The Haute Spot

Whether it’s the birth of a baby, drinks with the boss, or after the purchase of a new car, there comes a point in every man’s life where he is handed a cigar. You can either stare at it blankly, smoke it like a cigarette, inhale and cough all over yourself, and risk losing all credibility, or let us help you learn one of the refined arts of being a man.

1.) Inspection

There are many camps on how to light a cigar. Some say you can only use a cedar spill. Some say you can only use a butane lighter. Some say you need a cutter. Some say real cigar aficionado’s use thier teeth. Whatever the theory may be, they all begin the same way..

Take the cigar our of the cellophane wrapper.

Cigar smoking is a love affair. You don’t just throw it in your mouth and puff away. Appreciate the cigar for what it is –A hand-rolled masterpiece. Anyone that has ever seen a cigar being made knows the level of craftsmanship that goes into creating a cigar. The amount of care and detail, and the level of quality of the ingredients makes it amazing that you can buy them for $10 a stick.

First let’s discuss the different parts of the cigar.

The bottom of the cigar where you can see the open tobacco is called the foot.

This is the part you light.

The other rounded end is called the cap or head.

It is sealed so you will need to cut it open in order to properly draw in smoke. The rest of the cigar is composed of the filler, the tobacco inside of the cigar. This is all held together by the wrapper, which is the outside leaf that holds the filler together.

The glue used to hold this beauty together is vegetable based and non-toxic. Some companies even use sap to give a hint of molasses to their cigars.

So inspect the cigar. Gently squeeze it and feel for lumps. Notice if the outside leaf has any veins. Finally smell the tobacco. A properly humidified cigar will have a damp tobacco smell.

A cigar that has been improperly stored or dried out will feel dry in the hand, may crunch when squeezed lightly, have rips and breaks in the wrapper, and smell slightly stale, like the clothes of a smoker.

If you are purchasing the cigar for yourself, go with a “mild” flavored cigar. Don’t be afraid to ask for a recommendation from the store owner, they love talking about their passion. Go for a smaller sized cigar to acclimate your taste buds. Typically the lighter in color the wrapper, the less intense the flavor. A “Maduro” or dark colored cigar may be too strong for some, but that’s what I started smoking with, so it can be done.

2.) Cut the Cigar

Look closely at the head of the cigar and you will see the cap.

The cap is a slightly different color than the rest of the cigar and looks similar to a Yakima on the top of the cigar. This is what you will cut in order to smoke a cigar.

You must be careful however.

The cap is crucial and must remain intact for fear of the cigar unraveling. The most common mistake cigar smokers make is cutting off too much of the cap, or even worse, actually cutting into the cigar wrapper.

The hole needed to smoke a cigar is a lot smaller then you think, about the size of a pencil eraser. So when cutting the cigar make sure to only cut off only a small amount. You can always make a hole bigger, but you can never undue the damage caused by cutting off to much.

Ok so now that you understand what needs to be done we will explain the tools:

Cigar Punch: The easiest way to cut a cigar is with a cigar punch. It is merely a round blade that will cleanly “punch” a hole through the cap. If you want a larger hole you can simply punch the cigar several times until the hole is large enough.

Cigar Guillotine: The cigar guillitoine is a double edged cutter that will cleanly cut the cigar from both ends.

The best way to cut with the guillotine is to gently rest the blades on the cigar so you can see where it will cut and then snip quickly and cleanly. This is our personal favorite cutter as it gives you the most freedom as the the size of the hole. We recommend the Xikar Cuttar as it is self sharpening,

Table Top V-Cutter: Usually seen in cigar shops, this is another fool-proof method of cutting a cutter.

You merely insert the cigar and pull down on the lever and the cutter will cleanly shave a V-shaped opening at the head of the cigar.

Personally, I feel the draw is too tight with this cutter and my cigar ends up being too hard to smoke, but it’s definitely worth a try.

Cigar Scissors: Self-Explanatory. Should work similarly to the guillotine cutter, but I’ve had terrible results and ruined many great cigars.

They look great but aren’t gentle enough

Your Teeth: Only use as a last resort. Even a knife, pen, or key would be better suited to punch a hole in a cigar. But if you must, then nibble cleanly a small hole in the cap being careful not to accidentally pull the cap completely off.

