Before you even learn how to cut, light and smoke a cigar, you’ll need to choose one to smoke!
Selecting a cigar for the first time can be a challenge as there are so many brands, shapes, sizes and wrapper colours of cigars to choose. For a novice smoker, this can make the decision a bit overwhelming.
Our Recommendations
Our recommendation for beginners to cigar smoking is to choose a smaller cigar because you won’t have to dedicate hours to smoking it, and smaller cigars are often (but definitely not always) milder to smoke. It is best to start with mild cigars because the strength of a full-bodied cigar can be too much for beginners and may put you off.
While you may not want to spend a lot of money on your first cigar, in case you don’t like it, it is always best to pick a premium smoke. If you choose an inferior smoke just because it’s cheap, the chances are, you won’t enjoy it!
But the quality experience of a slightly more expensive, expertly hand-rolled cigar could be just the thing for you! You can find premium cigars for around 20 euros, so while there are cheaper options out there, this is still a reasonable price!
Understanding Cigar Sizes
If you are looking to choose your own cigar, then you’ll need to understand vitolas. A vitola refers to the shape, length and ring gauge of your cigar. There are a variety of standard sizes for cigars, which each have their own name, as seen below. Cigars are measured in length in inches.
How Much Should You Pay For a Quality Cigar?
A question that many new smokers have is how much they should be paying for a cigar. While it may seem like you might have to splash out and spend a small fortune to get a quality smoke, prices can actually be fairly reasonable, with quality cigars available under 20 euros.
There are a number of factors which will affect the price of a cigar, such as the brand it is from, how long the tobacco used to make the cigar was aged, how big the cigar is, and how many you are buying!
Buying From a Reputable Seller
Because premium cigars are so desirable, there is, unfortunately, an issue with counterfeit cigars, especially Cuban smokes. To avoid receiving a disappointing, fake smoke, it is important to buy from a reputable seller, such as Hedonista.
Genuine Cuban cigars feature several stamps and seals that ensure the cigars are genuine and are certified as being of a high quality.
How Do You Prepare a Cigar For Smoking?
The first step in cigar preparation is to cut the cap with a cigar cutter. Removing this part allows you to draw through the cigar and puff through it.
Using a knife (or your teeth!) is a big no-no, so a proper cigar cutter, such as a guillotine, cigar punch, double-blade cutter or V-cutter will be required. It is important to use a quality cutter with a sharp blade to ensure a clean cut.
Using a blunt, or low-quality cutter can cause damage to the wrapper, which you want to remain intact. The cap is a small piece of wrapper that has been glued to the end of the cigar.
Only 2-3mm of this needs to be removed with the cutter. Use a strong, quick motion to chop off the end, as this will prevent the wrapper from tearing. For those new to smoking, a double-bladed guillotine cutter is the best bet.
Do You Remove the Band Before You Smoke a Cigar?
This is a matter that is debated back and forth between even the most advanced aficionados out there, so as a beginner, it is fine to be unsure of the protocol regarding band removal! There are a number of arguments for and against removing the band.
For Removing the Band
Firstly, if you smoke a cigar with the band still on, and the band begins to burn, your cigar will just taste like burnt paper, which is not good! To prevent this from happening, some remove the band as a preventative measure.
Against Removing the Band
On the other hand, the band is usually affixed to the cigar with a small amount of gum adhesive. Sometimes too much of this is used, and the band can become fused to the wrapper leaf. This means that when the band is removed, a small amount of the wrapper will come away too, which can impact the structure of the cigar.
It can be best to start smoking for a few minutes and allow the heat of the cigar to soften up the gum, allowing you to easily undo the band!
How Do You Light a Cigar?
Lighting the cigar takes a surprising amount of skill; although it is sure to become like second nature with time!
What to Use
The first step in how to light a cigar will be to choose what you are going to light the cigar with. As cigars are a little more complex than cigarettes, it may be an idea to upgrade any cheaper disposable lighters for some long cigar matches, a butane lighter or torch lighter.
Cigar Lighting Technique
First, toast the foot of the cigar by holding the cigar at a 45-degree angle a little way from the flame, so it isn’t physically touching but is close enough to gently toast.
Puff a little on the cigar and then check that it is burning evenly. The wrapper and binder at the foot should now look white.
At this point, you will be able to exhale a puff of smoke! Once lit, you may want to wait a minute to allow the burn to stabilise and burn evenly.
How Do You Smoke a Cigar?
Learning how to smoke a cigar will also take some skill and practice.
Do You Inhale Cigars?
The main guideline for cigar smoking is that you should not inhale the smoke. Unlike cigarette smoke, cigars are not inhaled, as there is too much tobacco and smoke. Instead of inhaling into the lungs, draw smoke into your mouth, hold it a moment, and then blow it out.
Slow and Steady
Regardless of whether you are an experienced cigar smoker, or you are new to the world of the stogie, you should aim to draw on the cigar around every 60-120 seconds. Smoking too quickly can make the cigar burn too hot and can even make you feel ill; however, not smoking it for more than a few minutes will cause it to go out.
