In the most literal sense, the cigar is a tube. With each puff, we draw smoke into this tube where it remains until it is replaced by the next puff. This means the cigar is always filled with the smoke of our previous draw. This is usually not a problem becuase the smoke doesn’t reside there very long. But when we put the cigar down, the stagnant interior smoke can taste awful when we resume smoking. This is where purging can help. If you are going to put the cigar down for any length of time, it’s a good idea to first blow out any smoke that is trapped within the stick. Now, when the cigar is re-lit, the new puff will be of freshly burned tobacco.
Purging is also useful to keep the cigar tasting fresh as we get near its nub. If a cigar starts to turn bitter, a little bit of purging can go a long way towards restoring its flavor.
