Gentlemen's Essentials - Cigars

[Commander Quan]

"Cigar smoking knows no politics. It's about the pursuit of pleasure, taste, and aroma."
-- Anonymous


When I first started writing this I had no idea it would be so long or in-depth. This information here is knowledge gained from my own experiences, and the opinions of other cigar smoker I know. Enjoy.

Introduction

Every once in a while the opportunity arises where you may be presented with a cigar. Perhaps this cigar was given to you at a wedding, or to celebrate a birth, or perhaps at a poker night. If this was your first cigar, perhaps it was a bit of a novelty, and you may not have had any idea what to do with it other than light it and put the other end in your mouth.

The purpose of this article is to present information to the novice to help with the basics of selecting, preparing, smoking, and handmade cigars. With this information you will be well on your way to enjoying a relaxing new hobby.

Types of cigars

With a couple exceptions cigars are created in one of two ways. Machine made cigars are cigars that use chopped up bits of tobacco as the filler and are then wrapped in homogenized tobacco leaf or tobacco paper. These make up most of the cigars sold today, and are the main type that can be purchased in convenience stores and pharmacies. These cigars do not require special storage and are generally not considered to be premium cigars, and will not be covered any further in this article.

Handmade cigars are cigars that are skillfully rolled completely by hand using tobacco leaves that run the full length of the cigar. Handmade cigars are generally considered to be higher quality than the machine made kind and usually require special storage conditions to keep them in prime smokeable condition. Handmades come in any number of shapes and sizes with multiple flavors and profiles, and are a great way to kick back and relax, or to celebrate an event.
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u224/comanderquan/B%20and%20B/makings_cigars.jpg

Now the first thing we must do is procure those tasty smokes

Part I
Buying Cigars

Cigars can be purchased at any number of places, from specialty tobacconists, to grocery stores, gas stations, and club houses at golf courses, and in quantities ranging from a single cigar up to boxes of 50.

For someone who is just getting into cigars a local shop that specializes in cigars in the preferable place to start. If you have smoked cigars before you may have a brand that you know. Most employees at this shop will be able to assist you in choosing your cigars. Ask them what they would recommend for a newer smoker (there is no shame in admitting it).

A couple things to consider when choosing a cigar (in no particular order)
Strength
Price
Size
Flavor

Strength - The strength of a cigar comes from the blend of tobaccos used in rolling the cigar. The strength can be categorized as Mild, Medium or Strong. For a new smoker it would be best to stick to the mild to medium cigars. Sometimes if a new smoker chooses something to strong for themselves they get the feeling of being nauseous, light headed or turning “green”, all of these can detract the experience.

Price - A cigar can range is price anywhere from $1 to over $100. There are many great cigars out there in the lower to moderate price range. Spending more than that in the beginning may not be worth it until you know a little more about the flavor profiles you enjoy. The price of cigars can vary greatly from state to state. Some states have no additional tax on cigars, while in others the taxes can double the price. If you are interested, this site, http://fujipub.com/cigartax.html lists the taxes that are imposed on handmade cigars.

Size - When starting out choose a size that you think will fit comfortably in your mouth and in your hand. Cigars are measured two ways. The length is measured in inches or millimeters, and the width is measured in Ring Gauge where 1 ring gauge is equal to 1/64th of an inch. This means that a cigar with a gauge of 48 is 3/4 of an inch wide. Most new smokes choose to stare with a Robusto sized cigar, this size usually has the dimensions of 5x50 or 5 inches long and a ring gauge of 50. This size can give the new smoker enough of a flavor profile, and a size that can be comfortable to hold, and kept from burning too hot while smoking.
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u224/comanderquan/B%20and%20B/cigar-size.jpg

Flavor – There are 3 parts to each handmade cigar. On the inside there is what is called the filler. These leaves make up the blend of the cigar and give the cigar some of its flavor and most of its strength. The binder is made up of wider leaves of the tobacco plant and is wrapped around the filler to give the cigar its shape. Outside of the binder is the wrapper, the leaves used as the wrapper are the same leaves used in the binder but are of a higher grade and should be without flaws such as holes, blemishes, and sunspots. Most of the flavors you taste come from the wrapper.

