CIGAR 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Enjoying Cigars
If you're new to cigars, choosing your first premium cigar can feel complicated. What size should you buy? What's the difference between a Maduro and Connecticut wrapper? How do you cut and light a cigar? Do you inhale cigar smoke? And how do you know whether a cigar is mild, medium, or full-bodied?
Welcome to Cigar 101, our beginner's guide to understanding and enjoying premium cigars
Whether you're preparing to smoke your first cigar or simply want to learn more about cigar culture, this guide covers the fundamentals — from choosing a cigar and understanding cigar sizes to cutting, lighting, smoking, storing, and pairing cigars.
What Is a Premium Cigar?
A premium cigar is traditionally made from carefully selected tobacco leaves that have been harvested, cured, fermented, aged, blended, and rolled to create a particular smoking experience.
Most premium cigars contain three basic components:
Wrapper
The wrapper is the outermost tobacco leaf and the part of the cigar you see. Wrapper tobacco is carefully selected for appearance, texture, combustion, aroma, and flavor.
Common wrapper descriptions include Connecticut, Habano, Corojo and Maduro, although these terms can refer to different characteristics such as tobacco variety, origin, growing method, or processing.
Binder
The binder sits underneath the wrapper and surrounds the filler tobacco. It helps maintain the cigar's structure and contributes to its combustion and flavor.
Filler
The filler consists of the tobacco inside the cigar. Premium long-filler cigars generally use whole or long tobacco leaves rather than finely chopped tobacco.
Cigar makers can combine tobaccos from different regions, farms, varieties, and primings to create a blend with a particular aroma, strength, complexity, and flavor profile.
How to Choose a Cigar for Beginners
There isn't one cigar that's perfect for every beginner.
Instead of simply looking for the most expensive cigar in the humidor, think about three things:
Strength: Do you want something mild, medium, or full?
Flavor: Are you interested in creamy, woody, nutty, earthy, spicy, sweet, coffee, cocoa, or pepper-like characteristics?
Smoking time: Do you have 30 minutes or two hours?
If you're visiting a cigar shop for the first time, don't hesitate to ask your tobacconist for help.
You can simply say:
"I'm new to cigars. I'm looking for something smooth and approachable that I can enjoy for about 45 minutes."
That's usually enough information to begin narrowing down your options.
Cigar Sizes Explained
Premium cigars come in many shapes and sizes, commonly called vitolas.
Some of the cigar sizes you'll frequently encounter include:
Robusto
Toro
Corona
Churchill
Gordo
Lancero
Torpedo
Cigar dimensions are generally described by length and ring gauge.
Length is typically measured in inches.
Ring gauge measures the diameter of a cigar in 64ths of an inch. For example, a cigar with a 50-ring gauge has a diameter of 50/64 of an inch.
Does a Bigger Cigar Mean a Stronger Cigar?
Not necessarily.
A large cigar isn't automatically stronger than a smaller cigar. Strength depends heavily on the tobacco and blend.
However, cigar dimensions can affect the smoking experience because changing the ratio between wrapper and filler tobacco can change how you perceive the blend.
Size also affects how long the cigar may take to smoke.
A Robusto or Toro can be a convenient starting point for many beginners because these popular sizes provide enough time to experience how a cigar's flavor changes without committing to an exceptionally long smoke.
Mild vs. Medium vs. Full-Bodied Cigars
One of the most confusing parts of Cigar 101 is cigar terminology.
You'll frequently hear people describe cigars as mild, medium, or full.
It's useful to understand that strength, body, and flavor are related but aren't necessarily the same thing.
Strength generally refers to the intensity of the tobacco and its physiological impact, including nicotine.
Body describes the overall richness or weight of the smoking experience.
Flavor describes the sensory characteristics you perceive while smoking.
Depending on the cigar, smokers may describe notes reminiscent of:
Cedar
Leather
Coffee
Espresso
Cocoa
Nuts
Cream
Earth
Toast
Pepper
Baking spices
Natural sweetness
These descriptions don't necessarily mean those ingredients have been added to the cigar. In a traditional non-flavored cigar, they are sensory associations produced by the tobacco, fermentation, aging, blending, and smoking experience.
Don't worry if you don't immediately identify specific flavors.
Your palate develops with experience.
How to Cut a Cigar
Before lighting most premium cigars, you'll need to cut the closed end that goes into your mouth. This end is known as the head, and the small piece of tobacco covering it is the cap.
There are three common ways to cut a cigar.
Straight Cut
A straight or guillotine cutter creates a clean opening across the cigar's cap.
It's simple and one of the most popular choices for beginners.
V-Cut
A V-cutter creates a V-shaped channel in the cigar's cap. Some smokers prefer the concentrated draw produced by this style of cut.
Punch Cut
A cigar punch removes a small circular section from the cap instead of cutting across the entire end.
Whatever cutter you choose, the objective is the same:
Create a clean opening while leaving enough of the cap intact to keep the wrapper from unraveling.
A sharp cigar cutter is important because a dull blade can crush or tear the cigar.
How to Light a Cigar Properly
Learning how to light a cigar is one of the most important cigar basics.
Don't rush the process.
Start by holding the flame near the open end of the cigar, called the foot.
