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blackswaneuroparedux · 2 years

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Anonymous asked: So l never smoked cigars (unlike you, l associated them with obnoxious men and can’t think of any women i knew who smoked) but you and others have made me curious. Any suggestions or advice to a newbie about what to try, ask for, look for, expect…

Thank you for reaching out. I’m sorry to respond to this interesting question now but I wanted to do full justice to your question. I hope the wait was worth it.

Why I decided to share some of thoughts of the cigars I have smoked in a series of posts was to express the joy I get from the smoking experience. I never imagined for a moment it would make others, especially other women, curious about trying a cigar for the first time. I’m so glad that it has. I’ve been getting plenty of private messages about this.

You are right in one respect cigar smoking is perceived as, because it is, a ‘guy’s thing’. The so-called ‘brotherhood of the leaf’. Certainly cigars are still a male-dominated industry, however the number and presence of female cigar smokers is growing. Just like you don't typically expect a woman to drink whisky or play poker, plenty do.

For this reason, I argue increasingly it is not just a "guy thing" a phrase which implies that only men do or should do it. Indeed perhaps the biggest irony with regard to cigars being a "guy thing" is - most of the rollers, sorters and packers in the cigar factories in strewn across Latin America and Cuba are women. Indeed a few women even run some of the biggest cigar brands because of they were born into the family heritage of producing cigars in Cuba.

I don’t really want to get into any male bashing because partly it’s unfair to lump every man into one group, and partly our own individual experiences are always going to be different.

I will say this though. Don’t be put off by a few obnoxious individuals and focus on enjoying the cigar on its own terms. I think when you meet genuine cigar lovers, who could happen to be men, they will embrace you regardless of your gender. The genuine cigar aficionado knows a cigar is best paired with the conviviality and good conversation. This has been my experience. I hope you have the same as you follow your curiosity.

What advice would I give to a newbie to smoking cigars?

Joining the world of cigar smoking might seem intimidating to a complete newbie. Cigars may seem complicated with so many brands and varieties to choose from. Cigars are no different from choosing what cheese to eat or wine to drink. In fact, it’s a lot like choosing a bottle of wine, an area I know well as I own a French vineyard with my cousins. Premium cigars (hand made ones) share a lot in common with wine. The different regions where the tobacco is grown, how it’s blended, how long it’s aged, and what shape it’s rolled in influence the taste and the strength of a cigar. There’s a lot to take in.

Here would be my Top 10 suggestions to follow to get you started.

1. Be guided by the wisdom of the specialist cigar staff

Please don’t go to your nearest corner tobacco shop (convenience store in the US or tabac here in Paris) to choose a cigar. They know nothing about cigars. Before anything else I would suggest making a visit to a specialist cigar shop and ask the staff for their advice for beginners. It sounds obvious but it’s one that many don’t. Much like wine sommeliers, cigar shop staff know a great deal about cigars and they are dying to share their knowledge with their customers. They are a wonderful resource to be used. You are not paying for their advice, they give it to you for free. Some customers are too shy or they are ignorant at how informative cigar shop staff can be. Even experienced cigar aficionados will seek the wise counsel of staff for their cigar recommendations that they might not have thought about.

All too often I see people just come into a specialised cigar shop and saunter over to the humidor room (where the cigars are kept under the appropriate temperature) and just ask for a box of Cubans because of the fancy label and the high price (the higher the better) without the slightest idea if such a cigar will appeal to their palate.

In my experience of navigating friends to the world of cigar smoking I’ve taken them to my favourite cigar shop and introduced them as my friend who is a cigar newbie; the staff rub their hands in glee because they get to show off their vast knowledge of cigars and above all, set you, they hope, on a exciting journey of discovery in the world of cigars. After all, they want you to come back and buy more cigars. Even better, ever so slowly you build a relationship and they will develop your cigar palate as you become a more experienced smoker.

2. Always choose hand made premium cigars over machine made cigars.

A cigar is made up of three essential elements: wrapper, binder, filler. All made from tobacco leaves. There are many different types of cigars ranging in size, shape, filler, and taste. This is why the smoking culture is so unique. You simply cannot say that all sticks (another name for cigar as the yanks say) are the same. Every one you smoke will be different and unique in flavour depending on the type of tobacco leaves used in the construction of the cigar. Some of the differences will be very subtle and some will be more distinct because of the different fillers and binders used.

But there is another element, cigars that are hand made or machine made. Is there a real difference? Ask any connoisseur and they will say there is. It’s not about snob value but the difference between a good stick and a great stick.

