Cuban cigars have long had the reputation for being the best cigars in the world. Perhaps it is because Cuba introduced Christopher Columbus to tobacco over 500 years ago, and continue to master their craft of growing tobacco and rolling fine cigars. But for U.S. Citizens, the rarity of an authentic Cuban cigar also increases their perceived value. The reason for their rarity, is due to the fact that they have been illegal in the United States since 1962.
There are millions of people in the world who enjoy an occasional cigar. These smokers will purchase a nice cigar on a special occasion such as a wedding or graduation, but often they find that they are missing something when they begin to smoke their cigars. Maybe they don’t have a cutter, so they scramble to find a replacement to cut their cigars. Maybe they don’t have a proper lighter, so they use an old zippo which imparts the taste of fuel to their smokes. These mistakes are avoidable, and if you are going to get serious about smoking cigars, there are a few cigar accessories you will need to get started.
Continue reading “4 Cigar Accessories Every Cigar Smoker Should Own” »
When choosing the right cigar, a significant amount of merit should be given to its creation method. Machine made cigars typically offer a lower price, but by doing so, also usually sacrifice quality. Examples of machine made cigars include Dutch Masters, Swisher, Phillies, etc. When given the choice, you should always choose a handmade cigar. The differences in the two methods primarily lie in the “ingredients” used to create the cigars. and the differences are as follows.
The last thing you want when you have purchased a box of fine cigars is for those cigars to somehow go bad or be ruined. Just imagine you are saving a nice cigar for a special occasion that is happening in a few months. You wait for the big day, get out your cigar with excitement, only to find that it has dried out and unraveled. Your expensive cigar has become a flaky pile of leaves. If you do not own a humidor, this is exactly what is likely to happen.
A cigar’s wrapper influences the experience of a cigar greatly. The wrapper doesn’t just dictate the outer appearance of the cigar, it can contribute as much at 10% of the flavor of the cigar. Some wrappers are oilier than others, some are thicker than others, some are lighter colors, and each of these factors contributes to the taste and smoking experience of a cigar.
The color of your cigar is quite possibly the biggest indicator of its flavor. The colors range from a light green to a dark brown, and generally speaking, darker wrappers mean that the cigar is more flavorful, or “full-flavored”. Also, the darker wrappers typically indicate a sweeter flavor to the cigar. Conversely, a lighter colored wrapper indicates a more mildly flavored cigar.
The most common colors are as follows (from light to dark):
For a new cigar smoker, the options for cigar types never seem to end. There are so many shapes and sizes to choose from, a little clarification may be necessary to help you decide which size to try.
There are two main measurements for cigars; ring gauge and length. They are both measured in standard (English) units. Ring gauge is the diameter of the cigar and is measured as “ring gauge”/64 of an inch. For example, if a cigar has a ring gauge of 31, it has a diameter of 31/64 of an inch. Length is obviously the length of the cigar from end to end. Continue reading “Basic Cigar Sizes” »
For every possible need or preference, there is a perfect cigar shape. Some smokers prefer a short, wide cigar to enjoy casually, while others prefer a longer, more slender cigar to enjoy while golfing. The array of cigar shapes is nearly endless, but some of the most popular shapes are as follows:
