SELECTING YOUR CIGARS

The wrapper must appeal to the eye. While some might prefer a lighter, or Claro color you others might choose a dark chocolate or Maduro wrapper. Similar to winetasting, cigar flavors are subjective and purely a matter of personal taste.

The Range in Color of a Cigar Depends on:

• How the plant was grown, as shaded plants have lighter colors, while fully exposed plants are darker.
  
• The section of the plant the leaf came from, as bottom and middle leaves are lighter and the top leaves tend to be darker (more sun exposure).
  
• The fermentation period, as longer fermentation leads to darker leaves.

The Color Range is as Follows:

	Double Claro	Green to Greenish Brown
	Claro	Light Tan
	Colorado Claro	Tawny, Mid-Brown
	Colorado	Reddish, Dark Brown
	Colorado Maduro	Dark Brown to Very Dark Brown
	Oscuro	Very Dark Brown Almost Black

 

CUTTING CIGARS

Once you have selected your cigar, you will need to cut the closed end. All Havanas have a double cap over the head end - this end goes in your mouth. If you attempt to smoke a cigar the other way around, you will find that half way through it will unravel and take on the appearance of an exploded stick. There are a number of ways of cutting the cap, ranging from the use of a thumb-nail, to portable guillotine cutters (both single and double bladed - see 'Accessories'), from cheap to expensive, to the more exotic cigar scissors and table-top cutters.

The cut should be clean and level, or there will be difficulties with the draw and a risk of damaging the wrapper. Cut the cigar so that an eighth of an inch of the cap is left around the cigar wrapper. It is not recommended that you pierce the cap with a pin, as this will interfere with the passage of smoke, make the cigar overheat and lead to unpleasant flavours from residues condensing at the point the cap was pierced. Cap hole-punching devices do work well as long as the diameter of the punch is at least a quarter of an inch. Wedge-shaped cutters are also not recommended, as these have a tendency to cut through all of the band on either side and the cigar wrapper can then unravel. Whatever you use, make sure it is sharp, and that you expose enough of the filler leaves under the cap to allow the smoke uninterrupted passage.

A cigar should be cut just above the cap line, right before the curved end of the cigar starts to straighten out. The objective is to create an aperture that ensures a smooth opening for smoking without damaging the structure.

A double or single bladed cutter, a special cigar scissor or a punch cutter with a circular blade are all different styles of cigar cutters.

• The Pierce: A simple small hole punched in the end of the cigar. It keeps the "head" firm but may produce a sharp "bite" as the concentrated jet of smoke hits the tongue.
   
• The Guillotine Cut: A straight-across slice with a razor-sharp cutter, it provides a clean, open drawing area and disperses the smoke to avoid "bite." Americans tend to choose this option.
   
• The V cut: Preferred by Europeans, it provides ample area for proper air circulation, yet keeps bitter tars down at the deep end of the "V" and away from your tongue.

 

LIGHTING YOUR CIGAR

The ritual of lighting a cigar involves two very important principals. The first involves the instruments used to light the cigar and the second the enjoyment of your Habano. To begin with always use a butane lighter or a cedar or wooden match-stick. Try to never use a petrol lighter, a candle or a wax match as all of these impart odours that the cigar is quick to absorb. The second principle to remember is that a cigar must be lit with the utmost patience and tranquillity. Nothing spoils the enjoyment of a Habano faster than a badly lit cigar.

When you light a cigar, use either a butane lighter (not one filled with gasoline) or a match. Anything else, such as using a candle, will tend to taint the flavour of the cigar, and will ultimately impede the passage of smoke through the cigar with particles from the flame. Avoid matches with high sulphur or wax contact (don't use paper matches). Take time and care to light the cigar.

First, hold the cigar horizontally in direct contact with the flame, and slowly revolve it until the end is charred evenly over its entire surface.
Put the cigar between your lips, hold the flame about half an inch away from the end, and draw slowly while rotating the cigar. Its end should now ignite. Ensure an even burn has taken hold. Gently blow on the burning end to make sure the cigar is fully lit.

Unlike cigarettes, cigars will naturally go out if left unattended. If your cigar goes out, don't worry. Remove any ash clinging to the previously lit end by tapping the cigar. Blow through the cigar to clear away any stale smoke. Re-light as previously described above. As long as the cigar has not been out for too long, the flavour will not be unduly affected. Continuous re-lighting of cigars will affect the flavour, and if a cigar is allowed to cool, then on re-lighting the tastes can become quite tainted and unpleasant (due to condensation of the smoke in the remaining part of the cigar).

Cigars are made from long filler tobacco leaves (another difference to cigarettes and machine made cigars). This means that the ash on the cigar, if it is a good one, should not fall off the moment it appears. There is no particular merit in keeping a long ash on a cigar, but neither is there any need to continually tap it to remove any excess ash. In assessing the quality of construction of your cigar, a long solid cylinder of ash is a good sign.

There is no need to warm the length of the cigar before smoking it. This was done in the nineteenth century to burn off the rather unpleasant gum used on some cigars made in Seville . Today's handmade Cuban cigars use a small drop of flavourless, odourless vegetable gum at the cap end of the wrapper leaf.

 

WARMING YOUR CIGAR

At a 90 degree angle hold your cigar above the flame of your lighter. Burning directly in the flame makes it too hot. Patiently twist or rotate the cigar until all parts of the foot are evenly charred.

Place the cigar to your lips and with the flame still under the foot puff gently onto the cigar until the flames jump up. Continue to slowly rotate the cigar while occasionally blowing on the foot to ensure an even burn.

 

ASHING

Allow the ashes of a cigar to gently fall from the cigar and don't concern yourself with the fate of the ashes, just know that a cigar is not meant to be tapped like a cigarette on the edge of an ashtray. Should you prefer ashing then carefully roll the ash off using the edge of the ashtray.

RELIGHTING

It is fine to relight your Habano if it goes out just simply clean the ashes off the foot of the cigar by twisting its sides on the edge of an ashtray.

THE "END"

The final third of your cigar will be when the smoke is at its strongest. This is the time to part company before flavours become bitter and the effect of the cigar on your well-being may become detrimental. There is absolutely no need to stub or grind a cigar out to extinguish it. Left in the ashtray it will go out by itself: if you stub it out, it will release foul odours into the room. Once the cigar has self-extinguished remove any butts and ash from the room before they start to give out unpleasant smells.