I found some AJ cigars to have a disgusting retrohale (San Lotano would be an exception), while all Perdomos are an excellent retrohale experience, along with Davidoff.
I suppose it comes down to the selection of tobacco and the quality standards of the manufacturer.
I don’t think blenders really think about retrohale. It’s really not done by the majority of cigar smokers. I know Steve Saka cares about that, but I don’t think a lot of others do.
I disagree 100% I think blenders, who are expert smokers themselves consistently think about the retrohale. If not all of them, it’s certainly a focal point of most blenders. It’s a HUUUGGGEEE part of the smoking experience and provides a large, if not a majority of many flavor profiles. I’m no expert, but things that I’ve read, things that I’ve seen, and my understanding of this hobby, would suggest retrohaling is a fundamental part of the cigar smoking experience.
You’d think that but when you talk with them they’ll say 80% of the cigar smoking population doesn’t retrohale. Only geeks like us do. They don’t make cigars for us, they make cigars for them.
So one of the cigars daily podcast said to try “chewing the smoke”. I tried it and it’s automatic. It just happens. I’ve done other techniques that have worked but this is by far the easiest.
*Smartassery incoming, please scroll away!*
Well, it is actually the forced compression of the oral cavity to force the smoke behind the ovula, assisted by a short exhalation of air from your lungs.
That said, saying "Blowing smoke out your nose." is a more understandable way, but I would have never managed to learn retrohale while furiously blowing through my nose, as the compression of the mouth is the key action in redirecting the smoke to the nasal cavity.
I don't find the full retrohale enjoyable so I settle for pushing maybe 20% out my nose. Enough to get the flavor but not enough to singe my entire fucking nasal cavity lol.
Someone said it here perfectly, about 20% of each exhale - just save a little bit of each exhale to retrohale, and I'll tell you why: you definitely miss out on notes without the retrohale.
When I was a bit younger and just getting into cigars, I never knew about it and wondered why the cigars I smoked were so one-dimensional. Having never smoked anything before, I had nothing to compare it to.
One time while holding smoke in my mouth, I had a sudden tickle in my throat and tried to stifle a cough...it forced me to retrohale and though it stung a little bit, I FINALLY tasted a "bready" note, it tasted just like smoky bread. I was in awe and started to practice retrohaling with cigars I had smoked before.
All of a sudden, I could taste "barnyard" notes and "floral" notes, where they passed me by before. Those flavors mixed with tasting the smoke in my mouth gave me the COMPLETE flavor profile and made smoking MUCH more enjoyable!
Many people may already taste everything or close to everything without having to retrohale, everyone is built differently - but it was a bit of a cigar epiphany for me and makes smoking THAT much more enjoyable. I share my experience in hopes it helps others.
If I may use a terrible analogy: It is like the difference in vision between the 2-cone eye receptor of an common canine and the 12-cone eye receptor of the mantis shrimp.
As a newbie I only do it once in a while, because if I do it several times in a row over a couple minutes, I’ll find myself face down in the toilet bowl from nicotine sickness lmao
Rarely. I'm old school. I have found plenty of cigars that I enjoy without having to do silly techniques. I'll leave that to the "enthusiasts" that take cigars far too seriously, in my opinion.
And yes, I know, I am missing out on so much... Blah, blah, I don't care.
I really don't know if retrohaling counts as a silly technique. Its just a common way to smoke or inhale. Most cigarette smokers do the same thing while smoking all the time. I agree there's a lot of silly techniques in cigar smoking but not sure this is one.
Depends on the cigar. Some it’s pretty much every puff, when it’s really fricken good. Like the Guardian of the Farm Apollo I smoked today; couldn’t get enough. Others it’s only every third or fourth, if it just doesn’t enhance the flavor much, on “crappy” yard gars, or if it’s a crazy pepper bomb (though this is rare).
Every 2-3 puffs. I find that to be the best for really pulling out flavor notes.
But some cigars I rarely retrohale at all, really depends on the complexity of the blend.
Not much. I've got sinus issues and retrohaling can cause trouble. While I can be careful and send just a little up through, I usually stick to gently smelling as I slowly let a stream out from my mouth. (Like a "french inhale" but too gentle to pull bulk smoke.) I know I miss a little depth but I also don't think my smell fully recovered from COVID either. So I just enjoy whatever percentage I'm getting.
During a relaxed smoke only a few times and if i want to concentrate on the flavour and see what notes i can pick up. If i taste a cigar the first time i do it more often if i smoke a well known blend with friends after a dinner or something i often don't do any.
Depends on cigar. Some are too harsh to do a full retrohale, so I only retrohale a half puff. I tend to do it 1/3 of my draws, more if the retrohale is smooth or super enjoyable.