Pull the tobacco from your lip with your fingers. Never Spit. It’s not effective. You will merely look like a bug landed on your lip and will ended up using your fingers anyway.

3.) Test the draw

Once the cigar is cut, puff on the cigar and see if the draw is too your liking. You should have to use a little pressure to get air flowing into your mouth.

If the cigar draws too open and allows too much air, the cigar will burn hot, quickly, and will mask the real flavor of the leaf. You cut off too much.

If the cigar draws too tight and is very difficult to puff, the cigar will burn cold and be frustratingly difficult to keep lit. Open the cut slightly.

If the cigar still draws tight, it might have a knot. Gentle squeeze the cigar and feel for any lumps, if the lump is near the foot of the cigar, consider cutting the section off and smoking the rest. If cutting is not an option, then use a small wire (paperclip) and very gently poke the knot to loosen the area. Be careful to not rip the wrapper or ruin the rest of the cigar. Usually this will help alleviate the problem, and save the stubborn cigar.

4.) Lighting the Cigar

First, remove any wrappers or labels located near the foot of the cigar if they have one.

Never use a candle, a liquid fueled lighter, or any other questionable source of flame. They will all ruin the taste of the cigar.

There are only three ways to light a cigar. Using a match, a cedar spill, or butane lighter.

Match: Light the match and let the match burn down slightly. The initial spark from a match comes from the sulphur and while it does make a larger flame, will impart a sour taste in your cigar. It will take several matches to properly light the cigar and get an even burn.

Although improper etiquette, feel free to puff the cigar under the flame to help jump the flame onto the tobacco. This will help get the cigar lit quickly and will use less matches.

If the number of matches is of no concern, then jump down to the butane lighter technique and use the same theory.

Cedar Spill: The most romantic of cigar lighting techniques. Commonly found in premium cigar shops, cedar strips or “spills” are strips of cedar, that can be used to create an aromatic even burning light. They can be found as dividers of cigar boxes or purchased separately.

Regardless of acquisition, they require the same technique as butane lighters, so just continue reading below.

Butane Lighters: The easiest and preferred method of lighting a cigar, butane lighters provide the most control and most even burning flame. You are looking for a lighter with a strong jet blue flame.

Some companies even sell lighters with two, three, or even four flames, but we feel that ruins the romance and allure of lighting a cigar. So here’s the proper gentlemanly way to do it:

Torch the foot: No we’re not torturing anyone here. We merely mean to light the foot of the cigar. Proper technique requires you to hold the cigar at a 45 degree angle above the flame and allow the cigar to flirt with the heat of the lighter- never directly placing the cigar in the flame (which will char the tobacco and impart a poor flavor).

This requires time and patience, which is a necessity for cigar smoking. A small cigar will require at least half an hour of your time, and a larger cigar may take over an hour to fully enjoy. Lighting a cigar is part of the experience so don’t rush it.

Rolling: Continue to roll the cigar in the heat until you get an even burn emanating from the foot of the cigar. Feel free to blow on the cigar to help increase the heat on a particular section to ensure an even burn.

Continue this process until you are satisfied that the cigar is properly lit.

Avoid puffing on the cigar while it is being lit, this will cause the flame to jump charring the tobacco and inhaling noxious fumes which alter the taste of the tobacco.

Puffing: Instead, after the cigar is lit, blow gently to remove any char/fumes that may impart a sour taste, inspect the burn, and then get ready to enjoy the cigar.

5.) Holding the cigar: You don’t hold a cigar like a cigarette. You hold it between your thumb and forefinger, letting it rest gently on the edge of your middle finger if you please.

Keep the cigar in your hand and at your hip. Let it rest on an ashtray only if you are leaving the area.

Be mindful or wind direction from blowing on your cigar which will affect the even burn, and where the smoke is blowing- not everyone loves the smell of tobacco, and a true gentlemen never makes anyone feel uncomfortable, even unintentionally.

6.) Actually smoking the cigar: Ok enough foreplay. How to actually smoke a cigar.

Cigar smoke is very harsh and will cause you to cough so the key is to not inhale.

Easier said than done.

The trick, for those not used to breathing in without inhaling, is to take a deep breath, and the puff on the cigar.This will make it impossible for you to accidentally inhale the tobacco smoke. Once the cigar smoke is in your mouth, let it linger for a while,  and then breathe it out. Rinse. And  Repeat.

