How to Smoke a Cigar Infographic
How to Smoke a Cigar
Pre-lighting
Remove the cigar from its tube or wrapper. Squeeze it gently; it should be firm but pliant, almost supple. Smell the cigar and savor the aroma.
Cutting
Cut the tip, use a tool to poke a few small holes, or remove a plug from the end. Do not bite the end off a cigar.
Lighting
Light the cigar by drawing shallow breaths through it while rotating the end through the flame to light it evenly.
Smoking
Draw smooth breaths through the cigar. Hold them in the mouth to appreciate the flavor, but do not inhale. Allow smoke to linger. Remove the band only when
it is in danger of igniting.
Ashing
Wait until the ash is about an inch long, rest the cigar against the side of the ashtray and gently press the end of the cigar against its bottom, turning
or rotating the cigar at the same time.
Wrapper Classification
The wrapper is the outermost part of a cigar usually made from the larger, lower leaves of the plant. The wrapper is round around the cigar and binds the
whole cigar together. The wrapper can determine the flavour and character of the cigar, because of this cigars are often characterised by the colour of the
wrapper.
| Color | Taste | Leaves | |
| Double Claro | Light, slightly green | Slightly sweet | Quick-dried premature leaves |
| Claro | Very light tan, or yellowish | Mild | Grown under canopies |
| Colorado Claro | Medium brown | Smooth, medium | Mostly sun-grown |
| Colorado | Reddish-brown | Strong, with a hint of spice | Usually shade-grown |
| Colorado Maduro | Dark brown | Rich, aromatic | Grown from Cuban seed |
| Maduro | Very dark brown or black | Smooth, rich | Fermented longer |
| Obscuro | Black | Very strong | Top-most leaf of tobacco plant |
Parts of a Cigar
Cap: a round piece of tobacco that is glued to the head to keep the wrapper together
Wrapper: the outside layer of a cigar and gives it one of the primary flavor components
Head: the part where the cigar is lit. Cut about one-sixteenth of an inch using a cigar cutter to open an airway
Binder: intermediate leaf used to hold the filler tobacco together
Band: bears the cigar maker’s brand, remove when it is in danger of burning
Filler: the “stuffing” of the cigar. Fillers of various strengths are usually blended to produce desired cigar flavors
Foot: part of the cigar that is lit. Usually pre-cut, except in Torpedos and Perfectos
Cigars are commonly categorized by the size and shape of the cigar, which together are known as the vitola.
Size
The size of a cigar is measured by two dimensions: its length and its ring gauge.
Length is often mentioned first. It is the measurement of the cigar from the cap to the foot in inches.
There are 64 rings to an inch, so a ring size of 64 equals 64/64, or an inch in diameter whereas 32 half an inch.
Shape
Cigars can be divided by shape into two broad categories: Parejos, which have straight sides, and Figurados, which include all “irregular” shapes.
Parejo: The most common shape is the parejo, which has a cylindrical body, straight sides, one end open, and a round tobacco-leaf “cap” on the other end
which must be sliced off.
Torpedo: Torpedo is like a parejo with a pointed cap. Torpedo is the most famous figurado.
Pyramid: Pyramids taper from a large foot to a small, pointed head. Although many smokers call a large pyramid a torpedo, a true torpedo has a slight bulge
in the middle.
Perfecto: A cigar that tapers at both ends and is closed at the head and foot. Once very popular in the early half of the 20th century, this cigar has
fallen hard out of favor.
Presidente: Also called Diadema, shaped like a parejo but considered a figurado because of its enormous size and occasional closed foot akin to a perfecto.
Culebras: Culebras cigars are an odd size not often found on the market today. It involves three smaller cigars being “snaked” together into a braided
final product. In fact, the word culebra means “snake” in Spanish.
Source: thompsoncigar.com, en.wikipedia.org, cigar-info-guide.com, cigarsmag.com,
goodoldayscigars.com, cigarchoiceguide.com, au.askmen.com
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