There are various types of wrappers used in rolling cigars. Often a cigar maker will make different cigars using the same blend for the filler and wrap the cigar in a different wrapper thus changing the flavor profile of the cigar. Some of the most common wrappers are;
Connecticut – A light colored leaf with a light flavor profile.
Natural – Lighter to Dark Brown with a fuller bodied taste
Maduro – A Dark Brown to Black leaf that can be very full and sweet tasting.
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u224/comanderquan/B%20and%20B/cigar-colors.jpg

Other thing to consider when buying
Humidity – Cigars should be stored between 63% and 70% relative humidity. Some shops set their humidity to be higher to account for people opening and closing the door all day long. These cigars can benefit from resting for a couple days before smoking to let the humidity drop a little inside the cigar.

Construction - A cigar should feel firm with a slight give if gently squeezed in the middle. Check to make sure the foot (the open end) and the head (the closed end) are in good condition, if either appears to be cracked or unraveling select a different cigar.

Part II
The ritual

So now you have the perfect cigar, and you are ready to smoke.

Cut the cap
One accessory that you will need is a cigar cutter to open up the head of the cigar and prepare it to be lit. Please see thirdeye’s article on the method and ways to cut a cigar.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=57288
Now that you have cut the cap you are ready to smoke.

Prelight
Before lighting the cigar place in your mouth and suck in gently, this does two things,
1. It tests the draw to make sure it is not too tight. A cigar that is difficult to draw through will not burn properly and will not be enjoyable to smoke.
2. The prelight draw can enable to you pick up some of the flavors of the tobacco before it is lit. These flavors may stay or the may change as you progress through the cigar.

Lighting the cigar
To light the cigar you obviously will need a flame source of some sort. Matches can work, but can also be tricky, for a new smoker a butane gas lighter will work the best. You will want to start someplace where you will be out of the wind. Start by holding the cigar in your hand and hold the foot of the cigar above the flame of the lighter without touching the flame to the foot. Imagine you are toasting a marshmallow, keep rotating the cigar to evenly toast the entire foot. The purpose of this is to evenly light the entire cigar. Once the foot has turned black you are ready to fully light the cigar.

Hold the lighter in one hand and with the other hold the cigar between your lips. The foot of the cigar still should not touch the flame. Gently start drawing air in though the cigar and the flame will jump from the lighter towards the foot. The goal here is to light the foot of the cigar without scorching its sides. Rotate the cigar in your lips so that the entire foot is evenly lit. From toasting the foot, to having the cigar completely lit could take up to 30 seconds. Don’t rush this process; having the cigar properly lit is an important step to having an even burn through out the cigar. Avoid lighting a cigar like a cigarette where the foot is stuck into the middle of the flame and drawn through. This will char too much of the cigar and impart a harsh taste.
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u224/comanderquan/B%20and%20B/Cigar_lighting2.jpg


Smoking
Now that you have the cigar lit sit back and relax. Smoking is an activity that uses most of the senses. Draw the smoke into you mouth but never inhale. Let it roll over your tongue, try to describe the flavor. Some common descriptors are
Coffee
Leather
Chocolate
Dirt
Licorice

How does the cigar feel in your hand? Look at the burn, is it straight or is the burn uneven? A well constructed cigar will burn evenly throughout the smoke. Take a puff only a couple times a minute. If it starts to get harsh slow down your smoking. Try to notice if the flavors change as you progress through the cigar.

Smoke the cigar as long as you like. Some people stop at the band some people take the band off and keep smoking. Leave the ash on the cigar. This will help to keep the cigar burning cool. The ash can be removed once it get to ¾ or 1 inch in length, or before it falls off on your shirt. If the cigar goes out knock the ash off and blow through the cigar to remove any of the off tastes and then relight. When relighting you don’t have to toast the foot again just hold the foot near the flame a draw the smoke in.