There are very quantifiable reasons for that consensus that hand made cigars are better than machine mades ones. Let’s agree, for the sake of clarity, that flavour is a subjective characteristic in cigars. I might like a strong cigar with a lot of Ligero tobacco in it. This is a powerful leaf. You might like something milder. We’re both right for our own tastes. In terms of ‘smokeability,’ the handmade cigar, made properly, will allow for a longer, slower burn time and a cooler smoke. A common characteristic of machine made cigars is that they burn fast. And that often means they burn hot. Why?

The wrapper of a handmade cigar is an intact, trimmed tobacco leaf. All natural. The leaf is pliable and wrapped tightly around the binder and filler of the cigar. The handmade wrapper generally retains enough moisture from its natural oils to allow it to burn slowly and evenly. Light a good handmade cigar or light it badly it won’t matter much. You’ll likely notice that the burn evens out despite the fact that, say, you set only half of the foot ablaze. This is a well-made cigar. The wrapper leaf burns evenly and is almost self-correcting. With machine made wrappers, the ingredients are not just tobacco. In fact, the wrapper of a machine made cigar often is not made exclusively of natural materials. The reason for that is that the wrapper must be strong enough - that is, not particularly delicate or supple - to withstand the manipulation of the machine.

Then we come to the filler - the heart of the issue. Handmade cigars are usually made with long filler, a bunch (usually three or four) whole, trimmed tobacco leaves that have been carefully hand rolled together to create a cylinder. In most machine made cigars, the filler is short, made of chopped-up tobacco scraps and sometimes the stems of tobacco leaves. The short filler burns faster because all those little pieces, glued together, are combusting at rapid-fire rates. The short filler can also contain paper, preservatives and various chemical additives to make the cigar burn better and create a consistent flavour. In most cases, the filler in a handmade cigar is blended to create a distinctive flavour profile. This is done by carefully growing, curing and selecting leaves that complement one another. From year to year, premium handmade cigars can vary slightly in flavour, but master blenders recognise this and work to use specific leaves to get as close as possible to the original flavour. Remember, this is an agricultural product that is affected by weather and soil conditions.

And then we have the binder. Handmade cigars have a binder leaf, again made of all-natural tobacco. A buncher gathers the filler leaves and wraps them in a binder leaf (sometimes two). Then, the bunched tube is passed along to a torcedor, or roller. Sometimes one person handles both tasks. With machine made cigars, at least the better and more expensive ones, two binder leaves are fed onto a machine plate where the binder is cut. The short filler runs through a hopper that drops a pre-measured amount of the short filler into the binders as they move on a conveyor belt. At the end, the tubes are trimmed to size. The cheaper, and inferior, machine made cigars are made in much the same way as cigarettes. The filler scraps are fed into a machine that creates long rods of the short filler. That is then covered by a continuous sheet of binder. This process creates a long snake-like tube that is sealed at each end to the right length. If you’ve ever seen sausage made, well, you know.

Do yourself a favour and choose hand made premium cigars over machine made cigars. If you want a genuine smoking experience and more importantly enjoy it then I would always recommend you splash a little cash on one premium cigar over any that is machine made.

Look, at a minimum, it’s not an entirely bad idea to have some inexpensive machine made cigars lying around for those mooching friends who wouldn’t know a Garcia y Vega from a handmade Montecristo. Give your friend the Garcia y Vega. You smoke the handmade cigar. But then it’s a question of moral ethics. What kind of friend would you be if you gave your ignorant friend the cheaper machine made stick? Could you live with your conscience? I couldn’t. Anyway, we’re done here.

3. Cuban vs The New World

Cigars are synonymous with Cuba. Everyone knows the best cigars in the world come from Cuba. Wrong.

We all know that Christopher Columbus is credited with introducing tobacco to Europe, where it became a coveted commodity among the elite who would even use it as currency. Tobacco seeds were planted and grown in Connecticut (America) around 1640. The popularity of pipe tobacco and cigars soared globally. However, when England captured Havana from Spain, for roughly nine months in 1762, the exportation of cigars to Europe exploded. England pushed more international shipping through Cuba in under a year than Spain had in the previous two centuries.

When Spain did get back the island they knew they were onto a good thing. After the first cigar rolling factories were set up on the island, several bans were put in place. The most important was the Tobacco Monopoly declared by King Phillip V of Spain in 1717, which aimed to fuel the substantial profits gained through tobacco production direct to the crown. This ban meant that Cubans could only grow tobacco for Spain. Anyone caught distributing tobacco seeds to non-Spanish colonies was put to death.

However, the tradition of growing, curing, and rolling tobacco into cigars was already deeply rooted in the Cuban culture. Cuban growers openly revolted against the measures until they were lifted in 1817 by King Ferdinand VII. He allowed the free trade of tobacco and cigars from Cuba through Spanish ports, leading to the birth of the modern Cuban cigar industry.

