Cigars Homie.

What can I tell you? I love them. But why? It’s just one of my indulgences that I make no apologies for and I enjoy without. For me I love my cigars not for the status but more than their flavor. I will admit that there is a status to a cigar, but I smoke them for the exquisite taste. If you choose correctly, the cigar for you can be very flavorful. That is a fact that most people don't agree with. But those are the same people who have never smoked a cigar. So you can't go by their opinion.

I have a favorite cigar. It is the La Flor Dominica Double Ligero Chisel. This 6-inch, 54-ring wedge is one of the few natural wrapper cigars in my humidor. Once you taste the rich, woody - and slightly spicy - flavor of this full-bodied beauty, you'll understand why I love it. This Dominican figurado leaves some kind of mild fruity taste on the palate that I can’t identify yet. But with a few choice puffs I’ll soon figure that bad boy out. But in the meantime learn about this fascinating world and enjoy.

Adonis

Cutting a Cigar

Ah... a delicious smoke. But, before you can smoke a cigar you have to light it. And before you can light it you (usually) have to cut it. As with everything these days, that has evolved into a special skill. Here are a few tips that will help you acquire it.

First, note that there are several different types of cutter on the market today. There are guillotine cutters, wedge cutters, hole or torpedo cutters along with the very old-fashioned method of simply biting off the head.

The latter method is generally not recommended except in 'emergencies'. You can almost always find a sharp knife if you haven't got anything else. Biting off the end leaves it ragged and usually too large. That causes the head to deteriorate as you smoke and overwhelms you with what should be a more subtle experience.

Debates continue about which type of cutter is better, but it often comes down to matters of taste, literally.

Properly used, a good guillotine cutter will slice off a small section of the head, called the cap or flag leaf. That leaves a clean, circular hole that can be made just the right size. It gives you ample drawing power, but avoids making the hole too small so tars don't accumulate near the head. That gives a smoother, better tasting smoke.

They come in two basic types. The single blade and the double. Single will do the job just fine, but can be a little harder to use properly. Double-blade guillotines have a blade in each direction and clamping before slicing makes the effort easy and accurate.

Wedge cutters are often criticized because they produce a wedge-shaped notch at the head. Hence the name. That, so the critics contend, leaves a shape that is prone to collecting tars and prone to collapse from chewing the end. That leads to a less satisfying smoke.

Well, perhaps experiences among cigar smokers differ.

Wedge cutters offer a solid end that is much less prone to unraveling than a circular hole. Done correctly, tar build-up is negligible and wedges retain their popularity. That suggests that taste effects - if any - haven't been outweighed by other considerations.

In decades past, a pocket knife would have been used to make the wedge, but this is unnecessary today. There are dozens of good, moderately priced wedge cutters on the market now. Just don't penetrate too deeply. You want to create a large enough hole for ample draw, one that allows pulling from the core and the rim both. Take care not to cut too deeply, since that will produce a hot smoke.

The same principle holds for guillotine cutters. Just look for where the curve of the head starts to flatten out, and err on the side of too little rather than too much. A slice about 1/10th of an inch is good. With a guillotine cutter you can always make a second cut.

Piercers, lancers, hole cutters... there are several names. Old-timers have even used a nail. The idea is to poke a hole about a millimeter in diameter into the end. These do tend to concentrate tars near the end, but if the hole is large enough then it's about the same as using a guillotine and cutting only a thin slice.

In every case, make sure the instrument is sharp and you use a swift, sure motion. Otherwise, you'll end up tearing the end rather than cutting it.

Now, light and enjoy!

How to Light A Cigar

What could be simpler than lighting a cigar? Well, like many things today it has become a specialized skill. Of course, if you don't have it you can still enjoy a cigar. But to enjoy it to the fullest, putting forth a little effort to acquire that skill is well worth the time.

First, what not to do.

Yes, you can use a match to light your cigar. But it's not the best method because matches contain sulfur and that imparts a nasty taste to your smoke. It's also not particularly healthy. So, if you do use a match, be sure to let it burn down past the head before raising the match to the cigar end.

Yes, you can use a Zippo-style lighter. But you will probably introduce unpleasant fumes into your puff and that lessens the wonderful flavor of a fine cigar. The lighter fluid found in those lighters produces several organic compounds when burned that don't mix well with a good smoke.

If you must use one, puff lightly then exhale quickly in order to minimize the amount of foul compounds introduced into the smoke. Pull the lighter away as quickly as possible.

Similarly, if you must use a candle, avoid drawing in the compounds coming off the wick. Burning raw candle wax produces mostly carbon dioxide and hot water vapor, neither of which are foul tasting. But many candles are scented and the burning wick may give off a small amount of carbon monoxide.

Now, for what to do.

Having a butane or propane cigar lighter is your best bet. There are dozens of styles on the market. Find one that fits your hand and produces a steady, even flame even in moderate wind.

Raise the lighter close to the exposed foot (the end) of the cigar, but avoid touching the flame directly to the tobacco. The heat from the flame will extend a few millimeters away from the visible portion, so there's no need to 'dunk' the cigar in it.