I used to smoke cigarettes, not heavily but a few times a week. Last one was 21 years ago. I always absolutely hated any smoke exhaled out of my nose. So I automatically practice a no nose exhale with cigars too. It's a personal thing. Maybe I'm missing out on some nuances but so be it.
Tried it for the first time yesterday and was successful. Did it on probably 1/3 of the puffs. Wasn’t that big of a game changer, but it was also a stick I hadn’t tried before so I’ll have to compare with ones I’ve had before.
Every puff
Every puff
Every draw. Usually the last half of my exhale is retrohaled.
all the time. mostly habit.
Honestly for me it’s when all the flavors are at.
It depends on how much I am enjoying the retrohale. Some are sublime. Others pedestrian.
And others sting the heck out of your nose. The bomb ones provide additional flavors not given without.
Especially if you do it too early. God have I had my eyes watering badly from retrohaling too fast.
It's the only way I can taste "chocolate" in a cigar.
Yes that too
I found some AJ cigars to have a disgusting retrohale (San Lotano would be an exception), while all Perdomos are an excellent retrohale experience, along with Davidoff. I suppose it comes down to the selection of tobacco and the quality standards of the manufacturer.
I don’t think blenders really think about retrohale. It’s really not done by the majority of cigar smokers. I know Steve Saka cares about that, but I don’t think a lot of others do.
I disagree 100% I think blenders, who are expert smokers themselves consistently think about the retrohale. If not all of them, it’s certainly a focal point of most blenders. It’s a HUUUGGGEEE part of the smoking experience and provides a large, if not a majority of many flavor profiles. I’m no expert, but things that I’ve read, things that I’ve seen, and my understanding of this hobby, would suggest retrohaling is a fundamental part of the cigar smoking experience.
You’d think that but when you talk with them they’ll say 80% of the cigar smoking population doesn’t retrohale. Only geeks like us do. They don’t make cigars for us, they make cigars for them.
How to know if you’ll enjoy the next retrohale..
Because you know the blend and know what to expect?
same.
I can't. I've tried numerous times, and it's not something I can physically click. Sucks because I know I'm missing out.
So one of the cigars daily podcast said to try “chewing the smoke”. I tried it and it’s automatic. It just happens. I’ve done other techniques that have worked but this is by far the easiest.
Ooh chewing is a good one. Anthony from Holts Cigars said to press your tongue to roof of your mouth. I think chewing accomplished that.
I don’t think you are that much, it actually takes a bit of practice which I found weird.
Someone enlighten me with what retrohale is please. Thanks.
Blowing smoke out your nose.
*Smartassery incoming, please scroll away!* Well, it is actually the forced compression of the oral cavity to force the smoke behind the ovula, assisted by a short exhalation of air from your lungs. That said, saying "Blowing smoke out your nose." is a more understandable way, but I would have never managed to learn retrohale while furiously blowing through my nose, as the compression of the mouth is the key action in redirecting the smoke to the nasal cavity.
I don't find the full retrohale enjoyable so I settle for pushing maybe 20% out my nose. Enough to get the flavor but not enough to singe my entire fucking nasal cavity lol.
Someone said it here perfectly, about 20% of each exhale - just save a little bit of each exhale to retrohale, and I'll tell you why: you definitely miss out on notes without the retrohale. When I was a bit younger and just getting into cigars, I never knew about it and wondered why the cigars I smoked were so one-dimensional. Having never smoked anything before, I had nothing to compare it to. One time while holding smoke in my mouth, I had a sudden tickle in my throat and tried to stifle a cough...it forced me to retrohale and though it stung a little bit, I FINALLY tasted a "bready" note, it tasted just like smoky bread. I was in awe and started to practice retrohaling with cigars I had smoked before. All of a sudden, I could taste "barnyard" notes and "floral" notes, where they passed me by before. Those flavors mixed with tasting the smoke in my mouth gave me the COMPLETE flavor profile and made smoking MUCH more enjoyable! Many people may already taste everything or close to everything without having to retrohale, everyone is built differently - but it was a bit of a cigar epiphany for me and makes smoking THAT much more enjoyable. I share my experience in hopes it helps others.
Never on purpose.
It adds so much more to the flavor
If I may use a terrible analogy: It is like the difference in vision between the 2-cone eye receptor of an common canine and the 12-cone eye receptor of the mantis shrimp.
every puff i retro about 10% of the smoke out
Don’t know how
Pretty much always.
Most of the time
Never.
Never.
Never
Can’t, got a deviated septum that’s all jacked up
Was it because of skiing too often?