Cuban tobacco production was the country’s biggest agricultural export for most of the 1700s, and cigar rolling remained relatively unchanged over the next century. However, cigars continued to play a role in the social and political history of the country, including the Spanish-American War, civil labor disputes, and culminating with the 1962 trade embargo on all Cuban imports into the USA. The embargo was aimed at weakening Castro’s communist regime during the Cuban revolution.

Tobacco production in America shot up significantly too. At one point, the Connecticut River Valley was home to more than 30,000 acres of premium tobacco crops. By 1860, nearly 1500 cigar factories operated in the U.S. In 1920, eight billion cigars were made in America where the advent of cigar-making machines drastically increased production. Demand for Cuban cigars cooled during the Great Depression, while machine made cigars that cost a nickel outsold all others.

The real game changer in cigar history was when Fidel Castro took control of Cuba in 1959, the premium cigar industry changed forever. Castro began to nationalise the industries, including the production of cigars. Tobacco-growing farmland and cigar-making factories were seized, and brands fell under the control of the government. To this day, all cigar operations now run through the Cuban state tobacco company, Cubatabaco. Cubatabaco owns Habanos S.A., who control the promotion, distribution and exportation of Cuban cigars around the world, but not the United States.

One significant consequence of Castro’s actions was the mass exodus of cigar-makers and their families fled to the States and other Central and South American countries. These were some of the most famous and storied names in the cigar industry. Soldiers seized Fernando Palicio's Hoyo de Monterrey factory, the home of Punch, Belinda and Cuba's greatest double coronas. Then they came for the H. Upmann factory, the home of Montecristo, and took it from Alonso Menendez and Pepe Garcia. Others were quickly seized such as the famed Partagas. In all the Communists seized 16 cigar factories, 14 cigarette plants and 20 tobacco warehouses. Torn from their businesses, their bank accounts frozen, Cuba's tobacco giants were literally rendered paupers.

In the days, months and years that followed the plunder, the cigar barons of Cuba fled their mother country, settling around the world. There was no Cohiba. Americans had never heard the name Macanudo, Padrón cigars didn't exist and only Ybor City, Florida, locals had ever smoked an Arturo Fuente. Cuban seeds had yet to be planted in Central America.

From this loss, an industry was reborn. The exodus made the non-Cuban cigar industry, spreading Cuban-seed tobacco around the globe and turning cigar makers into chefs forced to blend foreign tobaccos into new creations as they tried to re-create the taste of their lost home. Cuban cigars became ‘forbidden fruit’ in the U.S. due to the Cuban trade embargo, but they’ve been known to lack the quality and consistency of cigars made in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

By the mid-1990s a modern cigar boom was underway, and demand for premium cigars skyrocketed. World-renowned brands like Arturo Fuente, Ashton, Padron, My Father, and Oliva have proven the mystique behind Cuban cigars is largely myth. Exceptional tobacco can be planted, harvested, and aged by cigar-makers in a variety of other countries. Many of today’s best cigars are handmade with tobacco grown in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Mexico, and Connecticut and other places around the Caribbean. These premium cigars sell for consumers in the U.S. – the largest market for handmade cigars in the world.

It’s worth noting that in the 1970s, a landmark legal case allowed for the original Cuban owners to sell non-Cuban versions of their cigars under the original brand name they had created in Cuba. This is why there are sometimes two cigar brands with the same name - such as Montecristo, Partagas and Romeo y Julieta. Despite having the same name and both offering cigars, there isn’t really competition between the brands due to rules established during the case. The parallel brands can only be sold in the United States, where Cuban cigars aren’t allowed to be sold. The cigars also cannot contain Cuban tobacco due to the embargo. Therefore, as they can only be sold in the US where Cuba can’t trade, Cuba doesn’t lose out on cigar sales from the existence of these brands.

Under his administration, President Obama made steps to repair relations with Cuba by easing some of the restrictions on Cuban cigars entering the United States. Until 2020, Americans could bring up to 100 cigars or four boxes of cigars back from Cuba duty-free in their baggage, as long as they were for personal use and not for commercial purposes. However, unfortunately for cigar lovers in the States, President Trump made the regulations much stricter in September 2020. Now, you are unable to return to the United States with alcohol or tobacco acquired in Cuba, even if it is a gift or for personal use. Loopholes have also been considered, as you are also unable to bring Cuban products back into America from other countries. For example, you couldn’t go on holiday, buy some Cuban cigars in the UK or France and then take them home.

Politics aside, my advice is don’t be blindsided by the ‘if not’s Cuban then it can’t be a good cigar’ line. It’s nonsense. I enjoy Cuban cigars because they are easily sold here in Europe but I also enjoy cigars from the New World because the craftsmanship is second to none.