Slow and steady is very much the recommended approach, though, as allowing the cigar to rest will let the flavours caramelise and will give both the cigar and your mouth a chance to cool down.
How Far Down a Cigar Should You Smoke?
Another hotly debated issue in the cigar world, knowing when to stop smoking a cigar is often more down to personal preferences than actual rules.
Some smokers say that the best part of the cigar is the first half, and so only smoke that much, but that seems rather wasteful! Other cigar lovers argue that around three-finger widths should be left by the time you have stopped smoking.
Another method is to stop smoking when you hit the cigar band (if you have kept that on!), although again this could be very wasteful depending on where the band is positioned on the cigar!
Depends on the Cigar
It also really depends on the type of cigar you are smoking. Some cigars turn hot and harsh as they burn closer to the nub, making the second portion of the smoke less enjoyable.
However, many cigars taste great right up until the end, making it well worth your while to stick with it. As you experiment more with different types of cigars, you will soon discover which ones work best smoked longer, and which should be left to burn!
How to Taste
While it may sound silly – there being a right and wrong way to ‘taste’ – adapting the way you taste your cigar could actually make a world of difference in the smoke you experience.
In the context of cigars, learning to taste properly largely refers to learning how to distinguish different flavours and find the subtleties hidden in your cigar. There are a few ways you can taste a cigar properly:
Smell and taste the cigar before you light it. Place it in your mouth and see if any key flavour notes instantly hit you.
Take the smoke slowly, so that the cigar doesn’t overheat and cause issues that may affect the taste.
Let the smoke linger in your mouth to experience a more pronounced aftertaste.
Retro-hale the cigar, exhaling through the nose to detect any further flavour in the aroma.
Can You Relight a Cigar?
Cigars tend to extinguish themselves if they are not puffed on every now and then, so you may find that you need to relight your cigar.
To do this, hold the flame just in front of the foot and blow through the cigar to get rid of any trapped ash. Then simply repeat the lighting process.
Do try to keep the cigar going on its own though, by taking a puff every minute or so, as continuously having to relight it may cause the cigar flavour to change into something less pleasant tasting.
Relighting a cigar is also only okay if it is the one you have just been smoking. This means that if you decide you’ve had enough of a cigar and want to leave it for another day, it would actually be better to just start fresh than try and relight a cigar that has been left for more than a few hours.
How Do You Put Out a Cigar?
The best way to put out a cigar is to just let it rest on an ashtray and extinguish itself. Cigars should not be stubbed out like you would with a cigarette.
However, if you are in a rush and want to ensure that the cigar is fully out, you can extinguish it in some (non-alcoholic) liquid, although this is certainly not very dignified!
How Do You Store Cigars?
If you just want to try one cigar soon after you have bought it, then you don’t need to worry too much about storing it. Many singular cigars now come in tubes, which is the perfect place to store the cigar until you smoke it.
Other cigars will arrive in a clear plastic wrapper, and as long as this is kept in a cool and dry place, this should be fine if you are planning on smoking it within a couple of days.
Use a Humidor
Decided you want to smoke cigars more regularly? Invest in a humidor, so that you can keep your collection in the best condition possible. Without a humidor, cigars dry out, which can cause cracks and wrapper peeling, as well as making the cigar lose its flavour and burn quicker.
Humidors are needed because the humidity level of tobacco growing countries, like Cuba, is far higher than here. A humidor is needed to keep cigars fresh and at the right humidity level for the perfect smoke!
How to Use a Humidor
Pick a quality humidor the right size for your collection. We recommend one lined with Spanish cedar.
The humidity of your humidor should be set to around 65-70%. This may need to be adjusted depending on whether your cigars are getting too dry or too moist in your humidor.
Your humidor should be just right in size; cigars shouldn’t be crammed or have masses of room. If your humidor is getting a little empty, fill the gaps with extra cedar wood or boxes. If you have too many, it’s time for an upgrade or a second box!
Keep up with humidor maintenance – the humidor needs to be occasionally refilled with water, and the humidification system needs to be checked.
Should You Age Cigars?
Some cigar lovers choose to age their cigars, as this process can enhance the smoking experience. While most cigars don’t actually need to be aged, as the producer will have aged the tobacco for at least a couple of years before rolling, and possibly again after the cigar was rolled, many still find the process fun.
Rather than ageing one singular cigar, it is typically best to buy a box of cigars and put these in a humidor to age. Try one when you first get them and then smoke subsequent stogies from the box every few months or once a year (depending on how many you have).
Each time you smoke them, jot down some notes about the experience, and you’ll be fascinated to see how the flavour and aroma develop over time.
Cigar Troubleshooting
Although it should be rare if you have selected a premium smoke, there can sometimes be issues with your cigar. This may be a fault with the way the cigar has been rolled, or it may be an issue with how you have stored the cigar.
Either way, some issues can be fixed, while others cannot, and the cigar should be discarded. Here we highlight some of the potential issues and how you should deal with them.
Uneven Burn
Burn issues are one of the most common problems with cigars. These can be due to a rolling fault or bad lighting technique. Some cigars may be unrecoverable, but many can be fixed with a bit of patience and a dab hand with a lighter.