Tips for lighting a cigar
Even the artwork is a pleasure!
For new smokers, lighting a cigar can seem as mysterious as learning to choose a good one. Here are some tips to guide you in lighting a cigar for the first time.
Use cedar matches, if possible. If you prefer to use a lighter, make sure it’s butane lighter to avoid strong odors but, in all honesty, it is much better to use the lighter to light a wooden or paper spill. When you have developed a taste for your particular brand of cigar (especially Cuban cigars) you will notice that the carbon monoxide from the butane flame will ‘taint’ the flavour of your cigar.
Warm the open end of the cigar (sometimes referred to as ’the foot’ of the cigar) slowly over the flame, without touching it to the fire. Let a black ring form around the end – this ring is a mixture of charred tobacco and soot from the flame.
Place the cigar in your mouth and draw in slowly. Hold the cigar over the flame, about half an inch above it, again without touching. Continue to draw in until the cigar draws the flame. Rotate the cigar slowly to establish an even burn.
Once your cigar is lit, take it out of your mouth and observe the ember you have established. If it appears to be uneven, return to the flame or simply blow on the unlit sections to draw the burn and then take one or two draws from the cigar to re-establish an even burn.
A good cigar is a taste experience and, although many people do, inhaling the smoke will not add to the flavour or pleasure. To experience it fully, a good cigar requires the time and the leisure to enjoy it. I am very disappointed if I do not have at least an hour of bliss from a good Cuban corona.