Cigars 101 - Getting started with Cigars
There are several areas
that the cigar smoker needs to be familiar
with to appreciate a good cigar. Stokes
Cigar Club is currently assembling a course
catalog for online cigar classes, but until
that is finished we have Stokes Cigar 101.
This is a refresher and could be labeled
as a cigar survey class. The areas covered
are:
-Cigar Selection
-Cigar Storage
-Cigar Cutting, Lighting, Smoking
and Ashing
We hope you enjoy the Stokes Cigar 101 class
and please feel free to email us to ask
questions or suggestions for the content
included in this guide. Email cigarclasses@stokescigar.com.
Selecting and Choosing
a Cigar
Choosing a cigar can be an overwhelming
task when you are confronted with hundreds
and maybe even thousands of choices. What
color do you look for? What size do you
want? Are there tell tale signs to watch
out for when buying a cigar? All these questions
will be answered.
Color *
Without getting into too much detail, let’s
look at the most obvious aspect of a cigar:
color. The shade of the wrapper usually
is an indication of the flavor of the cigar.
The darker the cigar, the more likely it
will be spicier. This is more of a rule
of thumb than a hard fast rule. Most new
cigar smokers will appreciate a lighter
color. These are the general categories
of color:
 Double
Claro - Known to have a greenish
tint on its wrapper. It's a light cigar
that has had limited aging.
Claro -
Typically signifies that the cigar will
be mild. It has a light brown color.
Natural
- (also called English Market Select) light
brown to brown. These are most often sun
grown, meaning they are not protected by
canopies like shade grown leaves. Fuller
bodied flavor than shade grown leaves, but
still very smooth.
Colorado Claro
- This wrapper is your standard brown color.
Slightly stronger than the Claro but still
considered mild.
Maduro -
These wrappers are dark brown and give off
an excellent aroma. They are considered
medium to strong cigars.
Oscuro -
The Oscuro has a very dark brown, practically
black wrapper and is strong in flavor.
The darker the color, the sweeter and stronger
the flavor is likely to be, and the greater
the oil and sugar content of the wrapper.
Darker wrappers will normally have spent
longer at the tobacco plant or come from
higher altitudes: the extra exposure to
sunlight produces both oil (as protection)
and sugar (through photosynthesis). They
will also have been fermented for longer.
Size *
The names of cigar sizes rarely have anything
to do with the actual size of the cigar.
There aren't any universal standards to
go by, so the best you can do is keep in
mind that the size thing is just a guideline.
And that is no more readily apparent than
after you notice that one manufacturer's
churchill is the the same size as another's
double corona.
There are, however, "classic"
measurements which will, when you become
more familiar with them, allow to to make
some general assumptions about a cigar's
size. For instance, after you get to know
the classic measurements, the next time
you see the words "Double Corona"
on the outside of a cigar box you'll know
right away that what's inside is not a collection
of short cigars.
But then you'll also want to keep in mind
that just because the box says "Churchills"
doesn't mean the cigars are going to be
7 inches long with a 48 ring gauge.
All you really need to remember is that
cigars, in terms of their size, are generally
listed by length in inches and the ring
gauge, or the cigar's girth, which is in
64ths of an inch. So, a classic Churchill
is 7 inches long and 48/64ths of an inch
thick.
When choosing a size, it is important that
you remember that the bigger the cigar,
the longer it will take to smoke it. For
new cigar smokers it is a good idea to stick
with Coronas and Robustos.
Warnings
There are 3 warnings for choosing a cigar:
1. The cigar should not be too soft or squishy.
When you give it a little squeeze, it should
only “give” a little. If it
is too soft then it is a sign of an over-humidified
cigar.
2. The cigar should not be too dry or fragile.
This is a sign of an under-humidified cigar.
Some people like them this way, but it is
best to stay away from these until you want
to experiment.
3. Moldy cigars should be thrown away. Be
sure you do not confuse mold with plume.
Plume is the white ash like residue that
can be brushed off. This is a sign of good
aging.
Storing your
Cigars **
Cigars are hygroscopic in nature. In lay
terms, this means that they will over time
dry out when in a dry climate or absorb
moisture in a humid one. And they will continue
to do so until their own moisture content
matches that of the ambient climate around
them.
A damp cigar will not burn properly. Not
only will it be difficult to keep lit, but
also difficult to draw on. The smoke may
become too dense leaving the smoker with
a sour taste and a rank aroma. Also, over
moist cigars will commonly split their wrappers.
