It can be like trampled grass to a tracker.. indications of things. As cigars age their ash tends to lighten up from whatever starting point. You can see the rolling method, how much binder vs filler etc. Not a big deal but a lil diversion in the anally retentive process.
My fascination with ash is directly related to smoking enjoyment. Keeping a longer ash helps the cigar burn cooler by restricting the air for combustion. There are many times where real or perceived I thought the cigar tasted better by holding a longer ash. In PPP's it can really help reduce the heat on a cigar being hit more frequently than is desired.
Plus the patterns and swirls are cool to look at while "dosing".