As you expose the foot to heat, hold the cigar away from your mouth and rotate the cigar slowly. Apply the heat only long enough to get no more than half the end lit. Blow gently on the end to produce an even, burning coal and blow off ash that would tend to extinguish it.

Puff and rotate until you have the end completely lit, but don't be fanatic about it. A good cigar is designed to light and burn well.

Good cigars, though, are also hand-packed and designed to go out if not puffed on for a couple of minutes. Some argue you should never re-light a cigar, but there's little basis for their worry. A good smoke will stay a good smoke even if re-lit shortly after going out.

How To Smoke A Cigar

What could be simpler than smoking a cigar? Well, probably nothing. But smoking a cigar correctly, now that's a different matter. Correctly? Oh, how snobbish, you say. Maybe, but being a snob sometimes is the result of having higher standards. You judge.

The most basic tip is what not to do: don't inhale. Cigars are not fat cigarettes. They're not designed for the smoke to be inhaled. Nothing will prevent you the first time. The second time, you will prevent yourself.

Puff a few times and slowly blow out the smoke. Smoking a cigar is a relaxing activity. Don't rush. Hold the cigar a few inches from your face, or put it down and have a sip of your favorite Cabernet Sauvignon or cognac. Actually, if your budget allows it, try some Armagnac. Very similar to cognac, but definitely a more high-toned cousin. More snobbishness, perhaps. You judge.

A good cigar will stay lit all by itself for a few minutes, but eventually go out. In this case, ignore the snobs and re-light it boldly and unashamedly. You'll find it still tastes fine. And, all rules, aside, taste is the bottom line.

After a few minutes, the band can be removed. When cold, tearing it off may pull the wrapper loose from the cigar. Best to be careful. As the cigar heats up, the heat will pass through its length and soften the glue on the wrapper, making it easy to remove safely.

Debates continue about whether and when to flick the ash. A good cigar will retain ash much longer than a cigarette. Some aficionados make a kind of contest out of seeing how long an ash they can produce. Well, to each his own.

But, anything longer than an inch is likely to wind up on your pants or the carpet. That would make maintaining any kind of dignity difficult. Being a snob isn't easy, you know.

Smoke as much or as little as you want. Naturally, as the cigar becomes shorter, you may find the taste becoming stronger and the smoke hotter. Whether you like that or not is strictly an individual affair.

If you decide to stop, just put down the cigar in an ashtray in such a way that it won't fall out or in. In a few minutes, the cigar will stop burning spontaneously. Don't tamp the cigar out, since that will introduce unpleasant odors if you decide to re-light it.

True cigar snobs will insist that a half-smoked cigar should never be stored (such as in a glass tube) and re-lit later or the next day. Perhaps. But, if you paid $15 for a really fine macanudo and only smoked half, you may decide that being a snob is simply too expensive. Let your conscience be your guide.

Storing Cigars

Like any agricultural product made for enjoyment -- wine, beer, flowers -- the fresher cigars are when consumed, the more they'll be enjoyed. Even the best cigars can't be good if they're stale. Fortunately, keeping good cigars in good condition for a good long time is fairly easy. Just store them properly.

The two factors that affect cigars the most -- and they work together -- are moisture and air.

Air has oxygen, which combines with many of the organic compounds in the cigar tobacco, ultimately deadening it. The chief reason is one similar to why metals rust: oxygen combines readily with many things, changing their chemical character. In the case of cigar compounds, there are oils, plant molecules and others that literally change into something else when they mix with air.

The other destroyer of good cigars is moisture, either too much or too little.

Too much can encourage the growth of beetle larvae and other organisms that even the most diligent quality control can not entirely keep out of cigars. It also encourages the growth of mold and can wilt and loosen the wrapper, while it spoils the interior. More moisture also means more oxygen, bringing the harmful effects listed earlier.

Too little moisture can also harm cigars. A dried out cigar causes tobacco to feel and taste stale. It causes the recently living plant to wither like dead flowers, with similar effects. Flavors become deadened and the wrapper can become crumbly and lose protective ability.

To keep them as fresh as possible, the right level of moisture (humidity) is needed. The best way to do that is by storing the cigars in a humidor, in which the humidity level can be carefully controlled.

Humidors, which come in a hundred sizes and styles, are boxes typically made of wood (and sometimes glass). Spanish cedar is popular because of its excellent insect resistance and moisture control.

Most have a gauge that allows you to judge the level of humidity, some of which are visible through glass. Maintaining the interior humidity level is accomplished by a combination of the wood, water holding mechanism (often a small sponge) and a tight seal.

For small amounts, one or two cigars, a glass or metal tube is often sufficient if they're not stored there too long. They're most often used when traveling or for partially smoked cigars. Since a good cigar can often last an hour or more, and are often more than an individual wants to smoke at one time, glass storage tubes are handy for storing the unused portion.

Never put a partially smoked cigar back into a humidor. The odor and compounds can steeply undercut the flavor of the other cigars. That lessens the value of a few dozen to a few hundred cigars (some humidors are huge), for the sake of keeping half a cigar for later. Not a good trade off.

Keep your cigars at the right level of moisture and away from the open air and you'll find they can last for weeks or longer in top smoking form.