Cigar Smoking Etiquette

Smoking cigars may be a great source of pleasure in your life, but the courteous smoker knows that not everyone enjoys the taste (or smell!) of a good Cuban Cigar.   With the fervor of anti-smoking campaigns still in full swing, the importance of enjoying a good stogie while not offending others cannot be stressed enough.

Simply remember that while you are smoking a cigar, it can be difficult to gauge the smell that others are experiencing.   And don't forget that cigar smoke can leave a mighty strong residue on clothing, furniture, and even the walls!   In order to enjoy your stogie without a heavy conscience, learn to become a considerate and courteous cigar smoker.

If you live with non-smokers, try to find a well-ventilated area of your residence where you can smoke comfortably.   Although it may be tempting to lock yourself away in an office or bedroom, it's probably not a good idea to smoke in an enclosed area unless it has a window.   Make sure you have easy access to the window.   Never smoke in a closed area!   You are more likely to inhale the toxic air from your own cigar.   If possible, go outside to smoke.   Pull up a lawn chair; relax on the porch, or any other open area where you can smoke comfortably.   Get as far away as possible to non-smokers, especially children and the elderly.   Remember that cigar smoke contains many carcinogens that can be easily inhaled by non-smokers. 

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If you must smoke a cigar outside your home, remember that the courteous and respectful smoker will only light up where legally permitted.   Do no light up in a bar, hotel, or restaurant where smoking is clearly prohibited.   The courteous cigar smoker will also make sure to smoke in the company of other smokers.   If you are with someone who does not smoke, ask his or her permission.   If they agree, be considerate about it.   Make sure the smoke isn't wafting in their direction.   Sit near an open window or space.   Make sure the air conditioner or current is not moving the smoke in their direction!   Also, make sure no one around you is eating.   The secondhand smoke from a discourteous smoker is a surefire way to ruin a meal.

A courteous cigar smoker will also be aware of their ashes.   If you must smoke outside your home, make certain to dispose of your ashes in a safe and appropriate container.   Don't forget that ashes can easily blow away, especially in lower quality cigars.   Don't litter with ashes, and be careful they don't blow near anyone around you.  

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Cigars 101: An Overview of Cigars

Cigars have long been associated with the rich and powerful, with relaxation and rich flavor.

Cigar aficionados have created a culture around the art of smoking, assembling various theories and accessories to debate and facilitate smoking.   

Much like wine tasting, cigar smoking has been seen as a diversion of the upper echelons of society.

It is believed that cigars were probably first produced in Spain, and then quickly caught on in other European countries.  

Although many different countries manufacture cigars, Cuban cigars have long been highly regarded as one of the most flavorful and rich of all cigars.  

This is due to regional microclimates that are said to produce the highest quality tobacco, as well as the skill of the country's cigar makers.  

Other countries that produce significant amounts of tobacco and cigars include Brazil, Mexico, Honduras, Ecuador, Cameroon, Dominican Republic, Indonesia, and the United States.  

Why have cigars long caught the attention of so many?  

Many speculate that the cigar's main attraction is in the way it is manufactured.  

High quality cigars are always wrapped by hand.  

Unlike cigarettes, cigars undergo a lengthy process of fermentation and aging (much like wine), resulting in subtle flavors and textures.  

They are highly individual and the best cigars will provide no smoky aftertaste at all.

The taste of cigars is much more complex than cigarettes.  

The majority of all cigars are created by wrapping three different layers of tobacco leaves together.  

High quality cigars usually contain long leaves of nicotine as the filler, although they may also contain a combination of scraps.  

This results in subtle variations, different textures, and complex flavors.  

Cigarettes, on the other hand, are mass-produced and generally only contain one type of tobacco.   

Cigars also come in an incredible variety of flavors.  

The dedicated cigar aficionado can find chocolate, vanilla, apple, and even coffee-flavored cigars!

Although cigars have long been lauded for their smooth and complex flavors, they can also pose a great health risk. All tobacco contains nicotine.  

