Cigar Etiquette for Beginners: A Guide for New Cigar Enthusiasts

The cigar-smoking ritual is a joyous celebration of the finer things in life. Yet following the correct cigar etiquette brings another level of appreciation to the cigar-smoking experience for you and those around you. We’ll show you how to select, cut, light, share, and store cigars the right way so you can savor every last cigar puff with style and sophistication.

Choosing the Right Cigar for Your Experience Level

Many cigar lovers view selecting cigars as an art form unto itself. Choosing the right cigar takes time and experience, and some trial and error, to master. However, a few tips help you choose a cigar that fits your taste and experience.

Choosing The Right Cigar Size

Cigar size is a consideration that, besides determining how long it takes to smoke the cigar, affects the smoke’s richness, smoothness, and texture. Size is noted by length (inches) and diameter or “ring size.” The cigar ring size is given as 64ths of an inch. So, a 50-ring size Cayman Monarch Robusto, for example, has a 50/64ths diameter. 

Popular cigar sizes (length x diameter) include:

• Robusto (5” x 50)
• Churchill (7” x 48)
• Corona (5.25” x 44)
• Lancero (7” x 38)

These cigar sizes are classic, straight cylinder-shaped cigars known as Parejos. A Parejo’s counterpart is a Figurado or “shaped” cigar, which features sloping heads (top) or feet (bottom). Torpedo and Pyramid shapes with their tapered heads are famous Figurado examples. Cigar makers use these sizes and shapes to offer the best combination of combustion, body, taste, and smoking time.

Smaller cigar sizes burn faster than their larger counterparts, yet they are perfect for enjoying on the go or when you don’t have much leisure time. By contrast, larger ring-size cigars burn slower, taking longer to smoke yet seeming smoother and more complex. In addition, big ring sizes offer subtleties in the tobacco blend that are more easily noticed. 

You don’t want to rush the experience. So, consider when and where you will smoke, and try to select a cigar size that best fits the occasion. Suppose you have an hour to relax on the beach with your morning coffee. Then a 5″ x 50 Cayman Sovereign No. 2 Robusto is an excellent fit with its mellow, near-hour-long smoke. So, as you try various cigars, note how each cigar size affects the smoke. This will help you refine your cigar selections in the future.

Choosing The Right Cigar Flavor

Cigars range from lightly flavorful to bold-tasting smokes that explode onto your palate with powerful depth and complexity. Some of the more intensely flavorful smokes can be overwhelming, even for the initiated. So, start easy and work up to full-flavored blends to evolve your taste level.

Start by identifying one or two primary flavors in a cigar, then a third, a fourth, and so on. Keep a cigar journal if it helps. This allows you to identify more flavors and enjoy the overall experience more. You’ll be better equipped to discern different blends, such as the differences between the nutty, creamy Cayman Mariner cigar and the Cayman Monarch’s rich oak and spice flavors. Soon, you’ll pair cigar flavors with food and drink like a pro!

Choosing The Right Cigar Strength

Today’s premium cigars cover a full spectrum of strength levels, from light and mellow to super strong smokes that will have you questioning your existence. So, be cautious and ease into the mix gradually to let your palate become accustomed to different cigar strengths. Otherwise, your tastebuds will be muted towards lighter blends, and you can miss a blend’s subtle nuances.

Also, consider the time of day you plan to smoke. Start the day with a mild smoke, for instance, and work up to stronger cigars as the day progresses. This allows your tastebuds time to wake up and enjoy various levels of strength without being overwhelmed. Use your tobacconist as a resource to learn about tobacco blends and help you find the right strength level. 

Cigar Etiquette For Cutting and Lighting Cigars Properly

Cutting and lighting cigars can be frustrating if done improperly. A bad cut or an ineffective flame points to a disappointing experience. Various cigar tools are available today, ranging from guillotine cutters to wind-resistant cigar lighters to help you prepare your cigars properly to enjoy them to their fullest.

Cutting Cigars

The cigar cap is a small leaf piece that covers the head of a cigar and helps keep the wrapper in place. A cigar cutter partially removes the cap so you can draw through the cigar. There are several popular cutter styles. So, experiment with different types to find your best fit. Each cutter style can affect how a cigar smokes to varying degrees. 

For example, a cigar punch uses a circular blade to cut a small hole in the cap with a quick push and twist. This focuses the smoke at the point of the small hole. By comparison, V-cutters remove a “V” shape from the head of the cigar to increase surface area to enhance the draw. The most popular cutting type is the double guillotine, which slices off the top portion of a cigar’s cap with two flat blades. 

