The Pleasures of Smoking

BY ALFRED H. DUN1JR L XCEPT for a small minority of men who must almost be called connois- seurs, the practice of smoking, which has never been more popular, is rapidly becom- ing a lost art. Perhaps the diminutive, paper- covered cigar, which thrilst its way into the story at the time of the Crimean War, is largely responsible for this. For many who devour cigarettes by the gross are ready to admit that smoking to them is little more than a nervous habit which somehow, some- time, must be given up. Far from reaching the exquisite pleasures which tobacco has to offer, smoking for such people, it seems, is nothing more than a means of putting an end to the agony of not smoking. And these unhappy folk, I submit, have never lived. Certainly they have never smoked as our grandfathers understood the gentle art.

This tragedy is certainly not explained by the lamentably high cost of tobacco. As I have tried to argue elsewhere*, a man who smokes at all can afford to vary the way in which he smokes and to learn a little about the precious plan for which he is prepared to pay so much. But having spent my adult life in an attempt to understand the tastes and caprices of smokers, I am convinced that a little sound knowledge of tobacco is precisely what most of them lack. Though many are people who can discriminate over food and drink and who visit a new restaurant with a sense of adventure, when it comes to smoking they seem prepared to light up the first thing that comes to hand and to smoke it as though the whole business was something one learns about instinctively. As a result—and as I know to my cost—pipes and cigars are smoked in 'ways that make it impossible for them to give full satisfaction, and - cigarettes are often ordered as though the only difference between them was the colour of the packet.

Nevertheless, there is a ray of hope. In England today the number of pipe-smokers' is increasing. I do not think this is simply because taxes are high and pipe tobacco goes farther than cigarettes, but because more and more men are coming to recognise one of the most satisfying pleasures on earth --especially when accompanied by a long, clean drink that keeps the palate fresh. Of course, there are those who have endeav- oured to smoke the wrong kind of tobacco in an unsuitable pipe and, without bothering to fill the bowl correctly, have worked their way through a box of matches and then thrown the pipe aside with disgust. Though sad, such experiences are not uncommon. Even liqueurs and immature wines have been thrown away by men who did not know how or when to drink them.

As far as pipe-smoking is concerned, the vital thing is to choose a shape that has sufficient wood to keep the tobacco cool and which is comfortable in the mouth. Though it should not be difficult to acquire both, comfort is very much more important than a pipe whose shape flatters one's vanity and whose grain simply appeals to one's eye. There are many shapes and types of mouthpiece, some of which are designed to spread the weight on the teeth and to avoid

The Gentle Art of Smoking. (Max Reinhardt.)

the danger of burning the tongue; and it is essential for every would-be pipe-smoker to have a pipe that matches his needs exactly.

As long as the bowl has clear, natural markings (which indicate that it has been cut from an old root containing the mini- mum of oil and sap), the pattern of the grain is less important than many suppose. But as there are beguiling processes which make it difficult for the novice to distinguish between the good pipe and themediocre, the answer for the man who wishes to avoid unnecessary risks is to buy from a reputable manufacturer a first-class pipe which, as often as not, is subject to a written guaran- tee. This is not to say that cheaper pipes with flaws and fillings are not worth their money. What I want to emphasise—and what many fail to realise—is that between a good pipe and a not-so-good there can be a vast difference in workmanship and in the quality of the briar. And it is the quality of the briar which tells, not only in the long run, but from the first smoke.

Since aroma and strength are so Much a matter of taste, it is foolish to generalise about the choice of a suitable tobacco. Novices often make the mistake of assuming that they should begin with a mild tobacco which, especially if it is finely cut, is the most likely to burn the tongue. A tobacco of medium strength is a much safer starting point. Apart from that, I would repeat my

• suggestion that many smokers are too con- servative about their tobaccos. Not only does this mean that many have failed to find a blend, which gives them complete satisfac- tion—and which a reputable tobacconist can blend specially for them—but they also fail to realise the pleasure to be gained from variety and contrast. No man with anything of a palate wants the same food and drink every day. For the same reason, a 'Mixture' which gives delight in the evening may, for some, seem a little exotic at the office desk; conversely, a 'Navy Cut,' which seems adequate throughout the day, can taste a little flat after a good dinner.

When is the best time to smoke? To this question, surely, there can be no general answer. Although many would say that the palate is most responsive to tobacco after

a good meal, an early morning smoke on an ,empty stomach can be just as satisfying for some as the cigarette which accompanies an aperitif. But if one is fully to enjoy food and wine, is not the half-hour beforehand the one time not to smoke? Possibly it is, though it seems to me that one's mood, the state of ones digestion and the kind of tobacco in question make it ridiculous to lay down a hard and fast rule. To my mind, it is excessive smoking which blunts the edge of pleasure, just as a little discipline and forbearance greatly heightens it. Vintage port can surely be as damaging to the enjoy- ment of a choice Havana as the reverse, and it seems to me that few men can enjoy two kinds of perfection simultaneously.

Which brings us to cigars and, as some would claim, the supreme pleasure in the whole realm of smoking. Though they are expensive, I think there are few people, even in Britain, who cannot afford occasionally to give the crowning glory to a well- prepared meal. Indeed, I- am glad to say that there are many enthusiasts who buy their cigars singly or in small quantities and who thus, over a period, are able to sample some of the finest cigars obtainable. On the other hand, there are men who are con- cerned more with the prestige associated with cigar-smoking than with the enjoyment of what they smoke. It is such people, alas, who often smoke cigars which arc not in condition and ill-treat those which are.

Since all tobacco leaf varies in quality, aroma and strength, it is the blending of different leaves which gives a particular cigar its flavour. Moreover, many cigars with a Jamaica filling are given an Havana 'wrapper' and cannot be distinguished by eye from an all-Havana cigar. Though the Havana, of course, is the finest cigar in the world, excellent leaf is also grown in Java, Sumatra, Borneo, India, the United States, Japan and South Africa. And British manufacturers can produce better and cheaper cigars than many smokers realise.

The principal test for a cigar is to smoke it. Sniffing at them and crackling them against the ear can tell one little, for even an immature cigar will crackle slightly, and the aroma of the 'wrapper' says little about the leaf that it contains. From the time they are packed in the 'green' state, cigars can take a year to reach maturity, but if they are even and firm throughout their whole length and there is a faint sheen on the surface of the 'wrapper,' they are likely to be in good condition.

Little, then, remains but to prepare the end with the utmost caution and, having lit the cigar, to srrfoke it as slowly as pos- sible. This is of profound importance. If cigars are to give of their best, they need to be handled as carefully as any bottle of wine, and no part of the ritual should be hurried.

And what of the cigarette? Can nothing be said in its favour? Certainly it can, for between the expensive hand-filled varieties and the popular 'Virginian,' which also vary in quality, there are more types and grades of plain and blended cigarettes than most smokers have sampled. But if, in such a context as this, one is considering the kind of smoking that was once regarded as a gentle art, the ubiquitous cigarette, I think, is something that can be takeq for granted. If I said otherwise, someone might think I had an axe to grind.