Being a new cigar smoker can be a tad overwhelming, especially if you start hanging out with seasoned aficionados or at cigar lounges.  There can be a lot to learn, and the last thing you want to do is make yourself look foolish.  It is okay to make mistakes and not know the appropriate procedures off the bat, like anything it takes time.

For those of you who are just getting into cigars, I’ve decided to lend a hand and help you avoid some of the pitfalls that new smokers might fall into. I’ve compiled a list of some of the common cigar mistakes new smokers might make and how to avoid them.

The aroma and smell of a cigar are one of the initial attractions someone can have to a new cigar.  You smell the tobacco to get a sense of the quality and the flavors you might be expecting.  However, countless times I have seen someone take a cigar still in the cellophane wrapper and start to smell it.  Let me tell you right now, it is not a good look.

You cannot smell anything through the cellophane.  The appropriate move is to gently slide the foot of the cigar out of the cellophane to smell it.  Also, do not stick it up to your nose, just give it a few gentle whiffs.  This should give you an idea of if the cigar is right for you or not.

This one really hurts because not only does it make you look bad, but it also ruins the cigar smoking experience for you, and no one wants that.  I understand that for someone new, mistakes happen.  It is important to cut the appropriate amount off the cigar.  Otherwise, it will draw funny, taste bad, and probably burn poorly as well.

Since its hard for me to describe how to cut the cigar properly in a blog, I have attached one of our helpful “How To” videos right here.  This shows you the best way to cut a cigar to optimize your smoking experience.

No, no, no. Inhaling the smoke from your cigar is not the way to enjoy it.  A cigar is unlike a cigarette or another tobacco product.  It uses a different type of tobacco that is much stronger and heavier.  You are not supposed to inhale the smoke unless you feel like coughing your brains out for the next few minutes.

The appropriate way to smoke a cigar is to puff the smoke into your mouth to experience the flavors and then to blow it out.  There is a process known as retro haling where you pull just the slightest amount of smoke up through your nose.  This is a way to really taste the nuisances of the cigar.  However, do not inhale it into your lungs, you’re just going to have a bad time.

This is a tough mistake to call a new smoker out on because I have seen seasoned cigar smokers do this from time to time.  However, I will tell you this is not the best way to enjoy a cigar.  A regular Bic or Zippo lighter uses standard lighter fluid.  This fluid will no doubt leave a nasty, chemical taste on the cigar.  It also usually doesn’t burn hot enough to light the cigar in the proper way.

I always suggest using either a butane, a torch lighter, or matches when lighting a cigar.  Neither will leave that gross, gas taste and, if done properly, both will be able to light the entire foot of the cigar, which is what you want.

As you smoke a cigar, ash will start to accumulate as the cigar burns down.  Now, for cigarette smokers, you are probably used to knocking the ash off with each puff to avoid it getting on your clothes or on the floor.  However, the way to ash a cigar is slightly different.

First, you do not want to ash after every puff.  The longer the ash stays tight and solid, the higher the quality of the tobacco.  Long, solid ash is an indicator of a cigar that has been rolled perfectly, humidified perfectly, and has been rolled with high-quality tobacco.  If you want to ash at a certain point to avoid an ash bomb, gently roll the ash in the ashtray every now and then.  This will remove the ash without mashing up the end of the cigar.

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