A Quick Guide to Cigars

Copyright 2008 by Daniel B. Vocelle

www.vocelle.com/cigars.doc

Preface:
Surgeon general's warning aside, cigars can be a lot fun. For some it still
maintains the allure of the late 1940’s gentlemen’s club full of rich tycoons. Others may
still maintain cigar smoking as a rich family tradition or right of passage. However, the
majority associate cigar smoking with manhood and being macho as is depicted in the
scene from "Scarface" where Al Pachino proclaims his timeless phrase “Say hello to my
little friend.” Moving past your reasons and motives for smoking, it’s time to press on to
a basic level of cigar education, because frankly speaking, no one wants to look like a
fool when smoking. The following is just a short and basic guide to cigars. It won’t make
you a cigar aficionado but it will provide you with enough information to evolve from
beginner to enthusiast.

Choosing the right cigar for you

Deciding which type of cigar is right for you is always a complicated and time-
consuming process, especially if you are new to the cigar-smoking world. The best
advice I can give is to experiment and test out as many different types and brands of cigar
as you can. In time you will learn which kinds suit you better than others. Experience is
the key in this area. Like the amount of water to put in whiskey, the type of cigar you
smoke is a matter of personal choice. The three factors to consider are size, shape, and
color. There is no right or wrong answer, and it’s important that whatever cigar you end
up choosing matches your own preferences and is not influenced by external factors.

Size:
The size of a cigar determines the length of the smoke as well as how much
smoke will be produced. The length of a cigar determines the length of the smoke and is
measured in inches. The diameter of the cigar determines how much smoke will be
produced and is measured in units called rings (1 ring = 1/64th of an inch).
 A good size to start with is something between 6 and 7 inches and a ring size from
35 to 45 (a corona). This will let you judge how long it takes you to smoke a cigar as well
as help you to shape your preference to your desired amount of smoke. Remember: if you
desire a longer smoke, increase the size of the cigar and if you desire more smoke
increase the ring size.

Color:
The color of a cigar signifies the type of smoke you will experience; a general
rule is the darker the cigar, the more full bodied the cigar will be.

Claro Claro: Light green and often called Candela. The leaves are cured with heat to fix
the chlorophyll in the leaf. They often taste slightly sweet. Claro Claro is not as popular
today, although at one time a majority of American market cigars came with a light-green
wrapper.

Claro: A light tan color, usually grown under shade tents. It is prized for its neutral
flavor qualities but is also rare like the Claro Claro.

Natural: Light brown to brown. It is most often shade-grown with subtle flavor and
subtle aroma.
Colorado: Brown to reddish-brown. It is also usually shade-grown and has rich flavor
and a subtle aroma.

Maduro: From the Spanish word for "ripe", it refers to the extra length of time needed to
produce a rich, dark-brown wrapper. A Maduro should be silky and oily, with a rich,
strong flavor and mild aroma.

Oscuro: Meaning dark, it is also called negro or black in tobacco producing countries. It
usually is left on the plant the longest, and it is matured, or sweated the longest giving it
the most full bodied taste with strong flavor and aroma.

A good recommendation for a beginner is to start with a Natural or Colorado to

determine if you want more or less flavor and aroma. One should try and work up to an
Oscuro so that its rich flavor and aromas can be thoroughly appreciated and enjoyed. By
moving too quickly to an Oscuro, you can easily convince yourself to never smoke
another cigar. Beginners smoking Oscuros are usually the ones who find themselves
coughing after every draw and sick at the end of the night.
Shapes:
Cigar come in several shapes and each shape adds a different affect to the cigar. Among
the basic shapes the only difference for a beginner is personal preference. As you become
more of an aficionado you will notice how the shape contributes to the overall enjoyment
of the cigar. For now just find a shape that feels right to you. The two main categories of
cigars: Parejos (meaning straight sides), and Figurados (meaning irregular shapes).

Parejos (Regular, Straight Sides)

Corona: (the classic size is 6 inches with a 42 ring gauge) Traditionally it has been the
manufacturers' benchmark against which all other cigars are measured. Coronas have an
open "foot" (the end you light) and a closed "head" (the end you smoke); the head is most
often rounded.

