The right way to enjoy a cigar is to do it with patience and care. It’s not just about burning tobacco, but about slowing down and enjoying the whole experience. From cutting and lighting to puffing and ashing – every step matters.
This simple guide will show you how to smoke a cigar properly and safely, so you can enjoy it with confidence, just like a true aficionado.
Choosing a Cigar
Selecting a cigar is the first step to enjoying a cigar. At best, you know your preferences and you have a favorite brand and even a favorite cigar. But that’s not the case for new cigar lovers.
The taste of cigars is highly subjective. Many factors determine the characteristics of a cigar: the vitola, the tobacco blend, and the country of origin. It would be nice if you know what you prefer. But if you do not know, you can ask experienced friends and tobacco experts for advice. You can find useful information in cigar reviews in the cigar media. To keep track of your smoking experience, it’s best to keep a cigar journal.
A general rule is that as a new smoker, you are better off choosing mild to medium strength cigars. Full strength can be too heavy and discourage you from enjoying cigars. Exploring a diverse cigar collection can be one of the best ways to discover different brands and find a profile that perfectly suits your palate.
A very important characteristic of the cigar is its size. Choose it according to the time you have for smoking. And you need to know that a high price does not mean that the cigar is of high quality.
Choosing a Place to Smoke
Our experience shows that the perfect places to enjoy a cigar are where you can sit back and relax. Whether it’s on the golf course, on your porch, on your patio, or in the hot tub.
If you prefer to smoke cigars in public places, cigar-friendly venues are just what you need. You’ll find a far richer selection of excellent cigars in cigar bars and lounges than in your humidor. There you can also meet aficionados with whom you share interests. You can smoke at public events such as parties, weddings, or on vacations.
As long as it’s safe to smoke there, you can relax, and the place is cigar-friendly, it’s a good choice to light up a stick there. Safety is important; there should be precautions against fires in the place.
Cutting Your Cigar
This is the phase when you can ensure sufficient draw and flavorful smoking. It is important to choose the right cigar cutter according to your cigar’s vitola. V-cutters or punches are not suitable for Pyramid, Torpedo, and Perfecto vitolas.
From our experience, the punch makes the cigar lighter in strength. You can use it with the Parejo cigars of larger ring gauge.
If you are new to cigar smoking and want to cut your own cigar, it is best to use a proper cutting technique and a cigar cutter with a backstop. That way, you will not cut too much off the head of the cigar. And if you do not get enough draw, you can always cut off a little more.
Lighting Your Cigar
Lighting your cigar is part of the ritual that is cigar smoking. The right cigar lighter can help you do this. If you are a beginner, it is better to use a torch lighter. The cigar matches and cedar spills are for experienced aficionados; we recommend you use them indoors or outdoors when there is no wind.
Use a butane torch. Hold the flame about an inch away from the cigar’s foot and rotate it slowly until the edges glow evenly. And don’t let the flame touch the tobacco: you’re toasting, not burning.
Don’t Inhale and Smoke Too Fast
If you inhale cigar smoke, you will definitely not enjoy your cigar, no matter how good it is. Cigar smoke is not meant to be inhaled (unlike cigarettes). This is an essential rule for enjoying cigars.
Smoke one puff every minute or so. If you puff too frequently, the cigar will burn too quickly and hot and can become bitter. The best way to enjoy a cigar is to back, relax, puff in peace, and enjoy the taste of it.
Ashing Your Cigar
Cigars are not like cigarettes that need to be ashed after every two or three puffs. High-quality cigars hold the ash much longer. If you are worried about the ash making a mess, you can gently tap the cigar over your cigar ashtray. But if it falls out of the ashtray, it’s no big deal. In fact, it happens all the time. You can read more on how to ash a cigar here.
Putting Your Cigar Out
The cherry on top of cigar enjoyment is that you do not have to smash your stogie on the ashtray to put it out. Just let it die out peacefully in the ashtray. That’s it! Of course, please only leave the cigar unattended once it’s completely out!
Now is the time to enjoy our cigars!
