A beginner’s guide to Cigars

Unlike cigarettes, cigars are smoked by a fewer, but growing number of people. They are flavorful enough to give a lot of pleasure to the people who smoke them. In fact, there are many websites that sell cigars online. However, there are so many brands of cigars on the market that it is often confusing to decide what cigars to buy. Following are a few points of information regarding various aspects of the cigar.

Body

The term ‘body of a cigar’ refers to the strength and flavor that one gets when puffing on a cigar. A cigar can be mild, medium or full in terms of flavor. A cigar smoker needs to have knowledge of all of these to eventually know which of them suits them best. For the beginners, a mild-bodied cigar is a good place to start.

Construction

The ‘construction of a cigar’ pertains to how it is made. Traditional premium cigars are hand bunched and rolled. When buying a cigar, you should feel the firmness, or "pack" of the cigar before opening your wallet. If you find a soft spot along the cigar, it may not be rolled properly. If this is the case, the cigar may not burn evenly, as well.

Here are a few tips to remember when you want to smoke a cigar.

• Use a double-blade guillotine cutter or a punch cutter to cut off the cap (or tip) of your cigars before you light them.
• Light your cigar with a butane lighter made specifically for toasting and lighting cigars. Torch flame lighters are the most popular for their concentrated blue flame and ability to withstand outdoor elements like wind. A good alternative to a butane flame lighter is a long cedar match. The cedar aroma complements the aroma of the cigar when lighting, too.
• Before lighting a cigar, you need to "toast" the foot, or open end of the cigar. To do this, simply hold the cigar up in front of you and gently apply the flame to the foot without letting the flame touch it. The tobacco will begin to char. Do this across the entire foot, then blow on it to get it glowing. Put the cigar in your mouth, and holding the cigar at a bout a 45-degree angle, hold the flame just below the foot and puff. The cigar will pull the flame toward it. Once you have a good puff of smoke, blow on the foot again to make sure the entire foot is lit.
• Usually, cigars are accompanied by a drink such as coffee, single malt scotch, Port, rum, bourbon, beer, and even water. Whatever you choose to drink or "pair" with your cigar is up to you, but it is recommended that you not smoke a cigar "dry."
• If you are a beginner, you can try the mild flavor of cigars such as Macanudo, Baccarat or the Arturo Fuente brand of cigars.

Always remember one thing about cigars: Unlike cigarettes, you do not inhale a cigar. The cigars online smoke simply needs to be tasted on the palate, and then exhaled slowly. You may blow the smoke through your nostrils occasionally. This is called "retrohaling," and is another way of evaluating the body and nuances of the cigar.