4. Start slow, start mild.

If you’re selecting your first cigar, it’s important to understand that we usually describe the body and strength of cigars as mild, medium, or full. Body pertains to the depth (or fullness) of flavour in a certain cigar, much like a glass of wine. If you’ve ever experienced a strong Merlot versus a mild Reisling, you’ll appreciate the difference between the two. Conversely, coffee could also be used to describe the differences of body, whereas a weak cup of coffee would be considered mild and espresso would be considered full-bodied. Strength refers to the nicotine content of the cigar.

Mild cigars are generally the best for beginners because one of the most important aspects in smoking cigars is developing an appreciation for the flavour. A mild cigar won't overpower you, the only way it will is if you inhale. That for cigarette smokers might seem a foreign concept which may take some getting used to but as long as you remember these three words, you'll be fine as long: Never ever inhale.

It's important to note that mild doesn't have to mean bland. Over the years cigar smokers have tended to drift towards more full-bodied cigars but this is due to their taste developing and eventually you will tend to desire more flavour of which are the full-bodied cigars. Strength is only one component of a cigar and in my opinion, flavour is more important than strength but as has been said, mild doesn't have to mean bland. In fact, there are plenty of cigars classified as mild that are far from being bland.

The way a cigar looks entices us to buy it or leave it on the shelf. Cigar-makers fixate on a cigar’s colour, texture, and taste when they create a blend. The wrapper plays a huge role. The wrapper is the most expensive part of a cigar because it must look perfect, and it can represent sixty to eighty percent of the flavour we perceive. Cigar-makers are especially picky when choosing the wrapper for a blend.

An ideal wrapper leaf is visually pristine, not too veiny or rough in texture. While coarser tobaccos are well-suited to deliver flavour and body, the thick, visible veins they display make these leaves less desirable as wrappers. Additionally, a patient and proper fermentation of the tobacco ensures the wrapper exhibits a blemish-free, consistent colour. Wrapper leaves are often harvested from the middle section of a tobacco plant, also called Seco.

A number of terms are used to define the most common types of cigar wrappers used today. Some of these terms pertain to colour, country of origin (where the leaf is grown), and seed varietal, while other terms represent a blend of these elements. Becoming familiar with the types of wrappers today’s cigar-makers grow can be essential to understanding why you prefer certain cigars over others.

Generally speaking a mild cigar is one - but not always - made from a Connecticut wrapper. It’s an ideal place to start for newbies.

Connecticut is one of the most widely used mild wrappers and is also sought for its sweet aroma. Ecuadorian Connecticut is also mild, but with a little more flavour and a shade or two darker in colour. Corojo is a little darker in colour than the Connecticut wrapper. The Corojo was originally grown in Cuba but because of the embargo, it is now mostly grown in Honduras. This wrapper tends to have a very spicy, peppery, robust flavour, favoured by many cigar smokers.

Habano is similar in colour to Corojo and is also from Cuba, but today it grows mostly in Nicaragua. The leaf produces a heavy, spicy flavour and is often dense with nicotine, so it may overwhelm a beginner. The Maduro is the darkest in colour and enjoys the lengthiest lifespan, from seedling to wrapper leaf. Not every leaf can be turned into a Maduro wrapper and, interestingly enough, they tend to defy their ominous looks. These cigars are often sweeter, which has earned a nickname of ‘dessert smoke.’

Be sure the cigar you choose is listed as ‘mild’ in the cigar retail shop. I would drop that into any conversation with a staff member of a cigar retail shop as you both look for that first smoke cigar. I would even suggest adding ‘mild to medium-bodied’ cigars to the mix. So also keep in mind that there are plenty of excellent, medium-bodied ‘first-smoke’ candidates available to new cigar smokers. But I would suggest to the newbie to start with the mild ones before you progress upwards to the medium or strong cigars.

5. Size isn’t everything

Cigars come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, which can easily get confusing. Moreover, there are many synonyms and conflicting terms used by different circles. For instance, the Cubans may call a particular type of cigar a Prominente whilst the American market will refer to it as a Double Corona. Even worse, the cigar industry hasn’t standardised any of the cigar shapes, sizes, and measurements. In fact, various brands interpret these in their own way. Although it can be frustrating, you could also see it as just another adventure!

A cigar’s length is measured in inches, and its thickness, or ring gauge, is measured in 64ths of an inch, the same way your finger is measured when you are fitted for a wedding ring. A standard Robusto is 5 x 50, or 5 inches long with a 50 ring gauge (50/64ths of an inch). A cigar’s shape and size affects its intensity, its draw, and the length of time it will burn. Another name for a cigar’s shape is “vitola.” There are two kinds of vitolas: parejos and figurados. Parejos are straight-sided cigars, like a Robusto or Toro, that do not taper. A figurado is any cigar that is not straight-sided, like a Belicoso, Torpedo, or Perfecto.

