Even before you know what you’re doing, you can ‘look the part’ of an accomplished cigar smoker.  These are the four essential items you will want to have.

1. CIGAR CUTTERS

There are just some things a cigar smoker can’t do without. This is one of ‘em.  Sure you can chew off the end of your cigar (like they do in the movies) and just spit it out, but nothing says you’re a true connoisseur better than pulling out your own personal cigar cutter.  (Also see How to Cut a Cigar).

2. CIGAR LIGHTERS

If you’re spending a goodly sum on your cigar, don’t let your investment go up in smoke (the wrong way) because you didn’t invest in a decent cigar lighter.  With all due respect to the little plastic wonder, a disposable Bic from the drugstore really doesn’t make the grade.  Proper lighting is a key factor in ensuring that your cigar will taste its best!

Avoid a regular gas lighter as the fumes will be passed on to the cigar itself, and spoil the more delicate flavors.  The best implements are odorless butane lighters and good old wooden matches (Our chapter on lighting your cigar gives you some special tips about matches).

Smokin’ Product: Colibri offers a huge range of high-tech pocket lighters, including many combination types with integrated tools and cigar cutters.

3. CIGAR TUBE or CARRYING CASE

Not to be confused with the humidor, a carrying case is a home-away-from-home for a cigar ‘on the go’.  Tubes help seal in moisture, allowing you to keep a well-conditioned cigar fresh for up to 2 days outside a humidor.  Tubes come in glass or metal, and there are beautiful leather cases available, too. (One caution on the leather cases, they seem to have a tendency to dry our your cigar rather quickly).

Also, don’t continually open your tube to smell the tobacco.  You’ll be letting in dry air, which will contribute to their deterioration.  And try to avoid tubes with cork stoppers since they slowly exchange moisture with the “outside” air.

Some companies make great “Traveldors”. These are small but efficient travel cases that have a humidification device inside. If you are taking a small number of cigars for a period of time this may be your best route. I use one in my golf bag – the cigars are kept fresh between rounds.

4. CIGAR ASHTRAY

What makes a cigar ashtray different from a normal ashtray? Most importantly, cigar ashtrays make it possible to rest the cigar without disrupting the ash, which can definitely improve the way the cigar burns

An excellent (and growing) range of cigar trays in a variety of materials and styles are being offering from well-known cigar brands including Dunhill and Perolo.  Some ashtrays feature famous cigar logos such as Cohiba, H. Upmann and others.

Many of the Hillwood ashtrays match their wood and leather humidors, making an attractive ‘smoking bar’ at home. Dunhill’s crystal ashtrays are also popular and come equipped with up to four cigar rests.

Let’s start at the beginning…

Fun fact:  Two tablespoons of seed can produce 10 acres of cigar tobacco!

First comes the harvesting of the leaves, in itself a thoughtful and careful process.  Leaves that are harvested from the bottom of plants (Valdo) have the mildest flavor.  Middle level leaves (Seco) which are the largest leaves and some say best tasting, deliver milder flavor, while the top leaves (Corona) have the greatest exposure to the sun, and therefore the most pronounced taste.

Fun Fact: Valdo, Seco, and Corona only apply to Sun Grown tobacco. In Cuba, wrapper tobacco that is grown in the shade (under cloth) is called Ligero (light), Seco (dry), Amarillo (yellow), and Viso (Glossy).

These pre-sorted leaves are re-sorted according to size and texture.  They’re bundled and hung to dry (cure) for 6-8 weeks.  During curing, the tobacco leaves must be able to release moisture and (sweat or ferment) rid themselves of toxins like ammonia and other chemicals that develop during the process.  If proper fermentation has not occurred during curing, the resulting tobacco will not burn steadily and will have a harsh, bitter taste.

In preparing premium cigars, the blender will carefully sort and strip the three components of a smoke – the filler, the binder and the wrapper.  All this must be completed prior to the creation of the unique combination (recipe) of tobacco and wrapper that will result in a perfect smoke.

