Chose a Cigar that you are comfortable with whether it be mild, medium or bold. A larger diameter cigar  provides a cooler, smoother smoke and allows for better blending of the tobacco.

The length of the cigar helps you determine the time taken to smoke. Chose a cigar that has been stored properly, and is ready to smoke.

Should I be careful when I handling and holding a cigar?

A cigar is a dead leaf, it is delicate and perishable. Different types of cigars are sturdier than others. Though a cigar is delicate, you should not be afraid to touch and smoke it. Many people put great effort into creating the cigar, just so you can enjoy it.

How do I cut my cigar?

One end of a cigar has been closed or capped, this is called the head, and is the end you smoke.
To do so you must remove part of the cap, cutting the cigar. When cutting the cigar, remove as little of the cap as is possible, so the cigar will not come apart or fray.

What is toasting?

This is an optional procedure which helps to give an even light.  To "toast" you slowly rotate end or foot of the cigar over the heat of a flame, in an effort to preheat the cigar.

Is there a proper way to cut a cigar?  

Cigars can be cut in a variety of ways. People use everything from expensive cigar cutters to their teeth. Two of the best methods for cutting are “guillotine style” cutters and “bullet style” punches. Both provide clean cuts and ample incisions to allow smoke to draw through the cigar easily. When cutting the cigar, the trick is to cut off enough of the cap without taking the whole thing off, thus keeping the cigar from unraveling. When using the bullet style cutter, you usually won't have this problem. Also, using a V-cut is another way to cut a stick. This apparatus is shaped in a "V" wedge that removes a groove in the cap of a cigar. Next to the usage of teeth, this is the oldest known way to cut a cigar. Smokers would use their pocket knives to cut the wedge before the invention of the "V" groove cutter.

Is wrapper color an indication of the cigar’s strength?  

There seems to be a misconception that a cigar’s strength is indicated by the color of its wrapper. A dark wrapper is no more an indication of a strong cigar than a pale wrapper is of a mild one. There are some cigars that have a pale wrapper and will put you through a wall! It is, however, the color of the filler which truly reflects the strength of a cigar. The darker the tobacco, the more body and strength it will have when smoked. This type of tobacco is called ligero (lee-hare-o). It comes from the upper priming of the tobacco plant and has a higher natural concentration of nicotine, thus making it stronger. At the very most, a dark wrapper will contribute to a slight spiciness in taste when the cigar is smoked. These darker wrappers are called maduro. The manufacturers age the maduro wrapper leaf at a higher temperature than the "natural" wrapper leaf. This is what gives it the darker color and spicier sometimes sweeter taste.

What’s the best way to light a cigar?  

Lighting your “stick” evenly is the most important thing to remember. When you first start, you may want to toast your cigar a bit, whether it be with a match or a butane lighter. This will sometimes make it easier for the filler on bigger ring gauge cigars to light more evenly. Next, gently puff on your cigar while you hold the flame to the end of the cigar. Be sure to rotate the cigar so the whole end gets lit properly. Remember, the hottest part of any flame is right above where you can visually see the actual flame.

Is there a proper way to smoke a cigar

Fill your mouth with a smooth easy draw of smoke, savor the complex flavor of the tobacco on the palate, then gently exhale to remove smoke from your mouth. Feel the cigar in your hand, rotate the cigar between your lips, and enjoy all the textures received from the cigar.
Remove the ash from the cigar just before it is ready to fall off. ( Don't worry, this does take practice. ) The most impotant factor in smoking a cigar is to RELAX and ENJOY the CIGAR!

What's the best way to extinguishing a cigar?

A cigar is all tobacco, and therefore will continue to burn on its own for only a short time. When finished with the cigar, simply let it rest in the ashtray and it will go out on its own. The best time to let a cigar go out, is when you are no longer enjoying it.

What is the best way to store a cigar?  

Without proper storage cigars become worthless, dry, devoid of pleasure and most likely unsmokeable. The best way to store a cigar is by putting them in a container which is able to maintain a 70 degree temperature and 70% humidity level. The easiest way is, of course, to purchase a humidor. Humidors are commonly made of wood and come with a humidification element. Most humidification elements contain some sort of water retaining medium which allows distilled water and a chemical additive to regulate the humidity.

Why do cigars come in different sizes?

Cigars come in a variety of shapes and sizes for several reasons. The most common reason is cosmetics. Some smokers would like a large cigar as opposed to a smaller cigar. Some people like big cigars not just for the way they look, but because of time commitment as well. It's nice to be able to smoke a cigar for a couple of hours and really enjoy it. Unfortunately, many of us don't always have a large amount of time to devote to our cigar. So, we opt for the smaller cigars. Also, when you smoke a smaller cigar, the flavor doesn't change as much from beginning to end, AND the smaller cigar tends to have a more concentrated flavor and strength. A common misconception is that if it's big, it will make you dizzy and nauseated. Many times it is the exact opposite. The smaller the cigar, depending on its filler, the stronger it will be.

How do I blow smoke rings?

The biggest factor in blowing good smoke rings is practice. With that in mind, Try this technique.
First, you need a cigar with dense smoke, and a place with still air. Don't waste your time trying to blow smoke rings in a breeze! Draw a thick puff of smoke into your mouth. Hold it there and open your mouth slowly. Make an "O" with your mouth, (maybe more of a rounded "oh") - definitely not a pucker like a kiss. Curl the tip of your tongue down, and pull your tongue all the way back. Now, when blowing a ring, you're actually not exhaling. You're just pushing out the smoke in your mouth with your tongue in short bursts - like a piston, only in a relaxed way. It's actually a really gentle motion. Push forward with your tongue, with perhaps a slight recoil at the bottom. Keep at it - it's like riding a bicycle... Once you "get it" you'll wonder what the problem was!

What are the Parts of a Cigar?

Wrappers...

The wrapper is the outside layer of tobacco on a cigar. It gives a cigar one of its primary flavor components. Wrappers are usually very high quality leaves, and are available in colors ranging from double claro, the lightest to Oscuro, the darkest. Wrappers are very important to the taste of a fine cigar, and described in detail in another section of the FAQ.

Binders....

Binder leaves are the intermediate leaf used to hold the bunch of filler tobacco together. These vary considerably from one manufacturer to the next.

Filler...

Filler is the bunch of tobacco found at the center of the cigar. Generally the filler is responsible for determining how strong a cigar will smoke. There are two types of filler: long filler, which contains the whole leaf running from the head to the foot of the cigar, and short filler, comprised of scraps of tobacco (often the trimmed ends of long fillers).

The blending of wrappers, fillers and binders determines the overall flavor of a cigar. There is an art to blending tobaccos and as you smoke different cigars, you will notice how the various tobaccos interplay with one another.

Are there any differences between the blends of different size cigars in the same line?

Manufacturers often use the same types of tobacco in different sizes, producing different tastes. Often the consumer will perceive this as the same "blend". There is a difference however - it's in the proportions of each type of leaf used. An experienced roller may use different proportions of the tobaccos in different sizes to allow for that size differences. In a smaller ring cigar, the binder and wrapper have a greater influence on the taste, for instance. The blender will allow for this difference by re-proportioning the filler blend. It's just one of those details that requires years of training among master rollers. (and of course, one of the reasons smokers will prefer the taste of one size over another of the same blend.... 

What is ring gauge and how is it measured?

Ring size is the cigar's diameter, measured in 64ths of an inch. Thus a 32 ring cigar will measure 1/2 inch in diameter. Although many catalogs list ring sizes, they may deviate from each by a couple of points on specific cigars.

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