Some cigars, like Padrón, are box-pressed, where the cigars are pressed into a square shape. This is a manufacturer’s preference. It would be wrong to assume box-pressed cigars are better than round vitolas, or vice versa.

Thinner cigars burn hotter and faster than thicker shapes, which deliver a cooler draw. Longer sizes are more approachable in the beginning because the smoke travels a further distance and cools down before it reaches your palate. If you’ve only got a half hour to smoke, don’t smoke anything larger than a Corona or Robusto. If you can smoke for over an hour, choose a Churchill or Double Corona.

Here are a few general guidelines using common sizes: • Robusto (5 x 50): 60 minutes on average • Toro (6 x 50): 90 minutes on average • Churchill (7 x 48): 120 minutes on average

6. Cut your cigar

How you cut your cigar makes a tremendous difference to how well it will smoke. A cigar is comprised of a head and a foot, with the foot being the end that you will light and the head being the end that you will cut and place in your mouth. Most cigars also feature an identifying band towards the head to help you identify which side to cut. On top of the head, your cigar will most likely be capped, meaning that the roller placed tobacco from the wrapper leaf there specifically to hold the wrapper together after you cut it. It’s better you see some examples of cigars being cut on YouTube before you try it for yourself.

Remember the goal of cutting the cigar is not to cut the entire cap off, but just to remove the bare minimum necessary to smoke your cigar. Cutting too low may result in your cigar unraveling as you’ve removed the natural adhesive that keeps it together. There are three types of cutters to consider: a straight cutter, a punch cutter, and a V-cutter. Here’s how each cutter affects your cigar.

• A straight cutter, or guillotine cutter, slices the top of the cap off your cigar. A straight cutter will give you the easiest draw on a cigar. Straight cutters come in many designs. Some are made with retractable blades. If you smoke big ring gauge cigars, you should get a big ring cutter with a larger aperture to accommodate thick shapes.

• A punch cutter, or bullet cutter, removes a small hole from the cap when you insert the circular blade into the head. A punch cut creates a concentrated draw, and your cigar may burn slower as a result. You cannot use a punch cutter on a Torpedo because the cigar’s head is tapered to a sharp point.

• V-cutters have become increasingly popular in recent years. A V-cutter, also called a wedge cutter or a cat’s eye, removes a V-shaped portion of a cigar’s cap. A V-cutter creates a more concentrated draw by pulling smoke from the top and bottom parts of a cigar and blending it directly on your palate.

7. Lighting up

How you light your cigar will affect the flavour of the cigar. Forget any pretentious ideas of using a zippo lighter or lighting from a burning candle - it looks cool but it only ever happens in the movies. If you ever did use a Zippo then you’ll quickly notice how much the fuel will stink up the flavour of the cigar itself. Stick to three methods that are tried and tested to get the best results.

• Butane Torch Lighter (most common) • Butane Soft Flame Lighters (Bics) • Wooden Matches and Cedar Spills

Torch lighters are the most commonly used lighters for cigars because they provide a concentrated flame that is very controllable. Torch lighters are particularly useful when smoking in the wind or at higher altitudes, as soft flame lighters are either impracticable or may scorch the wrapper. When using a torch lighter, take care to remove the cigar from direct flames. Depending on the intensity of your torch, one or more inches should be between the visible flame and the foot of your cigar. Soft flame lighters are excellent choices when indoors, although most disposable lighters become uncomfortable for your thumb after long periods of time. As a benefit, however, soft flame enthusiasts are rewarded for their patience with less risk of overheating their cigar. If you decide to use matches as your flame source, it’s crucial that your match is wooden (and preferably long) instead of the matchbook from your hotel room.

Whatever method you use: be patient. Hold the flame away from the foot of your cigar and gently roast it. Take an occasional puff as you rotate the foot of your cigar over the flame until the entire circumference is evenly lit.

A word about toasting your cigar.

Taking the time to toast a cigar is completely optional, but not without benefits. The most common reasons to toast your cigar: it promotes an even burn; it reduces tunneling; and it makes the cigar easier to light. A consistently even burn is the hallmark of a well-made cigar, showcasing the skill of the Master Blender and rolling pair.

Some even prefer to continue the toasting process. This method involves slowly rotating the flames to the centre of the cigar, igniting the outside wrapper and binder first and then working your way to the filler tobacco. Using this method, cigar smokers slowly light the entire cigar without ever placing it to their lips. It’s common to blow on the cherry of your cigar at this point, verifying that the entire foot has been lit and is ready to smoke. Proponents of this method say that they experience better flavors from the beginning because they were much less likely scorch the tobacco or draw hotter air through the cigar.

But no matter how well constructed your cigar is, there are no substitutions for getting off to a good start.

