Smoking a cigar is a great way to relax or celebrate a special occasion. Before smoking a cigar, you will need to learn how to cut and light it, as well as recognize its different qualities. Smoking the cigar consists in savoring its taste without inhaling the smoke. If you want to learn how to smoke cigar like a real expert and in no time, follow the steps in this article.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Choosing the Cigar
Step 1. Learn about the various types of cigars on the market
Instead of buying the first product that comes your way, learn to recognize the different qualities of cigar and let your tobacconist guide you in choosing the right one for you. Knowing the differences between the various types of cigars will make you a more aware smoker. Here are some cigar varieties you might be interested in:
- Crown. This cigar is approximately 15cm long and 1.7cm in diameter; it has the foot (the part that lights up) open and is closed by a round head (the part that you put in your mouth).
- Pyramid. This cigar has a pointed and closed head.
- Torpedo. This cigar has a bulge in the middle and has a pointed head and closed foot.
- Perfecto. It is similar to the Torpedo, apart from the fact that, in addition to the bulge in the middle, it has both ends closed, which gives it a rounded appearance.
- Panatelas. This cigar is about 17cm long and 1.5cm in diameter; it resembles a long and narrow Corona.
- Culebra. It is made up of three Panatelas intertwined together and resembles a thick rope.
Step 2. Choose a light cigar
To get started, you will need to experiment with different types of cigars. Don't throw yourself headlong into a whole box of cigars of the same type only to find that you don't even like the first one you smoke! On the contrary, buy different cigar varieties that you think will meet your taste. You should start with an inexpensive cigar suitable for a beginner, with a less intense aroma and a sweet taste.
The longer and wider a cigar, the more intense its aroma is. If you are a beginner, you should start with a long, narrow cigar instead of a small, stubby one (smoking which would make you more likely to cough)
Step 3. Examine the cigar
Before buying the cigar, you should gently squeeze it to make sure it is not too hard or soft in places. This could mean that the cigar has a bad draft or that it is even smoky. Also make sure it has no bumps along the surface and that the label and tobacco on the ends are not discolored.
Step 4. Store Cigars Properly
If you own or have purchased a humidified cigar case, store your cigars in it as soon as you get home. If you don't have one, buy a few cigars at a time, as they will dry out in a couple of days. Do not remove the cellophane wrapping and avoid leaving them in contact with the air. Rather, keep them in a Tupperware container or something similar.
Part 2 of 4: Cutting the Cigar
Step 1. Place the blade on the cigar
To cut a cigar you will need to sever its hat, the wrap that covers the head to prevent it from drying out. It is best to use a single blade guillotine cigar cutter, but you can also use a very sharp knife. Don't use blunt scissors, teeth or a butter knife or you risk your fine cigar becoming smokeless. Rest the blade on the cigar head to position it correctly. Wait to cut!
Place the blade where the cigar meets the head, the outer band of tobacco that holds the cigar together
Step 2. Make a clean cut
The aim is to cut the cigar without altering its shape. Hold the cigar with one hand and the cigar cutter with the other. Put the cigar head in the cigar cutter and cut it 1-3 mm from its end. Make a clean cut!
Cutting slowly or by trial and error will, in all likelihood, damage the head
Part 3 of 4: Lighting the Cigar
Step 1. Choose the most suitable ignition system
Wooden matches and butane lighters are the most suitable tools, because they do not alter the flavor of the cigar. Don't use paper matches, gas lighters, or - worst of all - flavored candles. You can also buy a cigar lighter from the tobacconist.
Step 2. Heat the tobacco near the cigar foot
The foot of the cigar is the part that lights up. Hold the flame under your foot without touching it and rotate the cigar a couple of times to make the foot warm evenly. By heating the tobacco it will be easier to light the cigar.
Step 3. Light the cigar
Hold the flame in front of the cigar without touching it. Now inhale so as to light the cigar and, at the same time, avoid inhaling the smoke.
Step 4. Gently blow on the cigar foot (optional)
This helps to turn it on evenly. To make sure that the cigar is well lit, turn it towards you and blow lightly on the foot; the lit parts will glow with a warm orange light.