Churchill: Measures 7 inches with a 47 ring gauge. The favorite of Sir Winston
Churchill himself.

Robusto: Measures 5 inches with a 50 ring gauge. A shorter but thick cigar used for a
short but thick smoke.

Double corona: Measures 7 1/2 inches with a 49 ring gauge. The older brother of the
Corona a little longer and a little thicker but the ratio is the same.
Panetelas: (a standard size is usually 7 inches with a 38 ring gauge) They are usually
longer than Coronas, but they are dramatically thinner. They also have an open foot and
closed head.

Lonsdales: (6 3/4 inches with a 42 ring gauge) They are thicker than Panetelas, but
slimmer and longer than coronas.

Figurados (irregular shapes)

Now for the irregular shapes, or Figurados. They encompass every out-of-the ordinary
shaped cigar, their length and ring size vary drastically so they are not listed. The
following list comprises the major types:

Pyramid: It has a pointed, closed head and widens to an open foot.

Belicoso: A small pyramid-shaped cigar with a rounded head rather than a point.

Torpedo: A shape with a pointed head, a closed foot and a bulge in the middle.

Perfecto: These look like the cigar in cartoons with two closed rounded ends and a bulge
in the middle.
Culebras: Three Panetelas braided together.

Diademas: A giant cigar 8 inches or longer. Most often it has an open foot, but
occasionally it will come with a Perfecto tip, or closed foot.

For a better visual compression see the chart below

The recommended type for beginners is the Corona; from there you can judge
which you prefer. Try to stick with the regular types before you move to the irregular.
Cutting:
Now that you have chosen your cigar it is time to move on to how to cut your
cigar

Straight cut: The tip of the cigar is cut off usually using a guillotine. On most cigars,
you'll want to make the cut about one-sixteenth of an inch (about two millimeters) from
the end. When you aren't carrying a precision measuring device, you can simply look for
the shoulder--the place where the curved end of the cigar starts to straighten out--and
make your cut there. See image below for what a clean cut looks like as well as what a
straight cutter looks like.

Wedge: a V-shaped wedge cut in the end of the cigar. Again, you'll want to make the cut
about one-sixteenth of an inch (about two millimeters) from the end. This style of cut
exposes a lot of surface area and makes it easy to draw smoke through the cigar.
Unfortunately, the draw is sometimes too good, and the cigar will smoke too hot. Wedge
cuts are a particularly bad idea for people who tend to chew their cigars. If they chomp
down hard enough while the wedge is horizontal, the opening may collapse and tear the
structure of the cigar, closing off the draw. See image below for what a clean cut looks
like as well as what a wedge cutter looks like.
Punch: Sometimes called lances, are intriguing, but hard to use. A small hole it cut or
pierced into the opening of a cigar. Again, you'll want to make the cut about one-
sixteenth of an inch (about two millimeters) into the cigar. If a cigar is pierced too deeply,
a tunnel may form that causes the center of the cigar to burn too hot. Moreover, the area
opened by piercing has two drawbacks: 1) the smoker may not get the even draw that
would give him or her the full benefit of all the different leaves blended into the bunch in
the cigar; 2) since tars and nicotine tend to accumulate at the openings that channel the
smoke, the small hole produced by a piercer will likely concentrate these nasty
substances even further, sending more of them into the smoker's mouth and air passages.
See image below for what a clean cut looks like as well as what a punch cutter looks like.

The recommended type of cut for beginners is the straight cut, but as your level of
experience in cigars increases you may find that you prefer a different type. Once again
it’s all about your personal preference. If you don’t have any of the proper cutting tools
you can use a knife to cut off the end of your cigar but be careful to make a clean cut.
Worst case scenario you can bite off the end. This should only be used as a last resort.

Lighting:
Now that we have our cigar cut, we are now ready to properly light our cigar.

Never light a cigar with a flame from a source that will alter the essence of your
cigar. Matches can leave a sulfur essence, lighters a butane essence, and candles a waxy
residue. The best way to light a cigar is from a cedar strip. Some stores also sell odorless
cigar lighters that also work very well. But when you are a beginner you probably won’t
notice a difference.