We've all heard about the negative health risks of nicotine, but what does it do exactly?  

Nicotine is a stimulant that produces a sense of euphoria.  

Even the casual smoker cannot escape the fact that nicotine is highly addictive and contains various toxins, carcinogens, and irritants.  

Although most connoisseurs of cigars will avoid inhaling the smoke, they are still at risk of developing various types of oral and larynx cancers.  

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How to Pair Cigars and Alcohol

The cigar has long been viewed as a luxury of the rich and powerful.   Images of well-to-do men puffing on a stogie and swirling a glass of good brandy have been well documented and memorialized in films and TV.   If you are just becoming interested in cigars and would like to relax with a stogie and drink after a long day's work, here are a few tips to get you started.

Traditionally, the cigar has been paired with a strong drink. Popular spirits include rum, brandy, or whiskey.   Some argue that a good cigar should always be paired with a strong drink that has a hint of sweetness.   Indeed, cigar smokers have long enjoyed these popular pairings.  

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For years, the idea of pairing cigars with beer has gone overlooked.   But why overlook good old beer?   Recently, the trend has been to pair cigars with various varieties of beer.   It seems that as cigars have entered the mainstream, it has been democratized and popularized.   What better way to enjoy a puff of this newly popularized treat than to pair it with beer?

Pairing a good cigar with a good beer is not an easy feat, but when accomplished, it is well worth the effort.   Much of the pairing has to do with your experience level.    If you are a novice, you will probably need help in pairing your specific cigar with an appropriate beer.   If you have a more experienced palate, and you know what you like, you can probably make connections between certain types of cigars and beers.  

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Because cigars are so strong and flavorful, one of the challenges in pairing is to find a beer that complements the intensity of most cigars.   Most cigars will pair nicely with a good barely wine or a single malt scotch.   If your cigar can be described as woody, spicy, with hints of cedar, try pairing it with a barley wine.    The fruity hint of barely wine should complement nicely with the spicy flavor of your cigar.   The combination of a spicy cigar with a slightly fruity beer can create an overall creaminess that enhances the flavors of each significantly.

If you have no clue as to what flavor combinations might work, experiment.   First, find a cigar that you enjoy.  Try to identify the characteristics that you enjoy about it.   Then, find a beer whose flavors you think might 'match' or complement the cigar. Many incredible discoveries have been made in much this same way.  

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How To Properly Age A Cigar

Experienced cigar enthusiasts know well the pleasures of a well-aged cigar.  

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The subtle flavors and complex constitution of a well-aged cigar is indescribable and unforgettable.  

Like wine, many cigar aficionados swear by the process of aging.  

A great cigar, the argument goes, is an aged one.   

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How can you attain a well-aged cigar that provides the mellow, complex flavors you crave?  

You can always fork over a good deal of your money and purchase a box of expensive vintage cigars.  

If you would rather save the money and experiment with aging on your own, here are a few tips to help you get started:

First, know that you will have to be patient if you want a properly aged cigar.  

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You will have to age your cigars for about a year in order to achieve the flavors and complex subtleties of a well-aged cigar.  

Also, know that in order to achieve the rewards of a well-aged cigar; you must begin the process with a high quality cigar.   

If you try to age a lower quality cigar, chances are any amount of aging won't improve their flavor significantly.  

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Many high quality cigars that you find too strong or odorous are perfect candidates for aging.  

In fact, almost all high quality cigars can be improved through the process of aging.


To age your cigars, purchase a good quality humidor.  

Cigars must be stored in a constant and stable environment.  

Follow the 70-70 rules.  

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That means the humidity must be at a constant humidity of 70%, and at a temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Of course, the environment in which they are stored is crucial.

Follow the usual 70-70 rules for temperature and humidity.  

Any more and your cigars will get moldy; any less and the aging process begins to be stunted.  

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Maintaining a stable environment for your cigars is key - a constantly fluctuating environment can be disastrous.  