If at any point you start to feel light headed or upset to your stomach stop smoking for a second, these are common effects of the nicotine. Try drinking a soda or eating some chocolate, the sugar will help those feeling pass.


If you enjoy smoking a couple times a week you may want to purchase multiple cigars to that you can smoke at your convenience without having to go to the cigar store every time you want to smoke. This brings up to the topic of properly storing those precious cigars.

Part III
Storage

Typically cigars are stored in a wooden box called a humidor; the purpose of this is to keep the cigars in an environment with a consistent humidity and temperature, however humidors can be expensive and there are other things that cigars can be successfully stored in. We cover these by starting small and moving onto larger storage solutions. Almost all smokers go through this progression.

Plastic bag – When you buy cigars the employee at the store should put them into a plastic zipper bag of some sort. This can be used to store your cigars fine for up to 1 weeks without humidification.

If you have cigars that you will not be smoking right away or have more than say 5 you will want something a sturdier than a bag.

Tupperware (Tupperdore) – Any clean odor free type of Rubbermaid or Tupperware container can be used to hold cigars. Lay them down inside the container. At this point if you are keeping a supply on hand you also will want to add a humidification device. (more on humidification later)
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u224/comanderquan/B%20and%20B/tupperdor.gif

Humidor – Once you start having a supply of cigars on hand eventually you will want to keep them in a proper humidor. A small “desktop” humidor can hold up to 100 cigars. These can be purchase in cigar shops but can usually be had for a better value online. When shopping there are a couple things to keep in mind.
Aesthetics – you obviously want something that will be attractive
Size – Here’s a tip buy big, bigger than you think you will ever need. Ask anyone with a desktop humidor, eventually you will need more space.
The seal – Moisture is kept inside by the lid creating a seal with the bottom. This is not an airtight seal but should fit snugly. A good humidor will make a shoosh sound when it is allowed to close.
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u224/comanderquan/B%20and%20B/NeoClassicIIHumidor.jpg

A humidor can be made out of many materials but the inside should be lined with Spanish Cedar. (Spanish Cedar is not the same as the Red Cedar that is used in cedar closets. Red Cedar is very aromatic and will ruin cigars.) Spanish Cedar absorbs and releases humidity and acts as a buffer to keep the cigars at a more stable humidity. Before using it a new humidor must be seasoned to ensure proper humidity. Once seasoned the cigars can be placed inside and left to live a happy life until they are ready to be enjoyed. Like the Tupperdor a humidification device is needed to ensure proper conditions inside the humidor.

Various devices are used to humidify humidors. Most come with some sort of foam device that you add cigar juice to which is a 50% / 50% mix of distilled water and propylene glycol. Gels can be purchased that you add water to and it is released slowly over a period of weeks. My preferred method is using humidity beads, which are silica beads that are set to a specific humidity E.g. (65% ) and they absorb moisture over that Relative Humidity and release it when the Humidity drops below that RH
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...1184777507.png

Anything beyond this is past the scope of this article. Lots of information can be found on the internet and there are great forums similar to ours here dedicated to the discussion of all aspects of cigars.

[krevo]

Great post Quan. It's great to have another inmate here.

[ClubmanRob]

Excellent write-up, Commander Quan, and one that is long overdue. I can't add any more to that, but if a newbie wishes to appear to be a cigar snob, there's also Zino Davidoff's guide to proper Cigar Etiquette. It was written over forty years ago so some of the "Do's" and "Don'ts" may appear outdated.

Do:

* Warm the foot of the cigar slightly before starting to puff on it.
* Remove the band carefully after lighting the cigar.
* Take your time in smoking it; a puff a minute is about right.
* Hold the cigar between your index finger and thumb.
* Let the cigar die a dignified death. After it's smoked half way, it will go out on its own.
* Dispose of the dead cigar discreetly and quickly.
* Wait at least fifteen minutes between cigars; anything less indicates obsessive behavior.

