If you want to become a fine cigar smoker, you are about to join an elite class. Only 1% of adults in the US smoke premium cigars. And those who do tend to be more educated and wealthier than the general population.
Before you start hanging with the cigar pros, though, you need to learn how to smoke a cigar. After all, smoking a cigar is nothing like using other smokeable products.
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Light It Up: How to Smoke a Cigar
So, what are the cigar-smoking etiquette rules you need to know to avoid looking like a newbie? We’re giving you our top tips for picking, cutting, lighting, and enjoying premium cigars next.
How to Pick Premium Cigars
Always choose cigars based on smell and, when possible, taste. Scents of coffee, cinnamon, leather, and cedar are best. If you are looking for the gold standard of cigars, try a Cuban brand like Opus X Cigars.
How to Cut a Cigar
Before lighting up your premium cigar, you must prepare it for smoking by cutting off the cap with a cigar cutter. If you don’t have a cigar cutter, you could also use a knife or scissors in a bind.
Cut off the cap with your cigar cutter. You only need to cut off about 1/8th of an inch. Cutting off more than that could reduce your cigar’s lifetime.
How to Light a Cigar
The first step of lighting a cigar is toasting the foot to prepare the tobacco for smoking. The foot is the open end leftover after you cut off the cap. Hold your cigar at a 45° angle and rotate the foot in the flame.
Next, hold the flame adjacent to the foot without touching it to your cigar. Puff out once, then pull smoke into your mouth, but do not inhale.
Finally, blow on your cigar’s foot a few times.
How to Smoke a Cigar
With a cigar, you do not inhale because cigar smoke can harm your health. So, how do you smoke a cigar without inhaling it? Pull the smoke into your mouth and close off your airways as you would underwater.
The whole point of smoking cigars is to enjoy the smell and flavor of premium tobacco. With that in mind, try to hold the smoke in your mouth for a few seconds or up to a minute before exhaling.
Once the foot gets about an inch of ash, you can gently tap your cigar against the side of an ashtray. When you are ready to extinguish, rest your cigar against the tray and let it go out. It should stop burning after a few minutes.
Looking for More Cigar Smoking Tips and Tricks?
With these tips, we hope you feel confident that your first premium cigar experience is a great one.
Now that you know how to smoke a cigar, are you wondering how to blow smoke rings? Or maybe you’re wondering how long it takes to finish a premium cigar? Check out more of our articles for answers to these questions and more!