As I’m sitting here with a glass of Diet Dr Pepper, an Ashton Aged Maduro #40 and my vape filled with some fruity-creamy flavored juice, I’m reflecting on how to really enjoy and appreciate the flavors of a cigar. It’s taken a while, but I’ve started finding the flavor nuances between leaves and I’d like to discuss my thoughts and hear others as well.

First off, I feel like the most important step to appreciating a cigar is knowing where to look for flavors. A cigar is a celebration of bitter flavors. Don’t look for sugars like milk chocolate or cherries in an unflavored cigar, concentrate on the bitter sensors in your pallet.

Consider the leaf. Those of us who live in northern climates look forward to fall when the leaves lie crispy and brown on the grass. There’s a distinct, pleasant smell to the air. A subtle bitterness. Think of the smell of an old library with dusty books.

If you look for sweet flavors or thicker smoke like when you’re smoking ribs, you won’t find them and you’ll ignore the spectrum of bitter flavors.

This is why sweets pair so well with cigars. A sweet soda, a piece of candy, a sweet vape. They cleanse the pallet and refresh it between puffs like a sorbet between dinner courses.

I also think this is why I like light and full bodied cigars, much like how I like IPAs and pilsners or heavy red wines and sweet whites. You need contrast to enjoy the full course, and a cigar should be the main attraction but needs side dishes to utilize and awaken the other parts of the tongue.