Part 4 of 4: Smoking the Cigar
Step 1. Smoke
Hold the cigar in your mouth and inhale, then hold the smoke for a few seconds before throwing it out. Do not inhale the smoke. A cigar is not a cigarette and the smoke must be tasted, never inhaled.
Step 2. Every 30-60 seconds give repeated puffs by rotating the cigar
This will keep the cigar "in top shape". Remember that a cigar can last anywhere from two to three hours.
Step 3. Remove the clamp after a dozen puffs
The band serves to prevent the tobacco from tearing but, once the cigar is lit, it becomes useless. After a dozen puffs, it should start peeling off on its own from the heat.
Step 4. Enjoy your smoke with a good alcoholic drink
Although it is not strictly necessary, accompanying the smoke with an alcohol-based drink helps to appreciate the aroma of the cigar even more. More than suitable drinks include port, cognac, bourbon, scotch and red wine (particularly Cabernet Sauvignon).
- Even a coffee-based drink - or a simple coffee - is just as good.
- Although the cigar can enhance the taste of any type of beer, India Pale Ale (IPA) is the ideal one to savor during a good smoke.
- Any Kaluha drink goes equally well with a cigar smoke.
- You can also enjoy your cigar in the company of a Martini.
Step 5. Let the cigar go out after smoking it
Simply place it on the ashtray and the cigar will go out by itself after a couple of minutes. Before setting it down, blow inside to remove smoke that would otherwise get trapped inside. A relit cigar acquires a more pungent flavor and it is for this reason that many aficionados prefer to throw a cigar away rather than lighting it a second time.
Advice
- Behave like a well-mannered smoker and don't leave cigarette butts lying around. Unlike cigarettes, authentic cigars are 100% degradable, but their range may not necessarily be.
- You are not forced to constantly throw ash, on the contrary, the trademark of a well-packaged cigar is to keep a thick layer of ash at its end (even 2-4 cm!) Be careful that the ash does not fall on you..
- Each brand is different. Some cigars stay lit longer, others have a richer aroma. At least initially, try light cigars (the Cameroon, for example, is a great cigar to start with).
- Try two or three cigars before deciding that you don't like a particular brand; Different cigars, even within the same package, can have a slightly different aroma.
- Re-lighting a cigar after some time can alter its flavor, although generally the best cigars retain the aroma longer.
- Buy a humidified cigar case if you want to store your cigars in the best possible way.
- Be careful when you are outdoors. The wind can make your cigar burn quickly, and unevenly. Plus, the smoke could go straight to your face.
- If your cigar goes out all the time, it may not be of good quality or you are not pulling properly.
- Rolling your own cigars allows, first of all, to be sure of their content and, secondly, to spend less at the tobacconist's (even having fun, maybe).
- Unless you are a heavy smoker, avoid inhaling the smoke. The color of a cigar can give important indications as to how strong it is; for example, a black, or otherwise dark, cigar will have a more intense flavor. Choose a nice amber colored cigar if you are a beginner.
Warnings
- Don't worry only about the long-term effects of smoking, as there are also temporary and short-term effects! Smoke contains carbon monoxide, a gas that reduces the amount of oxygen in the body and weakens the body for about 6 hours, until it dissipates.
- The cigar can cause dizziness and nausea. These are common problems among new smokers and can also cause vomiting. If it happens to you too, it doesn't mean that you are overdosed on nicotine, but that you should switch cigars, opting for a lighter variety, at least initially.
- Do not inhale the cigar smoke! The health risks can be minimized (but never completely eliminated) if you inhale the smoke. Cigarettes, unlike cigars, have filters and that is why their smoke can be inhaled (although there are also unfiltered cigarettes).
- Even just giving a few puffs, nicotine and other harmful substances are absorbed by the walls of the oral cavity.
- Cigars are not healthy at all. They contain 10-40 times the amount of nicotine in a cigarette. The amount of nicotine absorbed depends on the number of puffs, how much smoke is inhaled, etc. Even if the methods of absorption of the same are not yet well known.
- If you really feel the need to smoke and are able to make your own cigars, pack them with something lighter than tobacco.
- The health risks are directly proportional to the exposure to smoking.
