Expert: James Yee - 6/17/2008

Question
HellO!  Sorry if this is an offensive question, but I consider myself a new smoker, but not a COMPLETE newbie (2 yrs smoking, still learning).  I like to smoke Padron'64's, and Ashton Classic Maddies.  When I smoke, I feel like I need to "spit", as there seems to be an excess level of saliva builing up in my mouth.  Is this normal?  It's almost like I am using chewing tobacco, and I have to "spit" every once in a while.  If this is something completely unheard of to you, I guess I'll just have to learn to accept the taste in the saliva.

Answer
Hi Dennis,

Don't worry, it's perfectly natural to have an urge to spit when you smoke cigars.  When you smoke a cigar, what happens is that your mouth becomes hot and dry plus the saliva in your mouth mixes with the tobacco and creates a strong residue which lingers on the head of the cigar and in your mouth.  This harsh-tasting residue irritates our mouths and naturally makes us want to spit.  

What you can do to fix this is to slow down your smoking pace.  When people smoke too fast, the cigar will burn too hot and this causes the harsh tobacco residue to buildup more quickly in our mouths.  By smoking your cigar at a slower and more relaxed pace, you are less likely to drool on your cigar and the cigar will not burn so hot.  This will make the cigar taste much better, burn longer and be more enjoyable.  The general rule of thumb for novice smokers is to take one draw/puff per minute while experienced smokers should take no more than 2-3 draws/puffs per minute.  

Also, to keep your mouth cool and refreshed while you smoke, try sipping ice water or a cold and sweet beverage while you smoke.  This will keep your mouth cool and refreshed so the harsh residue taste will be less noticeable.  Cold ice water will keep your palate neutral and your mouth refreshed and this will really help you taste the cigar.  For people who have a sweet-tooth, sweet beverages such as soda (7up or Coca Cola works well) will also neutralize the harsh taste in your mouth.

Hopes this answers your question. If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James