Actually you can normally tell if it is plugged before you light it by drawing on it first. If it is plugged locate the plug by squeezing the cigar the entire length, looking for a hard spot. Once you find it, squeeze all around the spot mashing the spot around to try to loosen it. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. Be careful not to break the wrapper.

Some cigars are rolled very tight and the draw is stiff by design. Puros Indios is and example. So don’t be mashing those cigars because it won’t help. Smokers of those cigars want a stiff slow smoking draw.

However

The cigar determines when the ash comes off. Never force the ash off of a cigar. One or two VERY light taps with your finger is all that you should do. Better yet, let it drop on its own. I have ruined too many cigars by forcing the ash off. (They may start an uneven burn if the ash is forced off.)

And yes! They do drop the ash in inappropriate places sometimes. Learn to live with it. You will start sensing when it is about to drop and can then hold it over a safe area like an ash tray then give it a light tap with your finger. Don’t bang it on the ash tray.

Steps

Step One
Know the five things that can make or break a cigar review. A cigar is rated on its appearance, construction, draw, burn rate and taste. Appearance is primarily the look of the wrapper; construction is based on how tightly or loosely the cigar is wrapped; and burn rate is determined by how evenly the cigar burns.

Step Two
Know that taste is one of the most important factors of a cigar review. The taste of a cigar can change while smoking, and reviews often reflect the point at which a new taste becomes apparent. Taste is also judged on its complexity and consistency. The taste left in the mouth after taking a puff can also affect its rating.

Step Three
Be aware of additional factors that go into a review, such as value and overall experience.

Read Cigar Reviews

Steps

Step One
Choose a magazine for cigar reviews, such as ‘Cigar Aficionado.’

Step Two
Read cigar reviews on Internet websites, such as Smoke Magazine Online, CigarCyclopedia and Top25Cigar.com (see Resources below).

Step Three
Be aware that rating systems vary by source. Some sources rate cigars on a scale of 1 to 5, some use a scale of 1 to 10 or 1 to 100 and some use a grading system of A through F.

Step Four
Read several reviews before making up your mind,

But just as there are certain rituals that must be followed when lighting and smoking a cigar (information on these can be found in our article How to Smoke a Cigar), there are a number of seemingly unwritten rules which tell you how to conduct yourself and your cigar through the difficult world of cigar etiquette.

Zino Davidoff’s guide to cigar etiquette
In 1967, a man called Zino Davidoff published a now-famous essay for cigar connoisseurs. It includes a charter and code for cigar smokers everywhere, telling them how they should behave when smoking or preparing to smoke their cigars. As to his reasons for publishing what is effectively a guide to cigar etiquette, Davidoff has this to say:

“The important thing to remember is that we cigar aficionados should present ourselves as considerate and understanding individuals. Changing people’s preconceived notions and giving the growing numbers of aficionados a good name is well worth that little extra effort.”

Davidoff featured the following Dos and Don’ts for smoking cigars in public.

Do:

* Warm the foot of the cigar slightly before starting to puff on it.
* Remove the band carefully after lighting the cigar.
* Take your time in smoking it; a puff a minute is about right.
* Hold the cigar between your index finger and thumb.
* Let the cigar die a dignified death. After it’s smoked half way, it will go out on its own.
* Dispose of the dead cigar discreetly and quickly.
* Wait at least fifteen minutes between cigars; anything less indicates obsessive behavior.

Don’t:

* Use a penknife to cut or a lance to pierce the end of the cigar.
* Touch the flame directly to the foot of the cigar: Instead, simply rotate it around the edge till it starts to burn, then puff lightly.
* Ask someone else for a light (the lighting of a cigar should be a personal affair).
* Light your cigar too quickly or too slowly.
* Indulge in exhibitionism in lighting or any other aspect of smoking.
* Relight your cigar if less than one quarter of it is leaf.
* Put the cigar in your mouth to relight it. Just scrape off the ash and turn it in the flame for several seconds till it relights.
* Clench it between your teeth. Likewise do not get the end of the cigar wet, chew it, or slobber on it.
* Smoke too quickly.
* Use a cigar holder, or worse, stick a toothpick or matchstick in the end of the cigar to help hold it in your mouth.
* Dunk your cigar in port or brandy, a habit attributed to Winston Churchill.
* Smoke while working.
* Hold a cigar between your index and middle finger.
* Smoke when you’re walking.
* Smoke more than half the cigar.
* Put the cigar out by crushing it in an ashtray.
* Chain-smoke cigars.

As you can see, there are a lot more Don’ts than Dos! However, most of Davidoff’s directives are things most people already do naturally, and you will soon get used to the others as you build up more smoking experience. Practice at home, where you can relax and learn to enjoy every aspect of the ritual of cigar smoking, and only then, when you are confident, should you have a go at smoking in public. It’s not a difficult thing to do, but there are a number of things to think about the first time you do it. Keep practicing however, and they’ll soon become second nature.

1. Don’t inhale the smoke when puffing a cigar.

We want you to live for a long time!

2. Do age your cigars.

After purchasing boxes or bundles of cigars, remove the cellophane and all other packaging, then place the cigars in a properly maintained humidor for at least a few months before smoking. Single sticks stored in a humidor at your local tobacconist may be aged enough to smoke immediately.

3. Don’t put a partially smoked cigar back into your humidor.

Use a cigar savor, or just toss the cigar.

4. Do select an appropriate drink to accompany your cigar.

Select a drink that will not be overpowered by the flavor of your cigar.

5. Don’t bite the cap off the head of a premium handmade cigar.

Use a cigar cutter or punch.

6. Do use a butane lighter to light your cigars.

You can also use a wooden match, but before lighting your cigar, let the sulfur burn off after striking the match.

