8 Common Cigar Mistakes And How To Avoid Them

Having a cigar should be an enjoyable, relaxing experience. That is, if you don't make one of these common mistakes. Even though cigars are rather simple pleasures, there are important steps you must take if you want to enjoy them to their fullest potential.

In this article, we will review 8 common cigar mistakes and how to avoid them. These mistakes range from how to cut your cigar, the proper methods of toasting, how to remove the ash and even how to store your cigars properly. Let's begin!

Cigar Mistake #1: Cutting Your Cigar Too Deep

When cutting the cap off of your cigar, pay attention to how deep you cut. Cutting too deep, past the cap, can cause your cigar to unravel, ruining your smoking experience. Almost every cigar on the market will have a cap on one end.

Before cutting your cigar, look for the cap. The cap will be two or three layers of wrapper tobacco covering the rounded end of the cigar. You only need to cut a dimes width off of the cap for a good draw.

If the draw is still too tight after cutting, cut just a sliver more off of the cap. Avoid cutting your cigar multiple times as this can weaken the cigar and cause it to unravel. If the draw is still too tight after a second cut, use a cigar draw tool (or a straightened paperclip) to bore a hole through the center of the filler tobacco.

Beginner Cigar Cutting Tip: Place your cigar cutter on a flat surface with the blades apart. Place your cigar inside and butt it up against the flat surface. Push the ends of your cigar cutter together until they firmly grip the cigar. Then lift your cigar and cutter off of the table and cut in one quick motion.

Cigar Mistake #2: Not Properly Toasting The Foot

Not taking the time to properly toast the foot of your cigar, or not toasting at all, can lead to many issues including inconsistent burning, flat/bitter flavours and constant touch-ups which can ruin your smoking experience.

Toasting your cigar is a process that takes a couple of minutes, but it can greatly improve the overall enjoyment of your cigar. Here is a quick guide on how to properly toast your cigar:

• Hold your cigar at a 45-60 degree angle above the flame of your lighter.

• Slowly bring your cigar to the flame.

• Without directly touching the flame, look for the wrapper starting to change colour.

• Rotate your cigar until you have an even ¼" to ½" char around the foot.

• Once the outside of the cigar has an even burn, focus your attention to the inside. You want the filler to have an even grey colour with red embers.

• When your cigar is fully toasted, take 2-3 long, slow draws to stoke the ember and help it spread across the filler in the cigar. Then gently blow through the cigar (this is known as 'purging'). The result will be a cigar with a red center and an even ash around the tip.

• If the cigar is not burning evenly, touch it up with a lighter and try again.

For more information on cigar toasting, including advanced techniques, refer to our article How To Properly Light And Toast The Foot Of A Cigar. You can also read Never Ruin A Cigar Again: The Best Touch-Up And Relighting Tips for helpful advice on touching up your cigar once it has already been toasted.

Cigar Mistake #3: Shoving The Flame Of Your Lighter In To The Cigar

When toasting or touching-up your cigar, avoid shoving the flame directly into the cigar. The flame will burn the tobacco it comes in direct contact with and the heat will travel up in the cigar, creating a myriad of issues.

If your cigar becomes too hot, the flavour will turn bitter, the cigar may crack due to sudden heat expansion and you could end up with burn issues like tunnelling, mouse hole, or an uneven burn that will last the entire duration of your cigar.

Always hold your cigar at an angle to your flame. We recommend a 45-60 degree angle with torch lighters and a very small 0-20 degree angle with soft flame lighters. This ensures the flame and heat never travels too far into the cigar.

Cigar Mistake #4: Improper Ashing Techniques 

Many beginners make the mistake of tapping the ash off of their cigar, like people do with cigarettes. This technique is incorrect and can damage your cigar. Tapping your cigar can cause cracking, uneven burning, and even cause your cigar to extinguish itself.

The correct way to ash your cigar is to wait until you have roughly an inch of ash on the end of your cigar. Gently roll it against the side of your ashtray along the burn line. The ash should fall off without any pressure. If the ash does not come off, do not force it. Take a few more draws then try again.