The blender assembles a special combination of tobacco leaves to make the filler.  Depending on the type of cigar, its size and ring gauge, there may be as few as two and as many of four tobacco leaves in the mix.  Blending is an art unto itself.

The next art is shaping, and the ‘hand’ of the expert is revealed in a consistent shape and texture.  A buncher forms the filler leaves into a neat cylindrical shape.  A binder leaf comes next.  Then, the entire cigar is placed into a mold to gently and slowly ‘massage’ it into a perfect cigar shape.

When the shape has been achieved, a roller applies the outer wrapper leaf of tobacco and voila – cigar perfection…almost.

After the cigar maker has ‘introduced’ the elements of the cigar to one another, the stogies are placed in the “marrying room” for a 3-week (minimum) honeymoon together.  The ‘marrying room’ is actually a tobacco aging room, usually made of cedar, in which temperature and humidity are carefully controlled. During this time, Nature brings the various tobacco components together to synthesize their best qualities into the richly layered taste of a fine cigar.  Lots of things go into how cigars smoke with this being an important step! It is not uncommon for some growers to skip this process – a serious mistake to true cigar connoisseurs.

It takes only a few weeks for a cigar to become dry in adverse conditions, but it takes a few months to restore them.  And although dry cigars could be brought back to an acceptable smoking condition, they will probably never be as good as they originally were.

So an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Don’t let a good cigar go bad.  Read up on humidors and storage options on this website.

TREATMENT OPTIONS

There are several ways of treating dry cigars, depending on their condition. If a cigar has become dry and the wrapper has not cracked and unraveled, then it can be restored. But this must be done slowly and patiently.

If the wrapper has actually broken, then the cigar should be discarded. And if it has completely dried out, it will fall apart between your fingers regardless of how gentle and careful you are, so restoration would be impossible.

Your first step is to remove your dry stogies from their cellophane wrappers, or cedar/aluminum tubes.  If they’re not super-dry, the entire cigar box (with its lid open) may be placed inside a large walk-in humidor or any location where they can slowly be reintroduced to dampness – ideally 70% humidity.  (After two or three days the top and bottom rows should be interchanged and should remain in that position for another two or three days)

In 4-6 days, you can remove the cigars from their box and expose them to the full humidity of the humidor.  To combat small water bubbles that may appear under the wrapper, rotate the cigars a quarter-turn every 2 days.  Continue this process for as long as necessary – possibly up to three weeks.

When the wrappers look even and the body feels smooth, and when there is only a gentle crackling sound when you press your cigars between your fingers, it’s time to return your cigars to their original box.  After treatment it is best to let cigars rest for 6-12 months to allow the three components (filler, binder and wrapper) to re-equilibrate before smoking. Just check on their condition every three months.

Quick tip:  For cigars that aren’t too dried-out, restoration can sometimes be achieved by simply wrapping the closed box in a damp (not wet) towel for about two weeks.

Not sure what size is what?

Click on this handy chart!

The term “blowing a smoke ring” is something of a misnomer and probably the reason many cigar smokers fail when attempting their creation.  Most people think they have to exhale to form a ring when, in fact, just the opposite is true.

But wait.  Let’s start with the basics and not get ahead of ourselves.

The first thing you need is a cigar that will produce dense smoke.  Why?  Smoke rings are delicate and if your cigar is producing light, ‘airy’ smoke, it will be difficult to get your ring to come together and stay together after it leaves your lips.

The second thing you need is a nice, calm environment.  Not for your nerves – for the smoke ring!  Moving air will disrupt the fragile cohesion, while still air will allow a smoke ring to grow to its full glory and linger for a while afterwards.

