first time, especially if it’s been aged. Personally, I don’t do it unless it’s needed, but as with all things cigars, it’s all about your preferences.
Another reason why people might purge their cigars, and this one is quite a bit more controversial, is because they are relighting. Within reason, it’s best to finish a cigar in one sitting, but that’s not always possible. Some people get pulled away because of an emergency, others prefer not to sit for hours and finish an entire cigar, and some just change their minds after they start. Whatever the case, relighting your cigar is possible if done right. I don’t recommend it, but purging is a great way to go about it.
To relight and purge a cooled cigar, start by cutting the ash off slightly behind the burn line. A quarter of an inch behind the burn line is probably too much, but don’t go further than that. Before lighting, purge the cigar to push all the nasty tar and smoke buildup further in. If you’re comfortable, you can take a cold draw to see if you’re still tasting bitter flavors. When you’re satisfied, relight as normal and then continue smoking.
Do you ever purge lit cigars?
Just like many disagree with relighting cigars, me included, some will advise against purging a lit cigar. I’m not one of those people. In fact, I often purge cigars that I’m smoking depending on the flavors I’m tasting or what I’m experiencing. It won’t fix the burn issues you encounter, and a dry or over-humidified cigar will give you bad flavors — purging won’t fix that either.
As I’ve said, however, sometimes I’ll light a cigar with a strong chemical or tar taste, and purging helps even while lit. Just make sure you let the cigar cool a little before doing it. Don’t purge immediately after a long draw or puff.
Why does it work? You’re essentially blowing fresh oxygen into and through the cigar, pushing some of those unwanted flavor contaminants toward the foot. I’m not sure if there’s proven science behind it, but it definitely works.
Caveat emptor: sometimes, there’s no saving a bad-tasting or poorly constructed cigar, including those with lots of tar build-up. It’s entirely possible to ruin a cigar by injecting too much of your own saliva, as well, so keep that in mind. I will never understand why some folks chew on their cigars either, but hey, to each their own. The point is, just know that purging will not always fix everything. It’s never a bad idea to give it a try before tossing a cigar, and if it goes back to those pleasant flavors you were experiencing, then fantastic. But it’s not a miracle process. Or, maybe it is, what the hell do I know?