8. Smoking your cigar

Remember cigars are not cigarettes. You never ever inhale. Cigars are smoked for their rich flavour and relaxation rather than the nicotine content that’s derived from inhaling a cigarette. But don’t worry, if it’s nicotine you’re after, you’ll get your fair share without having to inhale, after all premium cigars are handmade with whole-leaf tobacco that is humidified and much stronger than cigarettes. Cigar smoke should be drawn into the mouth and expelled the same way, without ever entering the lungs. More experienced cigar smokers learn how to retro hale through the nose but as a newbie you don’t need to worry about that just yet.

Puff on your cigar and draw the smoke into your palate, but don’t inhale it into your diaphragm, or you will cough. If you smoke a cigar too fast, it can wind up tasting bitter, burning hot, and you’ll be left with a bad aftertaste in your mouth.

The best practice to maximise flavour and improve your experience is to enjoy your cigar slowly. A cigar consists of burning tobacco that will become bitter, acrid, and unfavourable at higher temperatures. I suggest puffing on the average cigar once a minute to ensure that you’re not overheating it. Of course, every cigar is different and may require a different cadence. Slow down if your cigar is becoming hotter and speed up if you feel that you cigar may go out on you because of your pace.

To promote an even burn throughout the length of your cigar, rotate it while you’re smoking. This method works particularly well if you’re holding the cigar, as a slow rotation will allow for heat and airflow to impact all sides evenly. This is the number one way to consistently have an even, uniform burn line.

If you notice that one side is burning slower than the other, you may decide to rotate that side down to the floor, allowing for more airflow to naturally correct the burn depending on how your cigar is resting. If rotating the cigar doesn’t work, it’s always best to correct the burn with lighter earlier rather than later.

9. Finishing your cigar

There are plenty of unwritten rules when it comes to smoking cigars. Licking your cigar or dipping it in whiskey are questionable practices. Determining when a cigar experience begins and ends is a choice that only you can make. There are no formalities to be observed before you’re allowed to be finished - but I would encourage you to save the cigar bands to remember your experience afterward. Some cigar aficionados I know collect all the cigar bands on the cigars they have smoked. I haven’t ever done that. But there’s nothing wrong with doing so. The only formality here is how you finish smoking your cigar. To part ways with a cigar and call it quits, simply lay your cigar to rest in the ashtray. The cigar will slowly cool down and extinguish itself over time. It’s considered bad form to stub out a cigar as doing so releases an unpleasant aroma and affects the smoking experience of those around you.

10. Manners maketh (wo)man

If your first cigar smoking experience is enjoyable you might think about how you build on that. My advice would be to be cautious and take baby steps. Don’t be lured into making mistakes that only beginners make.

Firstly, don’t buy a box of cigars. I don’t mean to sound like a killjoy. There’s nothing wrong with buying a box of cigars regardless of how long you’ve been smoking. Breaking the seal, opening the box, smelling the cigars, and generally revelling in your good fortune is an exciting experience each and every time. I know this because I sometimes buy premium box of cigars as a private indulgence or I receive them as a parting gift from a grateful corporate client when I go on my business travels. But I wouldn’t recommend it for the newbie.

The problems are two-fold. If you’re new to our cigar hobby, you have to put in the time to know what you like and don’t like. There aren’t any cliff notes as you’re the only person with your particular taste buds. Purchasing a box before you know what you like exposes you to feelings of cold feet and regret if it isn’t what you were expecting. I have always recommended to newbies to try a sample of different sticks (or you can buy a sample pack from reputable online stores) as often as possible to expand your horizons before jumping straight into a box purchase.

On the other hand, the seasoned veteran can also fall into the trap of purchasing a box without sampling the different vitolas (sizes) first. Each vitola is blended separately out of necessity, and sometimes they are radically different depending on the blender’s intent. It’s always recommended to sample a new product and find which vitola calls your name before committing to an entire box.

Likewise newbies in a rush of blood to the head go out and buy brand new spanking (often expensive) humidor box to store their cigars proudly at home. I would question the wisdom of this. I would only get a humidor once you really are a committed to being a cigar smoker because the expense of purchase and the time consumed in looking after the cigars are kept at the right temperature will end up frustrating the newbie, and may even kill the initial enthusiasm.

A better solution is a simple home made one: a tupperdor. A tupperdor is a plastic container, or tupperware, some of the very same ones that are in your kitchen cabinet, that can serve as a fantastic cigar humidor. Of course, they aren’t made of cherry or rich mahogany but they get the job done and they get it done for cheap. Tupperdors work well because they are airtight and keep humidity at the right level for cigars to successfully be stored and mature. You don’t have to season tupperdors. Since they are airtight and plastic, there’s no preparation process.

