Quote Originally Posted by zabhatton View Post
I begin smoking MUCH MUCH slower, when the cigar becomes harsh toward the end. I find smoking slower keeps the cigar cooler and it helps with the harshness - a lot.

Ultimately, I let my palate determine how often should be puffing. I find its ultimately about taking a puff at the absolute last moment before the possibility of ruining the burn, or having the cigar go out.

Also, I find keeping a bit of an ash helps quite a bit.
I find that last bit interesting. I always try to keep my ash on. But I guess there could be those who keep it knocked off and such. Keeping the cherry exposed would make it more susceptible to wind and other factors and could lead to it burning hotter than with the ash on.