Cigar 101

HERE ARE SOME TIPS ON THE CARE OF A CIGAR AND INFO…

Storage
A humidor is a great, and almost necessary, investment if you are going to turn cigar collecting into a hobby but here are some tips for the beginners.

Don’t have a Humidor?  New cigar smoker who doesn’t have a humidor yet, cigars can be stored for about 2 weeks without one just dampen a paper towel and place it in a clean plastic container wiped down only with warm water. Put the paper towel on the corner of the container against the side. This creates moisture inside the container even when it’s shut. Without letting the cigars touch the damp towel, place them in a rows. You don’t want the cigars to get wet! A divider is a good way to make sure that this does not happen. Next seal tightly and store the container in a cool, dark place until you are ready to smoke them.

Ideal Storage Temperature for Cigars
Although  the ideal conditions for cigars is 70° temperature / 70% humidity, 62° to 65° is acceptable and will help prevent mold. Just remember that the lower the temp, the higher the humidity you need to maintain proper moisture content but this is also true for high temperatures. The higher the temp, the less humidity the cigar will have. As a general rule keeping your humidor in a relatively cool place is best. Lastly a small, portable, digital hygrometer-thermometer can be very helpful to double check your humidor and ensure that you have the perfect setting for your favorite cigars.

Cutting your Cigars
Once you are ready to smoke the cigar you will need to cut it properly. You should not cut a cigar until you are ready to smoke it. There are several ways to cut a cigar but the straight cut made with a guillotine cutter is the most common. Hold the cigar with one hand and the guillotine with the other, then insert the head of the cigar into the guillotine and cut into the cap, usually about 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch down. Make sure not to cut into the body of the cigar and not past the cap or head of the cigar, the side you place in your month.
If the head of the cigar is shaped like a cone, then cut into the cone, but not to low, you do not want to cut into the body of the cigar and cause the wrapper to unravel

Lighting your Cigar
Start by holding the cigar horizontally. Warm the cigar by holding the flame directly underneath the end of the cigar. Slowly rotate the cigar until the end is evenly lit. Next, put the cigar in your mouth and hold the flame just close enough to the end without letting the flame touch it. Slowly draw or puff on the cigar while rotating it - the main goal is to get it evenly lit. Gently blow on the glowing end - if it is burning evenly you are ready to enjoy!

Relighting a Cigar
One method is to clear all the ash by gently rubbing and/or tapping it on the ashtray. You then re-toast the cigar to get the wrapper going. Relight the cigar by puffing, then blowing out - not in on the cigar.  This will clear the tar and resins left from the previous light. Be careful though as sometimes blowing out can cause sparks.

Another way is to cut the foot of the cigar about 1/4 inch back. This should leave you with mostly “fresh” tobacco. Depending on how deep you cut it,  you may find the tobacco in the center is a little scorched or blackened but cutting it back it will help keep the cigar from tasting bitter. An very important detail for maintaining the flavor, a cigar must be relit no more 1 hour of it going out.

Common Cigar Sizes

Petit Corona: also called a “Mini Corona,” this diminutive cigar measures usually 4 1/4 - 4 3/4" by 40-44 ring gauge.

Corona: One of the most desired cigar sizes in the world, the Corona measures between 5-6" and has a ring gauge measuring 42-44.

Robusto: The single most popular cigar size is the Robusto. It generally measures 5" by 50

Gran Robusto: similar to the Robusto but a fatter cigar measuring 5” by 58”

Toro: the Toro size is a 6" inch cigar with a ring gauge of 50-54. Gaining in popularity, the Toro is the middle point between the Robusto and Churchill in terms of length.

Gran Toro: similar to the Toro but fatter, cigar measures 7” by 60

Churchill: Named after Sir Winston Churchill, the Churchill size is a popular cigar that is most often between 6 1/4 and 7" with a ring gauge of 48-54.

Double Corona : This large cigar is over 7" in length, often between 7 1/2-8" with a ring gauge of 49-52.

How to Apply Our Cigar Labels to your Cigars:

Our labels come in sheets or loose and can be applies quite easily. To glue the labels you can either use a traditional home made paste like in the Tobacco factory or a regular clear glue stick.

APPLY WITH GLUE STICK:

Make sure you buy a non-toxic clear glue stick, they can be found at any local office supply store. Just apply a small amount on the tip of the label on one side of the label and then rolled over the other.  Place the label approximately 1 inch from the smoking side down.  Use your first cigar as a guide so they all look the same and uniformed.  This gives a much more professional look.

MAKE YOUR OWN HOMEMADE TOBACCO PASTE/GLUE FOR ROLLING:

Make a mixture of 1/4 teaspoon of flour and about 2 to 3 tablespoons of water. You can work this out more precisely, but keep the flour to a minimum. It is suggested that you put mix in the microwave for 15 seconds, stir another 10 seconds, and do it again until it's a thin paste. Usually about three to four times will do it. When you set this aside to cool, it will thicken a bit. You don't want a thick paste, just something with the consistency of pancake syrup.

Here is a short instructional video that may help…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zntGBaFlLM