Stinky stogies. As cigar smokers, this isn't just a stigma that we must live with every day, but a reality that we must both recognize and respect.
Sure, there's always going to be that one person at the party who's bound to bitch about the aroma of your boutique premium cigar blend. But this is likely the same individual who whined about the texture of the shrimp while in the buffet line. Some people just like to complain. Le sigh...
Bitchy party guests aside, there is some merit to the common conception that cigars stink, because, well... they kind of do on occasion.
The reason why certain stogies are so much more pungent than others has everything to do with the types of tobacco being used in the blend and the fermentation process these leaves undergo.
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Bred in a Barn: Why Certain Tobacco Strains Stink
Certain strains of tobacco like Connecticut Broadleaf, Brazilian Mata Fina, Mexican San Andres, and even Ecuadorian Sumatran leaf excel at turning into heavily fermented maduro wrapper leaves.
But with this controlled form of composting comes a bold byproduct: Barnyard smells.
In extreme cases, everything from manure and leaf mulch, to wet hay, animal stench, and loamy, composted soil can be detected to some degree or another. It's rare, as typically a stinky stogie will only harbor a couple of these attributes, but sometimes a certain stick will bring the whole barnyard to your doorstep.
On the bright side, there is also typically a ton of chocolate, coffee, woodiness, spice, and malt-like flavors and aromas to offset these organic aromatics.
Coffee and chocolate blended mocha cigar anyone? This is precisely why so many of us adore a darker cigar and tend to look past the occasional whiff of ruminant.
Not into bold barnyard cigar smells or the whole maduro side of the scenario? Stick with a lighter, shade-grown tobacco varietal or a mellow Cameroon cigar wrapper. There is plenty to enjoy within these cigar types that is not nearly as offensive to those around you.