Don't:

* Use a penknife to cut or a lance to pierce the end of the cigar.
* Touch the flame directly to the foot of the cigar: Instead, simply rotate it around the edge till it starts to burn, then puff lightly.
* Ask someone else for a light (the lighting of a cigar should be a personal affair).
* Light your cigar too quickly or too slowly.
* Indulge in exhibitionism in lighting or any other aspect of smoking.
* Relight your cigar if less than one quarter of it is leaf.
* Put the cigar in your mouth to relight it. Just scrape off the ash and turn it in the flame for several seconds till it relights.
* Clench it between your teeth. Likewise do not get the end of the cigar wet, chew it, or slobber on it.
* Smoke too quickly.
* Use a cigar holder, or worse, stick a toothpick or matchstick in the end of the cigar to help hold it in your mouth.
* Dunk your cigar in port or brandy, a habit attributed to Winston Churchill.
* Smoke while working.
* Hold a cigar between your index and middle finger.
* Smoke when you're walking.
* Smoke more than half the cigar.
* Put the cigar out by crushing it in an ashtray.
* Chain-smoke cigars.


I personally follow about half the "do's" and three quarters of the "don'ts". This being a gentlemen's essentials article, however, I felt obliged to post what would be expected of you in "polite" society. :biggrin:

[Luc]

Great post, thanks for the info!

[Mazeman]

Excellent intro in the OP, and follow up comment as well.

I too like to warm the end/distal edges of the cigar before putting it to my lips and doing the final lighting. It creates more even lighting.

Someone told me about the "2 finger rule": when your cigar gets shorter than 2 finger widths, you can toss it. I've found this not to be absolute; I've tossed unenjoyable cigars earlier, and have had cigars that were excellent to the final "roach".

If a cigar is drawing tight, it sometimes helps to roll it between your fingers or clip off just a little more of the end.

A cigar can have very different characteristics at the beginning, middle and end.

The enjoyment of a cigar has a lot to do with the ambience and your mood.

Cigars have quite varied sizes. Here's a table (http://www.aficionado-a-havanas.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/size.html) I found that breaks down the size names even further.

"A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke" --Kipling

[David in Boston]

"A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke" --Kipling

Kipling got it right with that quote.

[ClubmanRob]

Kipling got it right with that quote.

I like Vice President (under Wilson) Thomas Riley Marshall's quote:
“What this country needs is a good five-cent cigar.”

Will Rogers responded: "Our country has plenty of good five-cent cigars, but the trouble is they charge fifteen cents for them."

[Ceezer]

* Use a cigar holder, or worse, stick a toothpick or matchstick in the end of the cigar to help hold it in your mouth.

I'm having trouble visualizing this. How, exactly, does one use a toothpick or matchstick to help old a cigar in their mouth?

[Commander Quan]

When it it burns down to the nub and it's to hot to hold you stab the side with a toothpick or paper clip. I wouldn't do it in public but in my house, yes I have.

[thirdeye]

Very nice post sir..........Man do I love my Padron 64's.....:biggrin:

[ClubmanRob]

When it it burns down to the nub and it's to hot to hold you stab the side with a toothpick or paper clip. I wouldn't do it in public but in my house, yes I have.

You've roached clipped cigars? I have a hard time smoking one down past the band!

[thirdeye]

You've roached clipped cigars? I have a hard time smoking one down past the band!

:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:.....Ditto...

[krevo]

When you're polishing off one that just keeps getting better, toothpick that little guy.

Now that I've amassed a small army of excellent cigars, I'll usually toss them at about 1 1/2 - 2 inches..

[saltypete]

Great, informative post!!
I believe it was Zino Davidoff who once remarked 'If your wife doesn't like the aroma of your cigar, change your wife.':001_tt2:

Pete

[gearguywb]

Great information! I started indulging about 7 years ago and really enjoy the process of trying different smokes, sizes, blends, etc. It is what makes life worth living.

