A Quick Note on Breathing & Tasting

I figured I'd write a quick post, as I take a break from my shameless attempts at procuring free cigars, chocolate, brandy/sherry, coffee, et cetera. I'm on a shoestring here, don't judge. Plus, I'm good for it.

Ya know what else I'm good for? Advice. My advice is so good, it's oft sought. Oft 'nuff, anyways. A certain piece of advice I'm oft sought for is something along the lines of nascent smokers asking various forms of how they might taste more from their cigars.

I cannot teach palate any more than charisma -- though I do admit to having my share of each. I have been a chef, I have been a comic, there have been overlappings.

Remember that Ted Williams was a terrible batting instructor. I do have one simple bit of advice in getting more taste out of your stogie that I was astounded, quite frankly, needed said --

Breathe.

I ain't even talking retro-haling here. I am talking friggin' breathe. As in allow the smoke into your smoke-hole and allow it to sit there sans the holding of your breath. How many times must I equate cigar smoking with meditation? In meditation, as in smoking, 90% of it is half mental -- thanks, Yogi. Man, I find me in a baseball mood.

How many folks are smoking cigars and tasting nothing whilest holding their breathes, blue-faced? One is too many. Get the good stuff up into your sinuses, gentlepersons.

You know when you're a kid and you have to take medicine and it tastes terrible, so your mom tells you to hold your nose? Me either, but it is indeed a thing.

Remember what Eddie Vedder famously said, "Stay with me. Just breathe."

If it helps, you can also recall the wise words of Kurt Cobain, "wihds89isq, kd=jqn2no@ iojdsnhk 28n *&mmm." ...

Although I fail to see any help there, personally.