To use a double guillotine, open the blades and place the cigar’s head into the guillotine’s aperture. Line up the blades to cut across the top edge of the cigar’s cap or the uppermost line encircling the head where it rounds off. Cut too far below this, and the cigar can unravel. Make the cut quick and decisive so as not to pinch or damage the cigar, ensuring your fingers are out of the way. No matter the type, using cigar cutters properly takes practice, so be patient when cutting and enjoy the experience.

Lighting Cigars

Cigar lighting is a central piece of the cigar-smoking experience. Beyond simply setting your cigar aflame, it can be an enormously gratifying event that elicits “oohs” and “ahs” from the crowd. The best options for lighting cigars are butane gas lighters, cigar matches, and cedar spills.

Butane lighters are preferred since they use odorless, tasteless fuel that won’t alter the taste or aroma of a premium cigar. By contrast, fluid, or petrol lighters, like Zippo, disrupt a cigar’s character with an oily taste and smell. Butane torch cigar lighters are the most popular and versatile options, providing a powerful wind-resistant flame well suited for both indoor and outdoor cigar smoking.

Cigar matches are long, sulfur-free cedar matches that won’t adversely affect the smoke. Cedar spills work the same as cigar matches, but they are Spanish cedar strips. Just light the spills first, and then use them to light your cigar. Spills are favored by many cigar aficionados for the additional cedary note they give a cigar. 

So, whichever lighting method you choose, follow these cigar-lighting steps:

1. Toast the cigar’s foot by gently rolling the cigar to and fro above the flame at a 45-degree angle. 
2. Slowly draw through the cigar as you repeat the first step until the cigar is fully lit.
3. Slowly puff as you take in the smoke. The more you puff, the hotter, faster, and more bitter it will burn. 
4. Once underway, take time to admire the cigar’s construction, how it looks, how it feels. Note its aroma and initial flavors as they cross your palate. 

Since it is heat and not the actual flame that ignites a cigar, it never needs to touch a flame, regardless of the source. Follow these tips, and all you have to do is sit back, relax, and savor the joyous treasures of a good smoke.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Smoking Cigars in Social Settings

Maintaining good cigar etiquette in social settings makes for an all-around better cigar experience for you and those around you. You don’t want to smoke in a car full of kids or get thrown out of your favorite restaurant for lighting up in a non-smoking area. So, here are a few do’s and don’ts you can practice during social gatherings in any public or private space.

DO…

• Always be respectful. Ask before lighting up.
• Make sure you have a cigar cutter and fire source handy.
• Always be open for conversation. Be sociable.
• Bring extra cigars. You might need a backup or might want to share.
• Always dump ash and smoked cigars in ashtrays or designated repositories.
• Know your surroundings. Is it the best time and place to enjoy your smoke?

DON’T…

• Spark up near anyone if it’ll create drama or infringe on someone’s personal space.
• Excessively handle, remove cellophane, or put a cigar in your mouth if it isn’t yours.
• Stamp out a cigar. Just let it rest in an ashtray and go out by itself.
• Dump cigars or ash on the ground. It’s messy and a fire hazard.
• Pass your lit cigar around for others to smoke. It’s in bad form and unsanitary.
• Lick the cigar or bite off the end instead of cutting. It’ll ruin the smoke.

You want to create positive experiences for everyone. So, be engaging and respectful always. Be a cigar ambassador, spreading the joys of cigar smoking. In no time, you’ll be a true cigar connoisseur enjoying more meaningful cigar journeys.

Handling and Storing Your Cigars with Care

It takes a lot of people and dedication to make premium hand-rolled cigars, so you want to handle them as the treasures they are. This is especially true when shopping for cigars or examining another cigar enthusiast’s cigar collection. So, try not to handle cigars or remove them from packaging unless you get the okay. Also, exercise the same care when handling cigars while cutting and lighting to minimize damage.

Store cigars at room temperature and approximately 70% humidity to keep them in optimal condition. If you don’t have a humidor, there are many DIY options. For example, Boveda humidification packs can help turn an old cigar box or plastic container into a humidor. However, do not put cigars in modern refrigerators or freezers, as these frost-free devices remove moisture from cigars. If a humidor is unavailable, storing cigars in a dark place, such as a closet or drawer is best. 

Ignite a Better Cigar Experience, Cayman-Style

Handling, storing, cutting, and lighting cigars the right way makes the experience all the more satisfying for you and those nearby as you explore the cigar world. Simple cigar etiquette can also spawn a more fruitful social engagement, where new friendships, hopes, and dreams are born. This is the Cayman Cigar way. It all starts with a good smoke and a smile. So, try Cayman Cigars and enjoy another level of cigar sophistication!