Gently rotate the cigar while heating the tobacco. This process is often called toasting the foot.
Try not to bury the cigar directly in the flame.
Once the foot has started to toast evenly, bring the cigar to your mouth. Take gentle draws while continuing to rotate the cigar near the flame.
Look at the foot afterward to make sure it is burning evenly.
Common lighting options include:
Butane torch lighters
Soft-flame butane lighters
Long wooden matches
Torch lighters are especially convenient outdoors, but the most important factor is achieving an even light without unnecessarily scorching the tobacco.
Do You Inhale Cigar Smoke?
One of the most common questions from beginners is:
Are you supposed to inhale a cigar?
Generally, no.
Cigar smoke is normally drawn into the mouth, where you experience its flavor and aroma, and then released rather than inhaled into the lungs.
That does not make cigar smoking safe. Tobacco use carries health risks even when the smoke isn't inhaled.
How Fast Should You Smoke a Cigar?
A premium cigar is designed to be enjoyed slowly.
Smoking too quickly can cause the cigar to overheat. An overheated cigar may produce harsher, hotter, or more bitter flavors.
As a general starting point, try taking a gentle puff approximately every 30 to 60 seconds, adjusting according to the cigar and how it's burning.
There's no need to constantly puff simply to keep the cigar lit.
If your cigar goes out, you can relight it.
Should You Knock the Ash Off a Cigar?
You don't need to tap the ash after every puff.
A well-constructed cigar may hold a surprisingly long ash.
When the ash appears ready to fall, gently tap or roll it into a cigar ashtray.
When you're finished smoking, don't crush the cigar like a cigarette. Place it in the ashtray and allow it to extinguish naturally.
Cigar Etiquette for Beginners
Cigar culture can have traditions, but basic cigar etiquette is mostly about courtesy.
When visiting a cigar shop or cigar lounge:
Respect the establishment's rules and the people around you.
Avoid unnecessarily handling cigars you're not purchasing.
If you're unsure about humidor etiquette, ask a staff member before handling cigars.
Don't feel pressured to pretend you know something you don't.
A knowledgeable tobacconist should be happy to explain cigars to someone who is genuinely interested in learning.
Every experienced cigar smoker was once a beginner.
How to Pair Cigars With Drinks
Cigar pairing is another enjoyable part of exploring premium cigars.
Popular cigar pairings include:
Coffee
Espresso
Bourbon
Whiskey
Rum
Cognac
Wine
Sparkling water
The objective isn't simply to pair a strong cigar with a strong beverage.
Think about balance.
You can choose complementary flavors — such as coffee with a cigar that has cocoa and roasted notes — or experiment with contrasting flavors.
Try different combinations and pay attention to how the cigar and beverage change your perception of each other.
How to Store Cigars
Premium cigars require appropriate storage conditions to maintain their quality.
That's the purpose of a humidor.
If cigars become excessively dry, wrappers can become brittle and the smoking characteristics can change. Too much moisture can also create problems with combustion and storage.
Many cigar enthusiasts keep their humidors somewhere around the mid-to-upper 60% relative humidity range, although personal preferences, storage systems, cigars, and environmental conditions vary.
Consistency is important.
If you're only purchasing a cigar to smoke immediately, long-term storage may not be necessary. But if you're beginning a cigar collection, learning proper humidor maintenance is an important next step.
Cigar 101 FAQ
What is a good cigar for a beginner?
There isn't one universally best beginner cigar. Many new smokers prefer starting with a mild-to-medium cigar with an approachable flavor profile. Ask your tobacconist for recommendations based on your preferred strength, flavors, budget, and available smoking time.
Do you inhale cigars?
Cigar smoke is generally drawn into the mouth and released rather than inhaled into the lungs.
What cigar size is good for beginners?
Robusto and Toro are two popular formats that can be approachable for beginners, but there's no required starting size.
How long does it take to smoke a cigar?
Smoking time varies considerably according to the cigar's dimensions, construction, tobacco, smoking pace, and environment. A smaller cigar may take around 30 minutes, while larger cigars can last well over an hour.
What is ring gauge?
Ring gauge describes a cigar's diameter in 64ths of an inch. A 50-ring-gauge cigar is 50/64 of an inch in diameter.
Can a cigar be relit?
Yes. If your cigar goes out while you're enjoying it, it can generally be relit. Remove loose ash and relight the foot evenly.
What is the difference between a cigar wrapper and filler?
The wrapper is the outer tobacco leaf. The filler is the tobacco inside the cigar. Between them is the binder, which helps hold the filler together.
How should I store cigars?
For longer-term storage, cigars are generally kept in a properly maintained humidor or another purpose-built cigar storage system that provides stable conditions.
Start Your Cigar Journey
Learning about cigars doesn't need to be intimidating.
Start with the fundamentals: understand how a cigar is constructed, choose an appropriate size and strength, make a clean cut, light it evenly, and smoke slowly.
Then experiment.
Try different wrappers, tobacco origins, sizes, strengths, and blends. Keep track of the cigars you enjoy and the flavors you notice.
Your preferences will become clearer with experience.
And remember: there isn't a cigar you have to like simply because it's expensive, highly rated, or popular.
The best way to learn about cigars is to explore them one cigar at a time.
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