A Beginner’s Guide To Smoking A Cigar
If you’re new to cigar smoking, it may seem like there are many intricacies to learn and overcome, but in reality, how you enjoy a cigar is completely up to you. There are ‘rules’ for cutting, lighting, and smoking a cigar, but ultimately it’s your preference that rules. That said, here are a few general tips for beginners to get the most enjoyment out of a fine cigar.
We’ve covered the proper ways to cut and light a cigar in past blogs, and there are enough guidelines with those steps to deserve their own entries. Once your cigar is cut and lit, you want to keep it lit, or it will go out on its own. Unlike a cigarette, which is made (usually with chemically-treated paper) to burn on its own, a cigar will go out if left unpuffed. If your cigar does go out, re-lighting it will usually result in an unpleasant, bitter smoke, so try to avoid it.
On the other hand, if you puff too eagerly on your cigar, it will burn hot and can ash too quickly. Let ash fall naturally from your cigar and resist the temptation to tap the ash off the end, as it actually insulates the burn of the cigar and keeps it ‘cool’. If a cigar burns too hot it can affect the flavor and the burn rate.
If your cigar is burning unevenly, hold it above your flame to try and correct the burn line. If your cigar develops a ‘run’, lick your thumb and try to stop it. A run will quickly cause your cigar to unravel if not stopped.
When you are done smoking your cigar, simply leave it in an ashtray and it will go out on its own (so long as you are around to supervise it.) If you are not going to be sticking around, you can stub the cigar out, which will produce more smelly smoke than simply letting it die.
If you have any smoking questions, or simply want to browse our excellent selection of cigars, lighters, cutters and other accessories, stop in to our shop today!