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Inspect
the cigar correctly
When
purchasing a favorite cigar, pick it up and inspect the wrapper.
Then gently check its freshness-the cigar should be resilient to
the touch and crackle faintly.
Moisten
and clip carefully
Remove
the cigar ring (if desired). Gently moisten the cap with your
lips. If you prefer, use cognac. Moistening the cap keeps the
wrapper from unrolling.
Next,
clip the cigar. Cut or clip a sufficiently large opening. This
gives the cigar a more even draw. (Some cigars are pre-clipped.) A
cigar clipper is helpful for this purpose.
The
cut is made so that part of the shoulder, i.e. the tapering part,
remains. There are many types of cigar clippers depending on one's
preference and taste, although some are for machine-made and some
for hand-rolled cigars.
After
blowing the cut clean, it is time to light the cigar.
Light
carefully before the first puff
Light
the cigar by twisting it over a clean flame. (Do not light it in
your mouth.) Cedar matches are best because they add extra
seasoning before the first puff. Butane lighters or ordinary
matches are also excellent choices, but the match head should be
completely burned. It is a complete waste to light a cigar with a
gasoline lighter or with waterproof or wax tipped matches. Nor
should a candle be used. (The cigar can easily acquire a wax
flavor and absorb gasoline fumes.)
After
lighting the cigar, gently blow on the foot until it glows evenly.
Then take a slow, first puff. It is important that the cigar burn
evenly. The rolling action lights the wrapper and the binder and
releases their aromas upon the first puff.
Do
not inhale deeply
Smoke
the cigar slowly, with little puffs, not deep inhalations, and
savor the smoke. Slow smoking helps the aroma develop better. It
is said that a harmonic state of mind also helps the aroma develop
better. Remove the cigar from your mouth between puffs so that the
cap does not get soggy. A wet cigar not only looks bad but tastes
bitter. The ash should never be longer than a thimble.
Do
not remove ash by tapping
When
removing ash, do not tap it off as you would with a cigarette.
Instead, carefully roll the ash off using the edge of the ashtray.
This minimizes damage to the cigar and its glow. This is also a
part of cigar etiquette and savoir-faire, which requires that the
smoker show respect for the cigar. It is generally considered
amateurish to tap off the ash.
Finishing
a cigar
If
the cigar goes out and gets cold, cut off the foot and relight it.
If the cigar is still warm, just relight it and continue puffing.
But the cigar should not be shorter than half its original length.
Never let a cigar go out to save it for later-it will never taste
as good again.
"A
dead cigar is like dead love-it is hard to rekindle and never as
good as before."
To
extinguish a cigar: Never stub out a cigar. Simply set it aside
and let it go out with dignity.
Article
Courtesy of Cigarado.com |