Congratulations, this may be your first cigar but everyone at the table thinks you’re a cigar aficionado.

Constantly check the cigar to ensure an even burn is maintained. Feel free to blow on the foot of the cigar if you feel a section is not keeping up, or in extreme cases you may use your lighter to speed up the process.

Cigar smoking does create a large amount of saliva which some find annoying. So if for the company is appropriate, and you are outdoors and near grass, feel free to spit. Do this cleanly and sparingly. Amongst proper guests, and indoors, suck it up and swallow.

7.)Remove the band: After a few puffs, the heat from the cigar will melt the glue on the wrapper, please remove it now. Leaving a wrapper on a cigar is controversial, and there are two camps of theory. Those in Europe and the Middle East consider it a sign of arrogance and showmanship, those in North and South America see it as optional.

Personally, it is better to err on the side of conservatism and simply remove the cigar label. Sure someone might think your Ed Hardy shirt is cool, but chances are people will think you’re a douche. Leaving a label on is for amateurs,

8.) Tasting the cigar:Typically, the first few times you smoke a cigar, you won’t be able to taste anything or truly appreciate the cigar. Your taste buds will simply tingle as they acclimate to the smoke. Similar to drinking your first beer, or sipping your first glass of wine. It may take several sticks to get used to the smoke and develop a taste for the cigar.

Once you get used to smoking a cigar, after several puffs, as the ash develops, and the cigar begins to burn cooler you will have a better sense of the taste of the cigar- usually about halfway down the cigar all the way to just below of the shoulder of the cigar (the sweet spot). Smoking will cause the flavor to concentrate in the bottom half of the cigar so while the first half of the cigar may taste empty and light, the bottom half will taste rich.

Let the smoke swirl in your mouth, cool down, and allow your tongue to bathe in the flavors. Note the hints of leather, chocolate, coffee, honey, and wood in your tobacco.

Also note the body of the smoke. A mild cigar will have the body of skim milk, while a full bodied cigar will feel like heavy cream in your mouth.

Hint: Write down your own personal review on the back of the wrapper and save them for later. You can help use this system to determine what cigars to buy next by knowing what you like, and what you don’t like. How will you ever know that you like Amberbock if you keep buying Guiness?

9.) Ashing the Cigar: Don’t worry about ashing a cigar. The long ash of a cigar is an indication of a well made stick. It also helps to cool down the burn of the cigar. This lets a cooler smoke enter your mouth and allows for a better tasting experience. Don’t worry about the ash falling on your clothes, it wipes clean (I know from experience).

The only time I would recommend ashing a cigar is if the cigar has gone out, or is about to go out. If that’s the case then follow these steps.

Ashing a cigar is easy. You merely gently tap it against the ashtray until the ash falls off. The problem is the char. If you relight the char it will be acidic and bitter. Feel free to blow on the cigar to help dislodge the ash or tap it lightly to cause to fall out, then simply follow the same technique you used before to initially light the cigar. You can also cut the cigar and begin a new.

Regardless it may take a while for the cigar to stabilize and return to it’s original flavor. Don’t let that discourage you, relighting a cigar is very common and is a skill that needs to be mastered if you ever intend on making cigar smoking a part of your lifestyle.

10.) Extinguishing the Cigar

When the flame gets too close for comfort, time is up, or you wish to save the rest of the cigar for later, there comes a time to extinguish the cigar.

The proper way is to let it die gently in an ash tray.

Do not try and press the flame out. This will cause the cigar to smoke heavily and leave an awful acrid smell that will not easily be removed. Cigar smoke usually dissipates within a few hours indoors, but extingusing a cigar by force in this manner and you will have a much harder time.

Also never leave a cold cigar for too long indoors as the same effect will occur.

Once the cigar has died, ensure the flame is extinguished by touching the foot gently. If it is too warm to touch, it is too warm to discard and could cause a fire hazard. Once properly cooled, feel free to discard, or place back into the cellophane wrapper and save it for later.

With these rules you should be well on your way to enjoying one of life’s simplest treasures. Churchill, Hemmingway, and all the Cubans on Calle Ocho can’t be wrong. Cigar smoking isn’t just a hobby, it’s a way of life.

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