Preparation for Smoking a Handmade Cigar can provide a great deal of enjoyment and it should not be rushed. Allow yourself time to appreciate the whole experience, from choosing and cutting to lighting and smoking. The pleasurable ritual of smoking a cigar begins with cutting. Most modern experts agree that the best way to cut the head of your cigar is with a guillotine-type cutter. Never use your teeth, a knife, or your fingernail. The cut should be careful, clean, and crisp, without any damage to the cap.
When your light a cigar you can use a butane lighter or a wood match. There are also special long slow-burning matches designed for cigar smokers available. A properly lit cigar is always more enjoyable than one that isn’t, so take it easy when you light one. Older well-matured cigars burn more easily than younger ones. To get the best of them, cigars should be smoked slowly. They should not to be dragged on or puffed too frequently. This will lead to overheating and spoil the flavour.
If your cigar goes out, don’t worry: this is quite normal, particularly if you have already smoked half of it. Tap the cigar to remove any clinging ash. Then blow through the cigar to clear any stale smoke. Relight as you would a new cigar. There are two things that should not be done: first, don’t roll a cigar near your ear. It tells you nothing at all about a cigar; second, you should never warm the length of the cigar before smoking it.