[ProphetNoir]

Fantastic thread! As someone who is newly obsessed with good cigars I really appreciate this primer. Especially being on my favorite Internet destination. So convenient to have both hobbies centralized.

[GarageBoy]

DONT' feel tempted to remove bands too early. Depending on the guy who rolled it, it'll tear the wrapper

[CaptainK]

Excellent write-up, Commander Quan
+1


Don't:
* Smoke more than half the cigar.
Seriously? :blink:

[Commander Quan]

No. Davidoff was a cigar salesman.

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Commander:
A awesome and impressive write-up & 'right on time with a home run'. http://th717.photobucket.com/albums/ww173/prestonjjrtr/Smileys/th_2-1.gif

Also, I propose and vote this post should be a 'Sticky'. :yesnod:

All in favor say 'Aye'. :lol1:

Christopher http://smileys.emoticonsonly.com/emoticons/c/cigar_smoker-3517.gif "A cigar is as good as [the] memories that you have when you smoked it". Raul Julia

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Excellent write-up, Commander Quan, and one that is long overdue. I can't add any more to that, but if a newbie wishes to appear to be a cigar snob, there's also Zino Davidoff's guide to proper Cigar Etiquette. It was written over forty years ago so some of the "Do's" and "Don'ts" may appear outdated.
Rob:
I was and am never the one to wholly 'conform' to the so called 'cigar etiquette'. I'm firmly beleive what Bernard Le Roy and Maurice Szafran stated in their book "The Illuistarted History of Cigars" [pg 109], "Where pleasure is concernded, rules are meaningless" and "Smoking [cigars], can be considered an art but above all it is a delight which neither perconceptions [or conventions], nor principles should be allowed to spoil" and lastly, "If rules are a must, there should only be one - to please yourself".

That be it as it may, enclose below is just a sampling of my 'do's & don'ts' of cigar etiquette;

I do;
* Use a gold penknife to cut a hole in the end of the cigar (thus preserving the cap).
* Warm the foot of the cigar slightly before starting to puff on it.
* Take [my] time in smoking it; a puff a minute is about right.
* Hold a cigar between my, index and middle finger.
* Dispose of the dead cigar discreetly and quickly (after it has died a dignified death).
* Relight my cigar if less than one quarter.
* Smoke more than half the cigar (in Roy Howells book "Churchill's Last Years" [pg 35], he stated that Churchill not only saved relit his cigars but regarded the last inch as the best part of a cigar).
* Smoke in the house.
* Smoke when I'm walking.
* Wait at least fifteen minutes between cigars.
* Ocassionally use a Meerschaum cigar holder when I work at home with my PC.

I don't;
* Smoke...before, during or after dinner in a restaurant / dining room. I retire to the bar, smoking lounge or cigar parlor establishment to 'light-up'.
* Smoke cigars in a vechicle.
* Smoke cigarettes or cigars especially if it affends the company I keep. :yesnod:

Christopher http://smileys.emoticonsonly.com/emoticons/c/cigar_smoker-3517.gif "My tastes are simple: I am easily satisfied with the best". Sir Winston S. Churchill

[Xslim]

Awesome summary. I wish you had more about the different types of tobacco, but I guess that could get pretty long.

[mux]

Sorry to necro somewhat of an older (great) thread, but I did not see a similarly related thread a few pages (5) back from the front page of this forum. I didn't think it would be proper to create a new thread for something that has already been asked dozens of times most likely. Since this is a sticky, I figured other newbies might read and have a similar question as well.

I recently started smoking cigars at a local lounge on Fridays to decompress from the prior days of the week. I'm really enjoying sitting down, enjoying the atmosphere of the lounge, and the cigar experience. So far I have smoked an Isla del Sol in robusto (Maybe? Not 100% sure), a Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real in robusto, and a Baccarat 1871 in toro. The Isla del Sol was the first thing the lounge owner walked to when I said I loved coffee. I've never been the type to let another person stray from their gut reaction. It was a really great starter cigar and burned perfectly. I found that the sweetened tip and overall experience of this infused cigar to be slightly too sweet for my tastes though. I was really impressed by the burn and ash quality this cigar put off though reflecting back on the experience.

