Cigar Smoking 101

A Guide to Choosing the Right Cigar for You

March 22, 2017

Cigars are one of those things along with barbecues, brown liquor and martinis that are staples of manhood. If you’re joining a branch of the military, getting your own place, getting married, or another big event is happening, a cigar is a way to celebrate.

But it can be hard to know what type of cigar to buy, especially when you haven’t even smoked one before. Below are some tips on finding the right cigar.

A Cigar’s 4 Parts

Before we tell you how to find the right cigar, we’ll introduce you to a cigar. A cigar has four parts.

Head – The head’s the side you will put into your mouth. It’s also the side you’ll cut, if the man at the store didn’t do it already. There’s three ways the head’s cut.

• Guillotine – Cheap, effective and simple. This can be purchased at a cigar shop and it’s very worth it.
• Sharp knife – This is doable, but not nearly as effective as using the guillotine.
• Teeth – If you want to look like an amateur and a schmuck, by all means, use your teeth. Otherwise, don’t.

Foot – The foot’s is the side that you light. Usually it’s already cut.

Filler – This is the cigar’s inside. This consists both of fermented and dried tobacco. It helps bring out the various aromas and flavors.

Wrapper – This is the cigar’s outside. Most of the cigar’s flavor comes from its wrapper, and this is why most people love Cuban cigars.

Selecting the Best Cigar

When you are looking for the right cigar, you want to go to a cigar shop. This is where you are going to find a lot of cigars that are well-preserved along with a professional tobacconist. This is the person who will be able to help you and answer the questions that you have.

When you get there, you’ll get into the humidor and look at their cigar selection. Why do they keep the constant humidity level? Because if there is too much or too little humidity, the cigars will be ruined.

Now you want to choose your cigar. There’s no right or wrong cigar – it’s based on your taste. Below are the things you have to think about.

Body

This is the flavor’s strength. When you have a bit more experience, you will probably want one that has a dark wrapper, which is usually full-body. But to start out with, a lighter wrapper is better, meaning the cigar is either mild or has a medium body.

Size

A cigar’s size is actually a pair of measurements. The first is the cigar’s length, which is inches, and the cigar’s ring gauge, which is measured in 1/64 of an inch.

So if you have a cigar that measures 8 x 50, it’s eight inches long and 50/64 of an inch.

Size affects flavor. When there’s a larger ring, it allows there to be a more complex tobacco blend, and a more enhanced flavor.

Rating

Just like most of the good things that life has to offer, cigars each have an independent rating. Here are some ratings that are a good indicator of how good or bad a cigar is.

• 95 to 100: Classic
• 90 to 94: Outstanding
• 80 to 89: Very good/excellent
• 70 to 79: Average/good
• Below 70: Not worth it

How You Can Inspect Cigars for Quality

It’s important to inspect the construction of a cigar. Roll the cigar in your fingers and note empty spaces or bumps. You want the tobacco to be evenly distributed.

Why should it be? Because it’s going to affect the cigar’s smoothness. Any rough textures or empty pockets are going to result in a smoke that is much harsher when you’re puffing.

Another thing you should consider is the quality of the tobacco. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to judge this by simply looking at it. That’s why it’s so important to use the reputation of the brand and the rating system. You can also ask the tobacconist.

The Right Way to Light a Cigar

Make sure to use a wood match or butane lighter to light your cigar. Gas lighters or paper matches will produce chemicals which can affect your cigar’s flavor negatively. So, avoid them.

Before lighting your cigar, run your flame beneath its foot and rotate your cigar several times. Don’t touch your flame to your cigar. right now, you are just warming up your tobacco so that it’s going to burn smoothly.

At last, hold your flame before your cigar without actually touching the flame to the cigar and rotate your cigar gently while inhaling several times.

Are Cuban Cigars Really the Best?

A lot of people wonder if Cuban cigars are really that good or if it’s all hype. The truth is that the cigars from Cuba are of the very highest quality.

Conclusion

Now you know how to find the best cigar for you. As you smoke more cigars, you’ll learn what you like and what the taste is that you enjoy.