Cigar 101 and Reddit Cigar Suggestions

Updated October 31st, 2019
Written by Reddit Suggestions

If you are on the outside looking in, you may think that a cigar is just a cigar. However, you could not be any more wrong. We’ve foraged through reddit’s /r/cigars to find the best lighters, cigars and cutters as well as everything you need to know when starting off.

Cigars vary in shape, size, and flavor, and you may be surprised to find that high-quality cigars can be identified simply by their flavor! They can carry distinct notes of flavor, much like wine or coffee, and can even be paired with ideal beverages that complement those flavor notes. Simply put, cigars can be a worthwhile flavor journey, especially to those that are uninitiated!

Of course, as soon as you seriously start looking into cigars, you will quickly see that those aforementioned distinctions can make your shopping experience an overwhelming one. Fret not, however, for you are in luck! This article will take you through a crash course on smoking cigars, covering not only how to smoke them, but also general cigar etiquette, proper storing, and more! Then, we will throw up a few options of cigar brands you may want to try, as well as comments from Reddit to give you a pretty objective view of how those cigars are received.

With that, let’s get started on our Cigar Education!

Anatomy of a Cigar

Despite their differences, nearly all cigars are comprised of similar parts.

Anatomy of a Cigar

How to Choose a Cigar

Now you have a decent idea of how to tell cigars apart, but how do you choose the cigar that is right for you? You may be relieved to know that once you know the characteristics of a cigar, it becomes far easier to pick one that is going to fit your tastes the best. Here are a couple of factors to consider when choosing a cigar that is right for you:

Cutting a Cigar

Cutting a cigar is the first step in smoking a cigar, and it is an absolutely crucial one. If you do not cut enough off, then you will have a hard time taking proper draws, but if you cut too much, you may end up completely overwhelming yourself with huge, smokey draws.

Generally, the cap (the part of the cigar where you take draws from) will have rings indicating how deeply you can cut the cigar. Going beyond the rings can cause the aforementioned problems. If you are curious about what kinds of cuts you can make, consider the following:

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The Cuban Crafters Perfect Cigar Cutter

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Lighting Cigars

Lighting a cigar is a more perilous process than you may imagine. Not only do you need to make sure you are using the right kind of lighter for the best taste, but you also need to be sure that the cigar burns evenly from the start so that it will burn evenly through its finish. The last thing you want is a janky, uneven burn because you were unable to light it properly!

What kind of lighter should you use? Well, you definitely should NOT use the typical lighter you would use for a cigarette. The fumes from the fuel found in those lighters have a distinct taste and can taint the entirety of your cigar. Traditional wooden matches or a butane torch are generally your best bet for lighting a cigar without ruining its flavor. If you are brand new to smoking cigars, butane lighters are going to provide the easiest lighting experience.

The following are the steps you should take when lighting your cigar:

  1. The foot of the cigar (or the part furthest away from your mouth) should be above the flame but not in direct contact with it.
  2. Begin rotating the cigar. You should see the edges of the foot start to blacken. Remember, you still should not have the cigar directly on the flame.
  3. Take a puff on the cigar. This should bring the flame into the foot, allowing embers to form. If done correctly, you should see that the end of the foot is evenly burning. If not, now is the time to place the foot in direct contact with the flame and make sure that any place that has not begun to burn now is.

Reddit Recommends Cigar Lighters

Xikar Executive/Executive2

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Ronson Jetlite

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Smoking a Cigar

Here are a few tips when smoking a cigar to make sure you get the best experience possible:

Cigar Etiquette

For those that plan on smoking in groups of veteran smokers or in smoke clubs, there is a lot of cigar etiquette to consider. Though there are a lot of rules that you may find, we have distilled some down into what we consider to be the most important to follow when smoking with others:

  1. When you exhale smoke from the cigar, blow it in a direction that is clear from others.
  2. There are many acceptable ways to hold a cigar. However, you want to be sure that you do not hold it as one would traditionally with a cigarette.
  3. Pair liquor with your cigar or at least have some kind of drink. The point of smoking cigars is to experience the breadth of their flavor. If you have dry mouth, you are going to be missing so much of the flavor, which defeats the purpose of smoking the cigar.
  4. If the ash on the cigar foot is becoming uncomfortable long, rolling the foot on the edge of an ashtray is the proper method of allowing the ash to drop.
  5. When you are done smoking a cigar, do not smash it out like a cigarette. Cigars will naturally burn out on their own in an ashtray.

Humidor

The purpose of a humidor is to keep your cigars from drying out. A cigar that has dried out is going to be overly brittle and will lose a lot of the pleasant taste the tobacco can provide. The last thing you want to do is spend $10-$15 on a cigar only to ruin it because of poor storage. If you plan on becoming an avid cigar smoker, consider getting a humidor that can hold at least 20-30 cigars.

Reddit Recommends Cigars for Beginners

Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story

Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story

  • Price: $6.25 per cigar
  • Wrapper: African Cameroon Leaf
  • Shape: Figurado
  • Origin: Dominican Republic
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Padron 3000 Natural

Padron 3000 Natural

  • Price: $6.90 per cigar
  • Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Leaf
  • Shape: Robusto
  • Origin: Nicaragua
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Drew Estate Undercrown Shade

Drew Estate Undercrown Shade

  • Price: $9.08 per cigar
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
  • Shape: Belicoso, Churchill, Cigarillos, Corona, Double Corona, Gordo, Perfecto, Robusto, Toro
  • Origin: Nicaragua
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Siteground

Foundry Chillin’ Moose

  • Price: $3.79 per cigar
  • Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
  • Shape: Corona, Gigante, Robusto
  • Origin: Nicaragua
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Tatuaje Tattoo

Tatuaje Tattoo

  • Price: $3.79 per cigar
  • Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
  • Shape: Corona, Gigante, Robusto
  • Origin: Nicaragua
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CAO Brazilia

CAO Brazilia

  • Price: $8.69 per cigar
  • Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
  • Shape: Gordo, Robusto, Toro, Torpedo
  • Origin: Honduras
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Arturo Fuente 858 Maduro

Arturo Fuente 858 Maduro

  • Price: $6.00 per cigar
  • Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
  • Shape: Corona
  • Origin: Dominican Republic
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Don Pepin

Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic Black

  • Price: $6.70 per cigar
  • Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
  • Shape: Toro
  • Origin: Nicaragua
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Padron 2000

Padron 2000

  • Price: $6.10 per cigar
  • Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
  • Shape: Robusto
  • Origin: Nicaragua
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Brick House

Brick House

  • Price: $7.20 per cigar
  • Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
  • Shape: Churchill, Corona, Gordo, Robusto, Toro, Torpedo
  • Origin: Nicaragua
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Reddit Cigar Recommendation Recap

Smoking cigars can be a wonderful hobby, but there are a lot of nuances to address if you really want to get the fullest satisfaction possible. There are so many different flavors to research and try, it may be some time before you land on a specific kind of cigar that becomes your regular. Before that happens, heed the last few steps of advice as you begin your cigar smoking journey!

We wish you the best of luck in your cigar smoking journey!

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