A dry cigar will burn too hot. Without the
proper level of moisture, the combustion
temperature of your cigar will be too high
and the smoke will be hot and acrid against
your palate. The smoke may become overly
aggressive and you will lose many of the
subtle nuances of flavor that a properly
humidified cigar would of given you. Also,
dry cigars will lead eventually to the early
evaporation of their essential oils and
reduce their overall flavor and aroma.
Typically for the most enjoyable smoking,
a cigar should contain approximately 12
-14% of its total weight in moisture. This
corresponds to 60 - 70% relative humidity,
but can be up to 75%. Relative Humidity
(RH) is a measurement of the amount of moisture
in the atmosphere compared with that of
complete saturation regardless of the temperature.
The primary criteria in the proper storage
of cigars is to achieve a stable and ideal
relative humidity within this 60% - 70%
RH range. The secondary, but also important
requirements are to store them at temperatures
below 75 degrees Fahrenheit and in a darkened
environment. Doing these three simple things
will allow your cigars to not only be stored
well, but also age well resulting in cigars
that will draw easily, burn steadily, and
share their optimum flavor and nuances with
your palate.
Cutting, Lighting,
Smoking and Ashing
Cutting ***
Cigars are made with a cap over the head.
Most good cigars, therefore, have only one
open end. This is NOT the end that you put
in your mouth - that open end is where the
smoke comes out. So you need to cut the
cigar at the head.
Cutters come in different styles, but the
most common is the guillotine. The double-bladed
guillotine has a hole in the middle, two
blades, and two notches where your fingers
can grip it. You should absolutely buy a
guillotine as your cutter - they're easy,
small, and they make a clean cut with less
of a tendency to tear the tobacco than other
styles. You can also use a knife or your
teeth, but cutters are really cheap, and
a knife may ruin the cigar.
Here's how to actually make the cut (it's
really simple):
1. Cut the cigar on the tapered part (the
cap).
2. Try to leave about 1/8th of an inch of
the cap.
3. Never cut on or past the cap line - you'll
be cutting the wrapper leaf. All hell will
ensue.
Lighting
This can be tricky for a newbie, but our
tips will get you through it:
1. It's best to light a cigar yourself -
lighting a cigar takes longer than lighting
a cigarette, and it's best not to feel rushed
by having a friend reach over with a lit
match.
2. Matches or butane lighters are fine,
but if you use a match, make sure the sulfur
is burned out first so it doesn't impair
the taste of the cigar.
3. Never use a candle - the wax particles
will enter the cigar and taint its flavor.
4. Hold the cigar in your hand, not your
mouth, and rotate it near the flame.
5. Do not actually touch the flame with
your cigar.
When the entire surface is charred and embers
appear, place the cigar between your lips.
6. Gently puff to blow out any foreign particles
or odors that may have come from the lighter
or match. Check to see that the cigar is
lit evenly.
This probably goes without saying, but just
in case you happen to have a pompadour with
a lot of hairspray: remember to not set
your hair on fire.
Smoking
Now that the cigar is lit, you should be
able to draw smoke gently through it.
1. Draw slowly by pulling in your cheeks.
Do not suck or inhale.
2. Do not smoke the cigar too forcefully
or quickly - it will make it taste harsh
and burnt. Just puff occasionally, making
sure the cigar stays lit.
3. After a few minutes, you may want to
remove the cigar band (label). Some people
think it is obnoxious to keep the band on
while you smoke, and it's not really necessary
to keep your fingers from getting stained.
Make sure that you've smoked the cigar for
a bit, though. If you remove the band too
early, the glue will not have softened and
you will risk tearing the wrapper.
Ashing
People smoking good cigars like to keep
the ash on for as long as possible. Indeed,
a solid tower of ash is a sign of a well-made
cigar. But don't let the ashy end grow too
long - this is both pretentious and an invitation
for a mess on the floor. Every once in a
while, just gently press the ash against
an ashtray - the ash should fall off easily
without you having to tap the cigar. If
your cigar goes out, it's okay. This does
not mean you are a bad smoker - just remove
the ash and re-light it.
Smoke the cigar for as long as you want
- the only time you should stop smoking
is when it stops being enjoyable for you.
When that becomes the case, just set the
cigar down in an ashtray and it will go
out on its own. Do not grind it out, as
that will produce excess smoke. Just take
one last draw, set it down, take a sip of
your drink, and revel in your smoothness.
Resources:
* -cited from
www.geocities.com/thehumidor/basics/sizesshapescolor.html
** - cited
from www.cigarnexus.com/counsel/cigarstorage/index.html
*** - cited
from www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/cigar/cigar4.html
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