All you need are a few add-ons to turn your tupperware into a tupperdor in no time.

Firstly, tupperdors only require a small bit of cedar but if you ask nicely your cigar retail shop will let you have for free broken cedar boxes in which cigars were stored, it saves them the trouble to discard them. Cedar wood to panel the Tupperware box is ideal.

Secondly, just add a Boveda pack. Cigars need moisture to help keep all those delicious flavours fresh. You will need a two-way humidification solution that is going to basically keep your humidity from getting too high or too low. Boveda packs are ideal for this. The bigger the tupperdor, the more of each of these products you will need. It’s always best to order more because you will use them eventually. Generally 1 Boveda pack per 50 cigars should work fine. Additionally, I recommend aiming a bit lower in terms of humidity for the Boveda packs since tupperdors don’t breathe as well. For example, go for a 62% Boveda if you would like your tupperdor in the 65 – 67% humidity range.

Thirdly, invest in a reliable hygrometer. When storing cigars, it’s important to have a pulse on the humidity in your humidor. We always recommend going digital and this is no different. It’s best to pick a hygrometer that has adhesive so it doesn’t take up too much real estate in your tupperdor. Be sure to calibrate your digital hygrometer first to make sure you are getting the right humidity reading.

Cigars for beginners

Recommending which cigars a newbie should smoke is hard because it depends on where you live. In the UK many Cuban cigars are taxed to death and their inflated sky high price can put any newbie off. If you reside in the US then the Cuban cigars will be obviously out of reach, but not the many ones termed the New World. But as I’ve written above the best I can suggest is any premium hand made mild cigar will do. I personally smoke across the range from mild, medium to full on strong.

So below are just my personal favourite cigars that are mild in flavour and if you’ll notice many have a Connecticut wrapper (a good sign that it’s a mild smoke). Cuban cigars generally tend to be on the medium to full side. But there are no hard and fast rules about this so some do jump in and smoke medium flavoured cigars without a problem.

1. Oliva Connecticut Reserve (Nicaragua)

I’m a huge fan of Oliva’s Series V line of full bodied cigars. So I was surprised when they turned towards producing a mild cigar. However I was impressed. With its mellow Connecticut wrapper, Oliva Connecticut Reserve brings a host of flavours like coffee, sweet wood, leather, and earth to the table. Its easygoing profile and smoothness makes it easy for new smokers to get on board. What starts as a nice smooth toastiness transforms into an extremely pleasant spice, coffee, and wood flavours.

2. Macanudo Cafe Hyde Park (Dominican)

I tried this one in the US because I was told it was related to America’s most popular premium cigar (the Macanudo Cafe). These hand-rolled sticks are a blend of Dominican Piloto Cubano and Mexican long fillers, plus a Mexican San Andrean binder married with a golden brown, shade-grown Connecticut wrapper. This mild cigar had a lighter taste with notes of almonds, cashews and fresh herbs with notes of pepper joining in about halfway through. I have to say that aroma is so pleasant that you can drift into a peaceful dream.

3. Quai D’Orsay Corona (Cuba)

The Quai D'Orsay cigar brand was created in 1973 mainly to appeal to the growing French market but their popularity has expanded to the rest of Europe. The French market was more open to the milder taste with a lighter wrapper hence why the Quai D'Orsay introduced their Corona cigars with a lighter shaded Claro Claro wrapper. There are a few different stories speculating the route of the name, Quai D'Orsay. One is that the Cuban cigar name is taken from the famous Paris avenue of the same name, another is that the cigar name is a reference to the French Foreign Ministry that is located on this avenue. The last story is that the name is referring to the headquarters of SEITA (La Societe Nationale d'Exploitation Industriel de Tabac et Allumettes) which is also on the same avenue. In any case they are not French cigars but 100% Cuban. The vitolas are entirely made in Cuba. Their tobaccos are hand-rolled and come from the Cuban region of Vuelta Abajo in the province of Pinar del Rey. This is why Quai D'Orsay cigars can be called puros. Quai d'Orsay Cuban cigars have dry, aromatic, woody flavours, the Corona's have a nice mild flavour, generally very consistent and although mild, they have loads of flavour. A good brand for a beginner due to the lack of harshness and light nature. I enjoy smoking them on a few ocassions.

4. Camacho Connecticut Robusto (Honduran)

A bad ass cigar as one of my American friends put it. It’s exceedingly mellow. It comes with bright flavours of wood, earth, and nuts. In my experience it’s a great smoke for those craving something ‘milder-mannered’, but don't want to sacrifice flavour. It all starts with Honduran proprietary Generoso and Dominican Aleman Ligero that is blended to perfection, then secured with an authentic Corojo binder, and completed with a glistening Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. Once lit, this mild-mannered razor sharp smoke will unleash intense flavours of creaminess that will round out the spice and sweetness you know and love from Camacho. Known as “the utility cigar” by Camacho, it’s perfect for any time of day or occasion. Perfectly paired with a mojito.