Never force the ash off of your cigar. Pushing too hard against the burn line can compress the tobacco leaves inside your cigar, creating an uneven burn.

Cigar Mistake #5: Stamping Out Your Cigar When You Are Done 

Stamping out a cigar will release sour, bitter odours into the air. Not only will it smell unpleasant, but it will also permeate your clothes, making the scent follow you wherever you go. Stamping out a cigar in a cigar lounge, or even around seasoned cigar smokers, is considered bad cigar etiquette.

The correct way to put out a cigar is to place it in the ashtray and let it go out on its own. Depending on the size of your cigar, it may extinguish itself within a few minutes or take upwards of half an hour. We recommend letting it sit for a few hours to fully cool. Then you can dispose of it in the compost bin.

Our in article, Avoiding Common Mistakes: How To Properly Put Out A Cigar, we explain an even faster method of putting out your cigar. Click the link to learn how.

Cigar Mistake #6: Inhaling Your Cigar

Cigars are not meant to be inhaled. The smoke from a cigar is much thicker, harsher, and contains more alkaline than smoke from a cigarette. Inhaling cigar smoke will irritate your lungs and airways, often causing a coughing fit.

The primary appeal of smoking a cigar is to enjoy the flavours, not the nicotine buzz. Cigars are made with various strains of tobacco from different regions all over the world. A cigar blender will take different tobaccos and combine them to create unique flavours like woods, spices, chocolate, and nuts.

The proper way to smoke a cigar is to gently draw the smoke into your mouth, 'chew the smoke' (gently moving it around with your tongue), then exhale after a few seconds.

An advanced technique, known as 'retrohaling', is when you push the last 20-30% of the smoke through your nose instead of out of your mouth. This can intensify the flavours of the cigar since you have more scent receptors in your nose than in your mouth.

Cigar Mistake #7: Drawing Too Much (Or Too Fast) 

Drawing too much, or too fast, on a cigar will be a bad time for both you and your cigar. The sudden increase of nicotine entering your body can lead to ill effects including dizziness, nausea, sweating, and sudden sharp headaches.

Too much air moving through the cigar can stoke the ember, increasing the heat inside of the stick. Sudden expansion due to heat can cause the cigar to crack. Drawing too frequently can also alter the flavours in the cigar, creating a bitter, sour, acidic taste and aroma.

To preserve the burn and flavours of your cigar, take 1-2 puffs every minute. Long, slow, controlled draws will help control the heat in the cigar and allow the tobaccos to burn at a natural pace, giving you the most flavour.

Cigar Mistake #8: Not Storing Your Cigars In A Humidor

Leaving your cigars on the counter, in a drawer, or even in the fridge can cause irreversible damage and ruin your cigar smoking experience. Without proper humidification and temperature control, cigars can dry out.

A dry cigar will lose all of its flavour, burn too fast and unevenly, and will crack more frequently. You can tell if a cigar is dry by feeling it. If the outside of the cigar feels brittle, paper-like, and crackles, it is too dry.

There are methods to revitalize a dried out cigar, but you will not experience all of the flavours and it may require more touch-ups during your smoking experience. Placing your dried cigar in a zip-lock bag with a 72% RH Boveda pack (or similar product) and in a temperature controlled area can help rehydrate it over a few weeks.

If you want to properly store your cigars, invest in a humidor. A humidor provides the correct humidity and temperature needed to make your cigars last a long time. Our article How To Properly Store Cigars- Tips On How To Find The Right Humidor For You explains the different types of humidors on the market and how to get them up and running in no time.

Summary

Cigars are meant to be savoured. Avoiding these common cigar mistakes will ensure that you get the most out of your sticks and can enjoy them without worry. Remember this article the next time you reach for your favourite Montecristo or Davidoff. You will be glad you did!

Want more cigar related content? Read these articles:

• Cigar Terminology Guide: Common Cigar Terms And Their Definitions

• Preserve Your Smoke: How To Save A Half-Smoked Cigar

• Should You Keep The Cellophane On Or Off Your Cigars? An In-Depth Look At Both Options

• Our Cigar Reviews

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