Light your cigar the same way you would toast a marshmallow over a campfire--
keep the cigar above and near the flame, but don't let them touch. Burning a cigar directly
in a flame makes it too hot. And, as with a marshmallow, you'll want to rotate the cigar so
all parts of its tip are equally heated. Be patient, and keep at it until there's a glowing ring
all the way around the cigar's tip. Once the cigar is lit, gently blow on the embers to
create a smooth, completely rounded ash. Failure to do such will make your cigar burn
unevenly and it will leave a very noticeable difference in the taste and enjoyment of your
cigar.

Smoking:
Now that your cigar is lit, it is time to smoke and enjoy your cigar.

The first rule in smoking a cigar is that you should never inhale cigar smoke like
you do a cigarette. While some do prefer to inhale the smoke, this can be dangerous,
make you sick, and in health aspects is much more worse then smoking cigarettes.
However the choice is yours. That aside, a cigar is made to be puffed. The method used
for drawing the smoke through a cigar is much like the motion of drawing in water from
a straw. Make a firm seal around the cigar with lips. Make sure you mouth is puckered so
that you don’t get the end of your cigar wet with spit. If your lips resemble that of a kiss,
then the tip of your cigar will become soaked and will need to be discarded. You don’t
inhale but rather you let the smoke fill your mouth.

You should let the smoke enter you mouth, hold it for a second or two to enjoy
the flavor and aroma, and then blow out the smoke through your mouth. One should
experiment to find exactly how they like to puff their cigar. Some prefer to hold the
smoke for a longer duration of time. Others like to take several quick and short puffs and
never hold the smoke in their mouth. Too many quick short puffs and the cigar will
overheat and the smoke will burn you. A short quick puff is where you don’t allow the
smoke to settle in your mouth, just pass from the cigar into the air. A good
recommendation for the beginner is to take two quick short puffs to warm the cigar and
on the third puff let the smoke settle in your mouth to enjoy the flavor.

The 5 senses of a cigar:

Now that you can properly chose, light and smoke a cigar here are a few extra
tips to make you a more knowledgeable cigar enthusiast.

Sight: Look over your cigar; it shouldn’t have any cracks or tears in the skin. Something
you may notice on your cigars is a white powder accumulating (bloom). This is nothing
to worry about; it is simply the oils of the cigars drying out. You may need to add
moisture to your humidifier but other then that you can brush off the powder and still
enjoy your cigar. If your cigars accumulate a blue powder, then you should worry
because this is mold accumulating on your cigar. All moldy cigars should be thrown
away and your humidor dried out and cleaned thoroughly before using again.

Sound: Another check for a well humified cigar is to take the cigar and hold it up to your
ear as you role it back and forth. A well humified cigar should make no sound as it is
rolled back and forth. A dry cigar will crackle in you fingers.

Touch: A well humified cigar should be kept between 70-80% humidity. This allows the
natural oils of the cigar to secrete, making the cigar’s outer skin feel like silk. A dry
cigar’s skin will feel like paper.

Smell: Just like a fine wine, a cigar carries its own unique aroma that contributes to the
cigars over all flavors. When selecting a cigar, make sure that you enjoy the rich aroma of
the cigar without it being to overpowering for your taste.

Taste: Once your cigar is lit, you should take the time to enjoy all of its rich flavors. You
should smoke a cigar about half way or two thirds down the cigar. Any longer and the
heat from the cigar will ruin the flavor and taste. However, if you reach the half way
point and you are still enjoying your cigar then keep on smoking.

Remember that beyond the basics, cigars are all about personal preference. So,
what ever makes the experience of smoking the most enjoyable for you, do it! As you try
more and more cigars you will develop a favorite brand and type. A last suggestion is
after every cigar you smoke, remove the band and write on the inside of the band you
impression of the cigar. Save the band and you’ll never forget which cigars you like and
which you can’t stand.

The Do’s and Don’ts

Zino Davidoff's Guide to Cigar Etiquette

In 1967, a man named 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’s

 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’ts

 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.