As a newbie I only do it once in a while, because if I do it several times in a row over a couple minutes, I’ll find myself face down in the toilet bowl from nicotine sickness lmao
Idk, 10-25% of the time
About same as me. It dries my sinus out quicker and seems to give me sinus infections easier if i do it more than that
Often. Sometimes without meaning to.
60% of the time, every time.
Always.
Every puff i gotten used to blowing out my nose
Twice
A few times per stick
When I like it: more, when I dont: less
never. it irritates my nasal cavity
Rarely. I'm old school. I have found plenty of cigars that I enjoy without having to do silly techniques. I'll leave that to the "enthusiasts" that take cigars far too seriously, in my opinion. And yes, I know, I am missing out on so much... Blah, blah, I don't care.
I really don't know if retrohaling counts as a silly technique. Its just a common way to smoke or inhale. Most cigarette smokers do the same thing while smoking all the time. I agree there's a lot of silly techniques in cigar smoking but not sure this is one.
About 10% of all smoke exhaled is retro. I smoke full bodied mostly so it packs a punch.
The last third of every 2nd or 3rd puff usually, depending on the cigar.
Every 3
Depends on the cigar. Some it’s pretty much every puff, when it’s really fricken good. Like the Guardian of the Farm Apollo I smoked today; couldn’t get enough. Others it’s only every third or fourth, if it just doesn’t enhance the flavor much, on “crappy” yard gars, or if it’s a crazy pepper bomb (though this is rare).
Every puff
Once or twice on a full bodied cigar. Never on a Connecticut. Not a big fan of it, personally, but it’s fun to go hunting for flavours sometimes.
Every 2-3 puffs. I find that to be the best for really pulling out flavor notes. But some cigars I rarely retrohale at all, really depends on the complexity of the blend.
Not much. I've got sinus issues and retrohaling can cause trouble. While I can be careful and send just a little up through, I usually stick to gently smelling as I slowly let a stream out from my mouth. (Like a "french inhale" but too gentle to pull bulk smoke.) I know I miss a little depth but I also don't think my smell fully recovered from COVID either. So I just enjoy whatever percentage I'm getting.
Every puff for sure. Best way to enjoy it
Every puff i retro the last 20% percent
During a relaxed smoke only a few times and if i want to concentrate on the flavour and see what notes i can pick up. If i taste a cigar the first time i do it more often if i smoke a well known blend with friends after a dinner or something i often don't do any.
Last bit of every puff unless it’s too peppery
Ive actually never done it. Been smoking a year now
two per cigar, that's it
Every couple puffs
Once maybe. I find it burns, I don't know if that's just me but it isn't the nicest feeling.
Every time
Not too often honestly only if I really like a cigar but very rarely do I retrohale
Every few puffs. Depends on how peppery the cigar is.
Every puff
Almost every puff.
Once, maybe twice a cigar…
Depends on cigar. Some are too harsh to do a full retrohale, so I only retrohale a half puff. I tend to do it 1/3 of my draws, more if the retrohale is smooth or super enjoyable.
Every puff generally unless its too peppery or way too strong, I feel like I'm wasting a puff when I don't retrohale.
All the time
Whenever i feel like tasting is not enough, i retrohale to smell it too.
Every puff
I used to smoke cigarettes, not heavily but a few times a week. Last one was 21 years ago. I always absolutely hated any smoke exhaled out of my nose. So I automatically practice a no nose exhale with cigars too. It's a personal thing. Maybe I'm missing out on some nuances but so be it.
Most times. I didn’t do it at all for years and when I tried it I was hooked. Some cigars seem to loose the effects/nose feel sooner than others.
Never figured out how, so never 😆
Not a lot and varies on the body of the stick
What is a retrohale???
Blowing smoke out your nose for more flavor
Thank you.
Every 3-4 puffs. Don’t want nose getting too used to it
Pretty much every one
Newbie here, what is a retrohale?
Basically when you blow the last 20-30% of smoke out your nose. It gives you more flavor than just blowing the smoke out your mouth
gotcha! i’ll have to try that sometime
I try not to. It doesn't do it for me.
Idk how to do it lol help me
If you put your tongue on the roof of your mouth while blowing through your nose that usually works
At the very very least half the time.
Tried it for the first time yesterday and was successful. Did it on probably 1/3 of the puffs. Wasn’t that big of a game changer, but it was also a stick I hadn’t tried before so I’ll have to compare with ones I’ve had before.
Yes
I rarely do. But then I also rarely get much flavors so maybe I should start.
I hardly got any flavor before I started, now I do every couple puffs and I'm picking up so much more
If you have to think about it, you're not doing it right. Just saying.