Okay, you’ve got the right cigar and the right room.  Now you need the right attitude:  practice makes perfect.  Let’s get ringing:

1. Draw a thick puff of smoke into your mouth and hold it there.  (It’s not necessary to puff out your cheeks like a chipmunk)

2. Place your tongue on the bottom of your mouth and pull it back slightly to block your throat passage

3. Open your mouth slowly (so you don’t create any unnecessary air flow that will disturb the smoke) and form it into the loose, rounded shape of the letter “O.”

4. Be sure to open your mouth and jaw, not just your lips.  You can’t make a good smoke ring by puckering up and making a kiss-face or fish-face.

5. Now, here’s the tricky part:  Curl the tip of your tongue down, and pull your tongue all the way back and push the smoke out of your mouth with your tongue.  Use your tongue in a gentle, piston type motion:  short bursts, with a slight recoil (think of the way a car piston works).

The biggest factor in blowing good smoke rings is practice.  But that’s half the fun!

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This is a surprisingly common question I get but it is an almost impossible answer. My friend Tommy laughs when I can make a smoke last as long as the “recommended smoke time.”

In a nutshell, the bigger they are the longer they smoke (like you had to go to a Cigar site to figure that out, huh?). Ok, ok, here are few benchmarks…

Presidente (8” – 10”) – about 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Double Corona, Churchill, Lonsdale (7 ½” – 8”) – about 45 minutes to an hour.

Corona Grandes, Corona Extra, Rubusto, Belicoso, Pyramid (5”-7”) – about 30 – 45 minutes.

Petite Corona, Culebra, Ascot – under 30 minutes.

Whether or not you choose to age your cigars – in a humidor, a tupperdor, an igloodor, or a ziplock freezer bag — is strictly a matter of personal choice.  Cigars are like wines – some people like the simple bright taste of the latest Beaujolais Nouveau, while others favor the deep, rich flavor of a vintage Cabernet Sauvignon.  It’s a matter of taste – YOURS.

The tobacco in most premium cigars is aged up to 2 years.  High-end premium tobacco is often 3 years old and some ultra-special blends use tobacco that’s been aging for more than a decade.

After receiving the leaves from the growers, the best manufacturers will roll cigars and then hold them (now rolled) for another 1-2 years before shipping.  It’s unfortunate that many cigars are in such demand that manufacturers ship them directly off the roller’s tables, without the critical “post-rolling” rest period.

Then it’s up to the distributors, the tobacconists and YOU to take the time to age or mature them – two different processes.

‘Green cigars,’ those that have been brought to market with no aging by the manufacturer need to go through a short-term maturation process for 3-4 weeks.  This allows the blending of filler leaves to occur and the taste to stabilize.  After about a month, the stogies may be ready to go.

Other aficionados will squirrel away their stogies and age them for 5 years, 6 years, even 20 years before smoking them.  (Think of a wine cellar for stogies).  Fans of aging say that the process smoothes away any rough edges in the taste and brings out the best in the tobacco.

In Europe countries, and particularly in Great Britain, where it’s called ‘laying down a cigar,’ aging is a time-honored practice.  The North American continent is just starting to embrace the practice.

HOW LONG, OH LORD, HOW LONG?

• 3 weeks stabilizes the mechanical tensions and moisture of a cigar, making it smoke better, particularly if it was shipped ‘green’

• 3 months allows the oils to begin their natural dissipation so that the flavors of the blend ‘marry’

• 3 years (in a temperature/humidity controlled environment) allows some more complex chemical processes of true aging to take place, creating deep, rich and subtle layers of flavor

• Beyond 3 years – Carefully stored, cigars just keep getting better and better

CELLO WRAPPERS

Several factors contribute to whether or not you should leave your cigars in their wrappers for aging.  Aging is a complex process involving oxidation, the blending of essential oils and other chemical changes.

Note:  The end of the cello is never sealed, it’s just folded over. This allows the ambient humidity to slowly infiltrate the cigar, but keeps out intruders like mold or the dreaded tobacco bugs.