Swings in temperature and humidity cause cigars to expand and contract, cracking their wrappers and it may disrupt the aging process.   

Ideally, the space in the humidor should be about twice the volume of cigars.  

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The lining should be cedar - cedar wood is highly aromatic wood, full of its own oils.  

With the passage of time, the interaction of the tobacco oils amongst themselves, with the cedar oil of the wood,  leads to a mellowing and blending of flavors resulting in that subtle complexity you can only get from proper aging.

How to Spot Fake Cuban Cigars

The 3 cigars on the left are the Fakes although they look
darker and maybe even more authentic

Everyone knows that Cuban Cigars are the most coveted cigars, renown worldwide for their smoothness and rich flavors.



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Indeed, Cuban cigars are so prized that many illegitimate dealers have been known to sell fake Cubans to unsuspecting cigar smokers.   

How do you tell if what you have is a fake or the real thing?

First, make certain that you purchase your cigars from a legitimate dealer.   Buying from your local tobacconist or a reputable mail order business can protect you from forking your money over for a box of fake cigars.

If you have an opportunity to purchase a box of purported Cuban cigars, but have your doubts, take the time to examine the box before purchasing it.  
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Here are a few tips to help you spot the fakes from the real thing:

The most important thing to examine is the box.  

Authentic Cuban cigars will contain a green and white warranty seal on the left front side of the box.  

The seal will contain an insignia that has a picture of a shield and a hat.  

On the upper right hand corner of the box, you should find a white sticker that is placed diagonally with the word 'Habanos' printed on it.  

The overall appearance of the box should be neat and clean.  

If the box appears damaged, smudged, frayed, or marked, avoid it.  

If the color of the box is dull, don't buy it.  

Even if the cigars are the real things, their quality may have suffered in transport.  

If you are in the market for Cohiba, Trinidad, or Q'dorsay brand cigars, know that all authentic Cohiba's will contain the green and white warranty seal on the right hand side of the box.

On the bottom of the box of cigars, you should find a heat stamp with the words 'Habanos.'   The heat stamp should be impressed onto the bottom of the box.   Fake Cuban cigar boxes often find other ways to imprint this label, such as using rubber stamps or paper labels.   You should also find a factory code stamp at the bottom that is stamped in green, blue or black ink.   This stamp will tell you when and where the cigars were rolled.  


>If you can open the box, take the time to smell the tobacco.  

>Cuban cigars will have a deep, rich aroma, unmistakable to dedicated cigar aficionados.   

>If the smell is off, or very weak, chances are you do not have a box of authentic Cuban cigars in your hands.   

>The cigars should be facing the same way, and the top row may appear slightly flattened.   

>The caps on all the cigars should appear identical, and the foot of each cigar should be cut clean.   

>The bands on all the cigars should also be identical, and should be arranged so that they face the same direction.  

>If allowed, test the cigars out by pressing down on them.   

>Feel along the entire length of each cigar, checking for soft or hard spots.   

>The cigars should feel firm yet pliable.  

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Making the Perfect Cut on Your Cigar

How to clip a cigar properly?   Although every cigar aficionado has their own proven method, here are some basic guidelines to get you started:First, examine the head, or closed end, of the cigar.   This is the part of the cigar that will need to be clipped.   Determine where the 'cap' is.   The cap refers to the part of the cigar where the tobacco leaf was used to close the cigar.   Once you've found the cap, determine its length.   As a general rule, you should not cut any further than the end of the cap.   If you cut further than the cap, there's a good chance your cigar will unravel!

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Use a good quality clipper to cut the head at the cap.   You don't want a cheap cutter that will result in frayed or split cuts. You can purchase a special cigar cutter at your local tobacco shop that is designed to make clean cuts.   Once you have your cutter, hold your cigar at eye level and make a fast and decisive cut just above the cap.   Less is more when cutting—if you find your cut is too superficial, simply cut down a bit more.

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