Cigar Etiquette for a Modern Era

Cigar Consultant
Sep 4, 2018 · 6 min read

Cigars and their associated etiquette are ever evolving. No longer exclusive hideaways for the wall street executive or shipping magnate, cigar lounges are now welcoming havens for women and men of all colors, creeds, (and comic book preferences). As the landscape of cigar enthusiasts has changed, so too have the “unwritten rules” that govern how we interact with one another and with the cigars we have chosen.

At the beginning of my professional journey in the cigar world, I was fortunate enough to meet several prominent members of the industry, all of whom took time to share some of their wisdom with me. The first, and still the most important, bit of wisdom imparted to me was the importance of camaraderie. “This industry is built off the camaraderie between these people you see here. Without [the cigar community] to share our passion, we can’t do what we love. Never forget that it starts and ends with them.” I quickly realized how true that was, and I’ve seen that outpouring of kindness and love from every person I’ve met in this industry; from the cigar lounges of Chicago, all the way to the factories in Nicaragua. When you take the time to share an hour enjoying a cigar with someone, you become family. All of that shared time and shared enjoyment creates the community we have know and love. Cigar lounges are welcoming oases where you can find a friend or some comfort of home. Etiquette goes a long way in preserving that comfortable space for yourself and those around you.

There are few definitive Rules in the cigar world, so before we delve into matters of preference, let us first address the Rules. First, do not inhale the cigar smoke into your lungs. If you do, you will likely start to choke immediately. Second, when you have finished smoking your cigar, do not crush it out on the ground or in an ashtray; let it go out on its own. When you crush a mostly burnt cigar, you release an incredibly acrid smell that fills the entire room. Third, dipping your cigar into alcohol (Scotch, bourbon, wine, etc) will not impart any flavor into the cigar, and will only serve to make the cigar wet. Finally, when you are spending time in a lounge, you should always purchase a cigar from their humidor. Cigar lounges are the last bastion of tobacco in the United States, and will disappear without the support of their patrons. These are the only firm Rules of cigar etiquette.

What is considered “good form” where cigars are concerned is more subjective. Everyone has their own style of cutting, lighting, holding, and smoking a cigar, and that’s ok. At the end of the day this is your hobby, and you should strive to enjoy it to the fullest. The following are better thought of as guidelines I’ve discovered through my experiences in the cigar industry.

  • Everyone will light their cigar differently. Some people insist on matches, while others prefer butane lighters. I even know one person who insists that lighting the cigar with a soft flame before cutting the cap gives him the best experience. What I will say definitively is that 1) you should take care to not char the wrapper leaf on the sides of the cigars with your light, and 2) you are less likely to have burn issues if you do not draw flame into the cigar when lighting. Keep the cigar away from you and burn the end until the cherry is set.
  • You should never be too afraid, ashamed, or proud to ask for assistance in lighting or cutting your cigar from a cigar professional in your shop. There is no stigma associated with someone else lighting your cigar for you. In fact, I offer to cut and light everyone’s cigars as a sign of respect.
  • Cigars are a communal hobby. There are few joys in my life greater than sharing cigars I love with people I care about. But it is considered poor form to request a cigar from someone else without offering something in trade. It does not matter if the person owns a cigar factory, represents a brand, or you’re joining them to smoke on their apartment balcony: if someone wants to share one of their cigars with you, they will extend the offer.
  • With the advent of modern humidification, there is no need to get the cap (or any other part) of the cigar wet. If you insist on sucking on the end of your cigar before you cut it, please do not use communal implements to cut your cigar. It is akin to licking the communal cutter, and no one wants that.
  • Enjoying a cigar is a hobby that demands time and some level of attention. The cigar isn’t a quick fix for nicotine, but is instead a drawn out contemplative exercise in flavor and aroma. However, the attention you pay to a cigar does not preclude you from enjoying other activities alongside it. For example,if I need to think, going out for a walk with one of my favorite cigars is the best way to clear my head. As alluded to above, conversation is one of the best companions to a cigar. Likewise, I can’t begin to count the hours of work I’ve seen done from people using the cigar lounge as their “home office”. Cigars can accompany other activities you enjoy.
  • Smoking the heaviest, darkest cigar in the humidor does not make you a more accomplished cigar enthusiast. The strength of the cigar you smoke does not indicate how experienced you and your palate are. In fact, many blenders and tobacco professionals prefer a medium or lower strength cigar.
  • Just like how “stronger” doesn’t equate to “better”, neither does cigar size. There is no need to measure the size of your cigar against others in the room. Many blenders and tobacco professionals smoke much smaller formats than your everyday enthusiast in the US and I could write a whole different article on the benefits of small ring gauges vs. larger formats. As with many of the rules, smoke what you feel comfortable with, and what you enjoy.
  • Smoke as much of the cigar as you enjoy smoking. If that means you are done after smoking half, great. If you enjoy smoking a cigar until you can’t hold it anymore, that’s great too. There is no right answer to when you should stop smoking a given cigar, except to stop when it stops being enjoyable.
  • If, during your enjoyment, your cigar has gone out, simply relight it. When relighting a cigar, be sure to remove the ash from the end of the cigar before attempting to bring flame to it. After clearing the ash off the cigar, repeat the process of lighting the cigar you used at the start.
  • The length of your ash does not matter. In the thousands of cigars I’ve smoked, I have found that the temperature of my cigar, or the burn rate it endures, is in no way dependent on whether the ash on the end is intact or not. I am in the camp of “ash early, ash often”, as I’ve dirtied far too many articles of clothing by accidentally dropping ash all over myself.
  • When you ash your cigar, do not bang the cigar on the ashtray, a tree, or anything else. Gently rub the column of ash against whatever you’re using as an ash receptacle so the ash falls off. This prevents any undue damage to the filler leaves of the cigar. If you hit it too hard or just the wrong way, you can bruise the cigar and it can start to burn unevenly.
  • Don’t be overly sentimental about smoking a specific brand. Just because a company or brand might be old and “what your dad smoked”, doesn’t mean that it’s the best cigar on the shelf, or the best cigar for your palette. Every company makes good cigars. Smoke around the humidor. Two of my favorite cigars cost just over five dollars a piece, and neither company existed in the previous millenium.

At the end of the day, this is your hobby, and you should do it however makes you happiest. Some final words of wisdom to keep in mind: cigars are a handmade product, and will have imperfections. Not every cigar is going to burn with a sharp line going around the cigar. Some cigars might have a fragile and thin wrapper leaf, and they will break. Some cigars will smoke fast, some will smoke slow. And remember, cigars demand you take time. Time for yourself, time for contemplation, time for conversation. Every cigar is unique. Most importantly, take ownership of the cigar you’re smoking, because you will never get to have That cigar again.

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