CIGAR LIGHTING:
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
The most effective way to light your cigar is to use a standard butane flame lighter, butane torch-style lighter (either single or multi-flame), cedar strip (called cedar spill) or long - sulfur free - cigar match. Never use a lighter that does not contain butane, a candle, or wax match to light your cigar, as these may impart odors that the cigar might absorb and affect the taste. The standard match book contains matches that possess sulfur. If a standard stick match is your only available option, wait at least five seconds to allow the sulfur to burn away from the head of the match before attempting to light your cigar. The key to the perfect lighting of your cigar is to exercise patience. Remember, you are not hurriedly lighting the fuse to a stick of dynamite, but rather a premium hand-crafted cigar. The butane torch style lighters are the lighting instruments of choice when lighting a cigar outside, where wind may be an issue with the delicate flame of matches or cedar spills. .
SINGLE FLAME
BUTANE LIGHTER
CEDAR SPLIT
CEDAR SPILL
SULFUR FREE
CIGAR MATCH
MULTI-FLAME
BUTANE TORCH
STANDARD FLAME
BUTANE LIGHTER
LIGHTING YOUR PREMIUM CIGAR
Hold the foot of the cigar (the open end) above the flame (approximately half an inch) at a 90 degree angle (refer to image A above). Avoid allowing the flame to touch the cigar as this can cause the cigar to overly char and burn and become too hot, too quickly. Gently rotate the cigar over the flame until you see an evenly distributed char around the rim of the cigar (refer to image B above). Place the cigar to your lips and, with the flame still under the foot of the cigar, gently puff on the cigar until the flame jumps from the lighting instrument to the cigar (see image C above). While gently puffing, rotate the cigar above the flame to insure that you have lit the entire rim of the foot of the cigar.
To further continue the cigar smoking ritual, you now might want to remove the cigar from your mouth, look at the newly lit foot, assess the evenness of the light and burn and then gently blow on it (refer to image at left) to further fuel the burn for a few seconds to create a bright orange glow. It is now time to enjoy your cigar. As a general rule, one should average a puff per 30-60 seconds while enjoying your cigar. Puff to fast and your cigar will burn hot and lead to a bitter, harsh taste. Allow at least an hour when preparing to smoke a larger cigar. In the event the light extinguishes while smoking your cigar, gently tap out the ash and loose tobacco from the foot of the cigar on the edge of the ashtray and repeat the lighting process again. Typically, one can put down a cigar for no more than 30 minutes before attempting to re-light it before the cigar will become bitter and harsh tasting.
A
B
C
LIGHTING INSTUMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
