How to Enjoy a Premium Cigar

It never hurts to get into the fundamentals of enjoying a premium cigar. If you’re new to cigars, you should find some helpful advice here. If you’ve been a lover of the leaf for some time, there’s a fair chance you may pick up a little something too.

A Premium Cigar is an Experience

Enjoying a premium cigar is a sensory delight. Too many things are rushed or multitasked these days. In case you don’t already know—that is NOT the way to smoke a premium cigar. When you’re getting ready to enjoy a great cigar, make time for it. It’s an occasion.

Pick a relaxed and comfortable environment as free from distractions as possible. If you’re going to enjoy a drink while you smoke, give some thought to what you choose. We have a great blog on pairing cigars with liquor and libations. If you’re a teetotaler, or don’t feel like alcohol with your cigar, no problem! Check out our blog on cigars and non-alcoholic drink pairings.

A great cigar deserves your attention and an appropriately reverent time and place. Trust us, it’s more important than you might imagine, and it will magnify your enjoyment of a premium cigar immeasurably. It’s also wise to have the necessary accessories on hand.

They include:

Your cigar, of course
A good, sharp, clean cigar cutter
A lighter, preferably a multi-flame torch, never a Zippo (it fouls the flavor of the cigar)
A nice, clean ashtray

Part 1: Cut Your Cigar

This might seem like a no-brainer, but there’s a right way to do it. The end of the cigar you draw from is called the foot. The cap holds the foot together, it’s where all the tobacco leaves close up the end of the cigar. Premium cigars almost always have 3 caps (and never less than 2).

You want to cut just the FIRST cap and do it cleanly. One good, hard squeeze with sharp, clean cutter will do it. If you’re a little short the first time, you can always cut a bit higher, but if you cut too high you can’t undo it and you run the risk of the wrapper coming undone and is no bueno.

Part 2: Toast Your Cigar

We should note that not every cigar smoker toasts the foot, but if you choose to, here’s the method we recommend:

Hold the foot close enough to your flame to warm it up and slightly char the exposed tobacco leaf at the opening, paying special attention to evenly toasting the rim. When you have a nice, even char on the foot of your cigar, it’s time for step 2, light it up.

Part 3: Light Your Cigar

With your foot toasted, it’s time to light up. Note that the filler inside the cigar is more combustible than the outer layers (wrapper and binder). This means you don’t need to put the flame right to it. If you’re using a torch lighter (like you should) then just hold the tip of the flame just off the foot maybe a fingernails width away.

Your goal here is to create a nice even, orange ember on the end, that’s it. Get the flame close enough to do that and no closer and be sure to rotate the cigar as you do it to keep the ember nice and even.

Part 4: Smoke Your Cigar

Foot toasted, cigar lit with a nice even ember, now it’s time to smoke. Take your first puff using your cheeks to draw in the air but remember not to inhale. Think of it more like drinking a milkshake that you want to let float in your mouth to savor.

Give it a few more puffs until the cigar is emitting nice, thick, white smoke. Now you’re on your way. The best way to enjoy a premium cigar is casually. Especially if it’s your first, don’t be in a hurry and overdo it. You may make yourself queasy. After the first few puffs, let it rest on your ashtray a bit. Remember not to flick the ash off the end the way you would with a cigarette! Leaving your ash intact helps moderate the burn. Leave your ashes alone.

The Best Cigars for Beginners

Congratulations on entering the world of premium cigar smoking. You’ll find it can be quite a rewarding experience. We want you to enjoy it to the fullest from the beginning and part of ensuring that is picking the right cigar. Common mistakes made by some new to premium cigars include choosing one that’s much too strong or much too big, inhaling the smoke or just puffing on it too much and making themselves dizzy.

If you’re somewhat new to cigars, we recommend starting with a mild to medium strength and taking it easy. Remember that no rule says you must finish a cigar in one sitting, either. Though an already-smoked cigar won’t keep for more than a couple of hours, so it’s best not to ‘save it for tomorrow.’ Doesn’t work like that. But take a break and come back for an hour or two later? Absolutely.

With that out of the way, here are some recommendations for new smokers:

Ashton Classic

The Ashton Classic is a perennial favorite among new and veteran smokers alike. It manages to be quite mild while still offering complex and rewarding flavor that will satisfy even seasoned smokers.

Micallef Connecticut

This mild-to-medium blend gets its smooth and creamy profile from its Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper. Rich notes of earth and spice in the background keep it interesting.

Rocky Patel White Label

Another mild but flavorful classic is the Rocky Patel White Label. This one is a bit pricier, but the strength is more than suitable for the beginner, and the flavor is complex enough to delight the aficionado. Expect layered nuances of clean cedar, sage, buttered nuts, aromatic florals, and semi-sweet cream

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