7. Don’t snuff out your cigar when finished.

Leave your cigar in the ashtray and it will extinguish itself automatically, avoiding that foul odor.

8. Do sample many types of different cigars.

Try various kinds cigars at below market prices by purchasing cigar sampler packs on sale and online.

9. Don’t store cigars in a refrigerator.

It will remove the moisture from the cigars, drying them out.

10. Do return often to CigarsHQ.com

Get the latest news and information about cigars by returning to our website

Unless a manufacturer has the resources to lay in supplies of high quality tobaccos, taste and aroma will vary from year to year, even sometimes from month to month. And, if inferior quality is used, the cigars will produce a harsh, rough, musty taste with an unpleasant, penetrating aroma, the kind wives tend to become so vociferous about.

But financial resources are not enough. A manufacturer must also possess the expertise to know good tobacco from bad when he sees it. This comes only from experience. The best tobacco men today have been in the business for decades and travel the world buying leaf stock for their companies. They know whether to accept or reject an offer and they have their particular trusted farmers and processors to whom they return year after year. If, in a given year, one traditional source has had a poor crop, chances are another will make up for it. If not, the knowledgeable and experienced tobacco man will have provided the necessary protection in leaf stock to get his company through to the next crop and enable overlapping one crop to the other for slow integration. Again, this means a lot of money becomes tied up in leaf inventory, but it’s the only way to ensure having the supplies of quality leaf necessary to produce tasty, aromatic cigars consistently.

There are many ways to cut a cigar. People use everything from a $300 cigar cutter to biting the end off. The two most popular methods are done by using a guillotine cut or a punch made cut created with a bullet style cutter. Both provide clean cuts and both provide ample incisions to allow smoke to draw through the cigar easily. When cutting the cigar, the trick is to cut off enough of the cap without taking the whole thing off, thus keeping the cigar from unraveling. When using the bullet style cutter, you usually won’t have this problem. Cutting your cigar is not rocket science but certain basic skills and good materials are needed to give your cigar a clean cut. If you don’t have the right tools or don’t cut where you are supposed to your wrapper will unravel and it may be annoying while you smoke. Let’s take a look to the different cutters in the market:

The Guillotine cutter: A single blade cutter designed to cut off the cap. Most will cut up to 54 ring cigars.

Pros: These are some of the cheapest cutters you can find.

Cons: You will need to cut your cigar in one quick, strong movement to get acceptable results.

The Double Blade cutter: It is the same concept as the guillotine, but the two blades provide a more precise cut. You will also need to cut with force, but some sophisticated double blade cutters have a spring mechanism that ensures a clean cut every time.

Pros: You can cut any shape cigar, including Figurado shapes like Torpedo.

Cons: Be careful not to cut below the cap or your cigar wrapper will unravel.

The Bullet Punch cutter: The punch cutter will cleanly cut a small hole on the head of the cigar. To cut a bigger hole, you just need to insert the punch several times at different places of the cap until you get the desired width.

Pros: No cutting skills required, and you can carry your cutter around using the key ring attachment.

Cons: You cannot use this type of cutter on Figurado shapes.

The Cigar Scissors: Just like a double blade cutter, the cigar scissors cut off the cap of the cigar.

Pros: They have an elegant, sophisticated look and some Multi Tool Scissors, are very lightweight and small.

Cons: You will need special cigar cutting scissors with surgical quality stainless steel.

The V-Shape cutter: This cutter will cut a V-shape hole on the cap of your cigar.

Pros: Will give you more surface area than the punch and works great on small ring cigars.

Cons: Don’t bother with a cheap V-shape cutter; it will most likely damage your cigar.

Cigars come in a variety of colors. The colors tell a lot about the cigar. In general, you can determine how strong a cigar is by inspecting its wrapper. A darker wrapper would have fermented longer and therefore has a stronger taste. Below are the categories of color, they range from the light double Claro to the black Oscuro.

Double Claro - Known to have a greenish tint on its wrapper. It’s a light cigar that has had minimal aging.

Claro - Typically signifies that the cigar will be mild. It has a light brown color.

Colorado Claro - This wrapper is your standard brown color. Slightly stronger than the Claro but still considered mild.

Maduro, Colorado, and Colorado Maduro - These wrappers are dark brown and give off an admirable aroma. They are considered medium to strong cigars.

Oscuro - The Oscuro has a black wrapper and is strong in flavor.

Regardless of how inexpensive or expensive your cigars are, if you purchase more than a few of which can be smoked in a day or two, you will need to provide your cigars with a proper storage environment. Otherwise, you’re inexpensive or expensive investment of cigars will be worthless, dry, devoid of pleasure and most likely unsmokeable. The best way to store a cigar is by putting them in any container which is able to maintain a 70 degree temperature and 72% humidity level. The easiest way is to purchase a humidor, usually made of wood, which comes with a humidifier device. Most humidifying devices contain some sort of water retaining medium which allows distilled water and a chemical additive to regulate the humidity. A very common brand of humidifier on the market is known as the Credo. Now as to temperature, as long as you have the humidor inside, and not in the direct sun, you’ll most likely be fine as most residences and offices are climate controlled. The best temperature to keep your cigars at is 70 degrees.

To cold? Yes, I’ve heard people suggest that keeping cigars in a refrigerator or freezer is the best place for a cigar. It is not! Cold air robs the cigar of its moisture, besides, do you want your cigar to taste like last weeks dinner?

White spots on your cigar? These are known as blooms. They are the result of long term storage. They are harmless and can easily be removed.

Cigar dried out? You can restore a dried our cigar but it takes time. If it’s an expensive cigar see your tobacconist. You can usually restore a cigar by exposing it to moisture in a partially opened box. Every few days, you should rotate the cigar so that the entire wrapper is exposed to the humidity. Keep repeating this process for a month.