5. My Father Connecticut Robusto (Nicaragua)

I love smoking My Father cigars but they were up until recently just produced medium and full bodied cigars famously made by master blender, Jose "Pepin" Garcia. My Father Connecticut is My Father Cigars first cigar brand featuring an Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed wrapper. The My Father Connecticut blend features a Connecticut-seed wrapper grown in Ecuador, a Corojo '99 binder from Nicaragua and a Nicaraguan filler blend from Habano and Criollo leaf. It is surprisingly a mild cigar but definitely full-flavoured. Once the cigar is lit, you will indulge in the taste of creaminess, nutty, richness, white pepper, and hints of honey making this cigar a complex flavoured cigar that any cigar smoker will truly appreciate.

6. Hoyo De Monterrey Epicure No.2 Cigar (Cuba)

The Hoyo De Monterrey Epicure No.2 Cigar is a favourite for cigar lovers of all experiences. It’s mild to medium in flavour. Offering crisp and fruity notes, this smoke is great all year round. It is a fantastic starting point for newcomers to the world of cigars. It’s light in strength but still packed with deliciously gentle flavours of cocoa and vanilla, which offer a complexly creamy texture from beginning to end.

7. H Upmann Corona Juniors (Cuba)

This handmade herbal cigar is typical of the H.Upmann brand. Gentle tobacco aromas, with earthy hints chocolate, spice and cedar allow for a well balanced Corona, allowing you time to enjoy every draw. This cigar has a pleasant aroma even before it is lit. Light and medium never too aggressive. A nice pottering in the garden smoke or ideal for a barbecue or a wedding. The H .Upmann Coronas Junior, formally known as the H .Upmann Petit Upmann, has the distinction of being the Cuban cigar that President John F. Kennedy stocked up on before he signed the United States-Cuban trade embargo. Now there’s something to drop into the conversation when you smoke this with friends.

8. Montecristo No.4 (Cuba)

Montecristo cigars are one of the most famous cigars brands in the world. But amongst cigar aficionados the brand is sometimes dismissed as ‘the Coca Cola of Cuban cigars’ because it is mass produced and popular the world over. But the number 4 is a consistently good smoke. It’s also arguably the best entry point into the more full bodied Montecristo cigars. It has coffee, cocoa and vanilla flavours blended in great harmony with a medium tobacco taste. A minimum ageing of at least three years is recommended for this cigar to find its real potential, in my humble opinion. It starts out mild and and gets medium towards the end. Like all Montecristo cigars it has great construction, draw and burn. Smooth, creamy, very light cedar, chocolate, beautiful taste and after taste, not spicy and not complex, however very aromatic.

9. San Cristobal Elegancia (Nicaragua)

San Cristobal Elegancia is blended by famed Jose ‘Pepin’ Garcia in Nicaragua for Ashton, a leading cigar producer. It offers a wondrous introduction to Nicaraguan tobaccos for cigar lovers traditionally accustomed to a milder profile. Golden, silky Ecuador Connecticut wrappers enclose a perfectly aged pairing of Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. Flavours of white pepper and toasted walnuts with hints of cocoa and are presented with a mild to medium-bodied, creamy texture. Elegancia’s enticing balance unveils a touch of cedar and a lush room note which conclude in a velvety finish through their rich creaminess.

10. Davidoff’s The Griffin’s (Dominican)

I save the best to last. I love Davidoff cigars, a brand famous for being one of the most luxurious makers of handmade premium cigars. Yes, they can be expensive but you have to try a Davidoff at some stage in your cigar life. Produced by Davidoff, the Griffin’s is the best entry point into the world of Davidoff for a newbie - perhaps I would give an honourable mention to Davidoff Grand Cru No.3 Corona which is also a great mild-medium smoke for the beginner. The Griffin’s is an exceptionally fine line of smokes that will not burn a hole in anyone’s wallet. Boasting the same top-notch construction found on their more expensive cousins, The Griffin’s are made from expertly aged long filler and binder tobaccos that hail from the Dominican Republic and seamlessly surrounded by a top-quality Connecticut Shade wrapper leaf. Once lit, these gems provide a creamy mellow-medium bodied medley of coffee, nuts, cocoa, cedar, and dashes of sweet tobacco that liven the palate. Try it, you will not regret it. I have a stash in my humidor and I hand them out like candy to guests.

These are my personal recommendations but I know there are plenty more out there that await your discovery. The important thing is to enjoy your initial cigar experience. I hope it’s the beginning of a beautiful journey for you as it continues to be for me.

Thanks for your question.

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