If you’re aging a number of types of cigars in a humidor without compartments, you’re better off leaving the wrappers on. Wrappers can impede your spicy Jamaicans from overwhelming you mild Dominicans and other ‘hostile takeovers.’

You’re better off leaving them in their wrappers for another reason. If you’re aging your cigars alongside your ‘daily smokes,’ you’ll be exposing them to outside air every time you reach for another stogie.  With the air, the essential oils will be affected along with the flavor of the cigars.

Keeping the cello on also slows down the transfer of humidity, the bane of cigars everywhere.  Wrapped cigars remain more stable – even with opening and closing the humidor frequently.

Now, if you’re only keeping one or two similar brands in your humidor, you might consider letting them ‘go naked.”  Removing the wrappers will results in a “mass marriage” as the chemical processes blend aspects of all the cigars.  This approach will give the cigars a greater overall consistency of flavor, but will not significantly affect any individual cigar.

Here’s the skinny on using a simple, single-blade cutter:

A cigar has two ends – the Foot (already cut) and the Head (sealed and uncut). You will be cutting the head.

Hold the cutter in your dominant hand.  Position the cutter between you and the cigar. The cigar should be pointing away from you, with the pre-opened end the farthest from you. 

Locate the Shoulder of the cigar, usually about 1/16th-1/2” of an inch from the unopened end.  (The shoulder is the point near the end where the curved end of the cigar starts to straighten out) 

Position the cigar under the blade at the point where you want to cut it. 

Bring the blade down gently onto your cigar at the right point and rest it there for a second (just enough to establish solid contact). 

Without losing contact with the cigar, apply even pressure and cut with one swift, motion.  (With a clean cut you’re less likely to tear the wrapper or crunch the tobacco, both of which will interfere with your cigar’s burn while smoking. )  

Dispose of the small piece of cap you’ve just cut off. 

Get smokin’!  

Mini Tips

Inexpensive single-blade cutters are widely available and are usually priced at around $3.  While this may seem like a bargain, especially for a new smoker not yet ready to ‘invest’ in a quality tool, consider this:  an inexpensive cutter may do such a poor trimming job that you’ll end up discarding half your cigar because it doesn’t burn properly.  

Don’t skimp.  Ask your tobacconist for a recommendation.  

Mold!

Horrors!  You open your humidor to grab and smoke and what do you find?  Mold!  To break the “mold-cycle,” you’ll need to get all potentially contaminated cigars out of your “regular” system while you clean it out.  

While you’re cleaning your humidor, you’ll have to find temporary quarters for your cigars.  First, wipe off the contaminated cigars with a clean paper towel, slightly moistened with distilled water. (Be careful – you don’t want to get the cigars any soggier than they already are!)  Separate the cigars you know were contaminated from the others. Smoke them as soon as possible.

Make some kind of temporary “quarantine” storage container for those “contaminated” smokes.  Put it in the refrigerator — refrigeration (even in a container) will dry cigars out without a source of humidity.   Check on these cigars every few days. If there is no sign of mold for a full week (and I mean absolutely no sign) move the temporary humidor out into room temperature. 

If there’s no mold for another week, it may be safe to return them to your regular, newly cleaned humidor, but here’s the risk:  they can bring mold right back into the wood or credo of your system.  And don’t assume those wrapped in cello are safe either. 

Frankly, we suggest you keep these refreshed cigars in ‘solitary confinement’ for a few weeks until you’ve smoked them all.

Quick tip:  You can mimic the process by using two self-sealing plastic storage bags.  Puncture one bag with a series of tiny holes and place your cigar box (with an open lid) inside.  Seal this bag and place it (with the cigar box) inside a larger back into which you’ve placed a slightly damp sponge. (The sponge needs to be damp, not wet for this to be effective.)  Seal the second bag. 

Thank you for ordering the Cigar Secrets eBook. Typically we will email you the book the same day but always within 24 hours. If you do not receive it in that time, please contact me directly at Fred@Diversifiedinvestment.com

All the best,

Fred