The Half Ashed Cigar Forum

So, as I sit and pontificate this morning I'm wondering about draw resistance. This spun off last night's cigar of the week, which was a bit tighter than optimal for my particular tastes - although within serviceable tolerance. Do some manufacturers or even countries of origin have a different "norm" or goal for draw resistance. I know some use the Drawmaster machines (albeit often without calibration, which can make them kinda pointless).

I hear lots of people - LOTS - complain that Cuban cigars are commonly too tight. I haven't had a terribly high number that were "too" tight, but they do seem to be frequently tighter than I'm accustomed to. It could make one (who is not accustomed) perceive that the smoke production is sparse, which can lead to over-puffing and charring the tobacco. Is this why the same folks complaining about the Cuban draw don't care for the flavor profile? Are they just compensating their cadence because it's tighter than what they typically smoke? Do the Cuban torcedores simply have a preference for tighter cigars? Do other countries just prefer them generally more open? Is draw simply yet another subjective aspect of the hobby? If it's anything short of plugged, is there a smoker out there who likes it?

No. Tight draws are a complete drag (pun intended). You lose flavor, have to work way too hard, they tend to go out, and there's way too little smoke. Other than that, though, I guess they're perfect.

What I meant, was whether or not "too" tight is more subjective. Is one person's "too tight" another's "just right?" Do some countries/cultures/torcedores just have a tighter preference? Who/what decides what too tight is - besides individual preference?

Kip wrote:What I meant, was whether or not "too" tight is more subjective. Is one person's "too tight" another's "just right?" Do some countries/cultures/torcedores just have a tighter preference? Who/what decides what too tight is - besides individual preference?

Of course, it's subjective. When in doubt, always follow my opinion. It's safer that way...

Kip wrote:So, as I sit and pontificate this morning I'm wondering about draw resistance. This spun off last night's cigar of the week, which was a bit tighter than optimal for my particular tastes - although within serviceable tolerance. Do some manufacturers or even countries of origin have a different "norm" or goal for draw resistance. I know some use the Drawmaster machines (albeit often without calibration, which can make them kinda pointless).

I hear lots of people - LOTS - complain that Cuban cigars are commonly too tight. I haven't had a terribly high number that were "too" tight, but they do seem to be frequently tighter than I'm accustomed to. It could make one (who is not accustomed) perceive that the smoke production is sparse, which can lead to over-puffing and charring the tobacco. Is this why the same folks complaining about the Cuban draw don't care for the flavor profile? Are they just compensating their cadence because it's tighter than what they typically smoke? Do the Cuban torcedores simply have a preference for tighter cigars? Do other countries just prefer them generally more open? Is draw simply yet another subjective aspect of the hobby? If it's anything short of plugged, is there a smoker out there who likes it?

While I can't offer up an educated guess as to "preference" on a Macro level I will say that you are on to something about the smoker overheating tighter rolls. I truly believe that overheating tobacco from a tight or loose draw is a huge negative impact with unfamiliar smokers. You are 100% right, in my book.