I've searced all messages on this board, and have done a Google search on imbuing cigars and have't really found any usable info. I'd like to try this, but isn't the process more than just setting a glass of my favorite liquor inside a sealed container with the cigars I want to flavor? I've seen the posts here, with pictures, showing that being done, but manufactures like Gurkha and the Maker Mark cigars talk about the "complex process". Just letting the sticks set in a box filled with liquored air dosen't seem to complex to me. Any help?

I've been thinking about this also. Most serious cigar smokers stay away from doing this. This is because when you become a lover of cigars - you appreciate the masterful blend of exquisite tobacco and the pure flavors that it provides - and trying to "imbue" it will only screw this up. This has me wondering why the Gurkha Platinum and the Anejo are so good. I know the anejo is only slightly conditioned with the cognac, so maybe that's why it turns out so good. Anyway - there are two ways to "imbue" (I've never heard someone use this term) - you can infuse the leaves by actually spraying them with the liquor/substance - the Gurkhas are triple infused? i think. or you can condition/season them by either placing the liquid in the box with them and letting the humidification process do the trick - or like the anejo - put them in the cognac oak barrels and let them soak it up that way - I'm thinking the degree of flavor goes from greatest to least with these three methods respectively. I know some try flavoring dog rockets and turn some bad sticks into "ok" sticks. but I wouldn't try it on good ones... but that's just MHO

mrkmitch
Here's my .02, cigars, such as the one we smoke, are IMHO not to be marinated with anytype of flavor. The tobacco of this cigars has been carefully picked and aged to achive a very specific flavor. Mixing these cigars with , whisky, rum, etc, will most definately get rid of some of those flavors that the cigars blenders worked so hard on achieving.
IMHO if you want to smoke good tobacco that has wisky, rum,etc, flavors, why don't you give pipes a try. I have been smoking pipes and they are great. I ussually keep a few flavors in my rotation, a mild aromatic, a medium slight aromatic, and a full bodied english blend. Pipe tobacco is indeed very tastee and enjoyable. I smoke pipes in my car, out in public, basically when other people might get offended, the flavor of pipe tobacco is excellent and the aroma is great. Now I will never ever trade a cigar for a pipe, I love my cigars and I prefer them over a pipe, but I will not give up the pipe, my .02!!

coma: do you know of any pipe tobacs that taste like CIGARS? i've got about a dozen blends of flavored tobacco for my pipes, but i'd love to try something that's not rum, vanilla, cherry, peach, etc.

influsing flavors into cigars: i have a couple of very nice but extremely boring cigars that i want to experiment with. vanilla's my thing, and i want to take some high-grade vanilla from my wife's kitchen (shhhh... don't tell!) and play around with getting that flavor and/or aroma at least SLIGHTLY into the cigar. any rec's on how to do this in particular?

also, i really enjoy camel cremas but no way can i plunk down $4 per pack. so i'd like to try the same with regular ol' marlboros or something i can get on special for a buck a pack at my cheapie store.

antonio

! he said the "C" word!....I mean ...the OTHER "c" word...

This is just something I wanted to try with some of my cheap 'yard gars'. Since we're in the part of the year where there isn't any yard work to do I thought I might try this. Not really hoping to make them great cigars, and I'm not a fan of flavored usually, but I had recently had a couple of Gurkha Platinum (triple infused)and thought they were interesting, for something different. Figured since I'm into the 'cabin fever' time of year I'd try doing something with a few of my 'el cheapos'. I have read about the cask conditioning as one method, which would parallel the glass of liquor in the humidor method (I think). I'm not sure about the injection methods. I'm sure you don't want to start out with a 'wet' cigar and let them dry up to proper humidification, but I just don't know. Dipping and/ or spraying are other methods, but there too I'm not sure how 'wet' you want to get them before you start curing. Does anyone know of a source that gives more detailed explanations for these methods(book, web site)?
Thanks for all the info offered.