The Romeo y Julieta was his second suggestion for me and boy was this an amazing cigar. I loved the almost cinnamon/nutmeg type spices on the finish/afterflavor this cigar gave. I vividly remember the spicy finish sticking to the roof of my mouth and the awesome flavors/complexity this cigar gave off in the last half. This was my favorite cigar out of the three so far.

The last cigar he suggested was a Baccarat. I had conflicting opinions about this cigar. The start was sweet, but not over the top like the Isla del Sol. I wasn't too impressed by the cap either. It almost looked like it was an afterthought in the construction of the cigar. To me, there wasn't anything special about it for the first third/half. The second half it started to open up a little more with some mild woodsy/sweet cocoa coffee flavor, but something it still wasn't hitting home for me. It wasn't until about the end of the last half/beginning of the last third this cigar really opened up in a good way for me. The spices really started to show up in each draw. I couldn't really pinpoint a specific spice (Newbie palette still), but the complexities of it started to shine a lot more. It was a decent smoke, but I probably won't revisit this one again until I get some broader experiences with different types of cigars.

I was wondering if any of you might be able to suggest some cigars based off my previous experiences. I usually smoke on Fridays/weekend when I have a lot of free time to enjoy a cigar, so size or burn time is not an issue. If anything, I would prefer a slower/longer burning cigar in the 1.5-2 hour range. I was looking at trying some more medium bodied cigars like a Brick House in toro or churchill for example. I was also looking at picking up the Top Shelf Twelve sampler (http://www.cigar.com/cigars/viewcigar.asp?prod=SP-CIGASST186) once I get my other cigar supplies and humidor setup next week. Do you think this is a good sampler to start off with? I'm not afraid of trying medium/full-bodied cigars. In fact, I would prefer to try something a little more complex or similar to the Romeo y Julieta I smoked, but I really don't want to get knocked on my butt or throw up either. If you think there is a better sampler/deal out there for my tastes, let me know.

Thanks in advanced!

[Argonaut]

That's a great sampler! You might try an Aurturo Fuente Hemingway, Signature or Masterpiece.

[Devilpup]

a big +1 to hemingway they're great cigars, all of the punch cigars I've had have been good, and R&J are definitely my favorite so far. If someone tries to give you a Java cigar from Drew estates I suggest avoiding it. They have a heavily artificial flavor to them, no doubt stemming from the nature of the cigar.

[Slash McCoy]

Wow... Zino D. had some pretty weird cigar ettiquette rules!

I don't put a cigar down until I am no longer enjoying it or it is simply too short to smoke. I always relight if I think I will enjoy what is left. I never take the band off until it is warm. Even then, I often only slide it up toward the cap, so I can hold it by the band. I cut with whatever is at hand. I keep my pocketknife sharp for that reason. Since I only smoke a half dozen or so a year, I don't bother to carry a cutter with meunless I anticipate having a cigar. It is MY cigar. I will smoke it for MY pleasure, in the manner that suits me. "Purists" can get off their silly little ego wagon and concern themselves with their own smokes. I am certainly not going to let a cigar "die a dignified death" when it is half smoked.

[mux]

I just stopped by my local lounge today and picked up an Arturo Fuente Hemingway Classic. First off, thanks for this suggestion! Second, it was a beautiful cigar from start to finish. Definitely the best cigar I have had so far. I have a pretty large mix of cigars on order and had a great cigar experience to use as a baseline for the others now. Thanks again for all the help!

[Sancho Panza]

For the ultimate book on Cigars look no further than Min Ron Nee's An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Post-Revolution Havana Cigars. A very large book and not cheap but well worth it.

[Commander Quan]

The Ultimate book for sure, but probably over kill for most. And with only a limited run, and almost 10 years of being out of print, it's not easy to come by.