How to smoke a cigar: cut, light and store it properly

Most bad cigars are not bad cigars. They are good sticks that were cut too low, lit too fast or kept in a drawer for a month. The cigar itself is only half the job, and the other half is what you do in the ten minutes before the first draw. This guide walks through it in order: choosing a size, cutting, lighting, pacing, and storing what is left.

It is written for adults who are new to cigars and want a clean, easy first smoke. If you are still choosing, our cigars range is sorted by size and wrapper, and the tobacco department shows everything else we stock for the category.

Before you start: pick a size and give yourself time

A cigar is not a ten-minute job. Boveda, the humidity-pack maker, puts a cigar at anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours depending on its size, and gives these averages: a Corona takes 30 to 45 minutes, a Robusto 45 to 60, a Toro 60 to 90 and a Churchill 90 to 120. Pick the size to match the time you actually have, not the one that looks impressive.

For a first cigar, a Robusto is a sensible middle. The Don Tomas Classico Robusto (PKR 4,799) is 5 1/2 x 50 with a natural Honduran Habano wrapper and is listed as medium strength. The Havana Q Double Robusto (PKR 3,849) is a fatter 5 x 56; J.C. Newman rates the blend medium and describes spice with a natural sweetness. If you have a full evening, the Factory Smokes Shade Toro (PKR 3,149) is a 6 x 52 with a Connecticut Shade wrapper and a mellow body.

Cigar	Size	Typical smoking time (Boveda averages)	Our price
Don Tomas Classico Robusto	5 1/2 x 50	Robusto: 45 to 60 minutes	PKR 4,799
Havana Q Double Robusto	5 x 56	Robusto range, longer if you go slowly	PKR 3,849
Factory Smokes Shade Toro	6 x 52	Toro: 60 to 90 minutes	PKR 3,149

Times are averages for the size class, not promises for a particular cigar. A thick 56 ring gauge cigar burns differently from a thin one of the same length.

Step 1: cut the cap

A cigar is closed at the head with a small rounded cap. You cut it to open the draw, and the whole point is to remove as little as possible. Look along the side of the cigar for the shoulder, the place where the rounded cap meets the straight body. Cut just above that line. Boveda says a clean cut above the shoulder improves airflow, and a bad cut can ruin the draw or make the wrapper unravel.

Which cutter to use

A sharp blade matters more than the style. A dull cutter crushes the head and tears the wrapper, and no later step fixes that. The Vertigo Big Boy cutter (PKR 4,549) is a double action guillotine: both blades close in from either side at once, so both sides cut together. It has a plastic body and stainless steel blades, takes cigars up to 64 ring gauge. That covers every cigar mentioned in this guide.

How to make the cut

1. Open the blades fully so the cigar does not get pinched on the way in.
2. Set the cap in the hole so the cut will fall just above the shoulder.
3. Close the cutter in one firm, steady squeeze. Hesitating or sawing is how wrappers split.

Cutting too low can loosen the wrapper, which is why the shoulder is your guide. Stay on the cautious side, because you cannot put tobacco back.

Step 2: light it slowly

This is where most beginners rush. Do not hold a flame to the end and puff like a cigarette. The method Boveda describes is simple: toast the foot first, then draw gently while rotating the cigar, so the burn starts evenly all the way round.

Toast the foot

The foot is the end you light. Hold the cigar at a slight angle just above the flame, so the flame does not touch the tobacco, and turn it slowly. Go slowly: you are warming the foot, not burning it.

Take the first draws

Once the foot is warm, draw gently and keep rotating the cigar so the burn spreads evenly. If one side is lagging, touch it up and rotate again. Boveda points out that a good light prevents burn problems later, and that is the reason to take your time at the start.

If the cigar goes out, relight it. Boveda notes that wind, temperature and humidity all change how a cigar burns, so pick a calm spot where you can.

Step 3: smoke at a slow pace

A cigar is smoked for its taste: you draw, hold the smoke in your mouth and let it out. Boveda's advice on pace is clear: do not puff too fast, take one draw every 30 to 60 seconds, and it is fine to let the cigar rest between draws.

The reason is heat. If you rush a cigar, you overheat the ember, which overheats the tobacco's oils, and that taints the flavour for the rest of the smoke. A cigar that tastes harsh in the first third has often just been puffed too quickly.

Boveda also suggests a simple tasting count of nine seconds: three counts of a long, slow draw, three counts holding the smoke in your mouth, and three counts to release it. Try it on your first few cigars and then settle into your own rhythm.

Step 4: finishing and putting it out

You do not have to smoke a cigar to the end. When it gets hot or the taste turns bitter, stop. Set it down in an ashtray and let it go out by itself.

Storing cigars you have not smoked yet

Cigars are tobacco leaf, and leaf reacts to the air around it. Boveda says to store cigars between 65% and 72% relative humidity. Too dry and the tobacco turns muted, burns quickly and the wrapper can crack. Too damp and it goes spongy, burns unevenly and can grow mould. Their advice is also not to leave cigars in a drawer, a shoe box or a car console.

You do not need an expensive humidor to start. Boveda says a new plastic container, a cooler or a humidor bag works for beginners, as long as you control the humidity inside. The simple way is a two-way humidity pack, which releases moisture when the air is too dry and absorbs it when it is too damp. We list the Integra Boost 8 gram two-way pack (PKR 1,349). Integra sells its packs with a Replacement Indicator Card, and when the dot turns bright blue you swap in a fresh pack. Integra makes the 8 gram pack at more than one humidity level and our listing does not say which one we have, so message us before you order if you need a set level.

Boveda recommends replacing its own packs about every three months. Check the maker's instructions for whichever pack you buy.

Quick checklist

• Choose a size that fits the time you have.
• Cut just above the shoulder with a sharp cutter, in one squeeze.
• Toast the foot without touching it, then rotate as you take the first draws.
• One draw every 30 to 60 seconds, and let the cigar rest between draws.
• Keep the rest at 65% to 72% humidity in a sealed container with a humidity pack.

Buying and delivery

Our cigars come from local wholesalers order by order, so stock moves. Before you buy, look at how to check what you receive on our authenticity page, which explains where our stock comes from and how to check it. We deliver in Islamabad and Rawalpindi; orders under PKR 10,000 can be paid cash on delivery.

Sources: Boveda, tips for better cigar enjoyment and Boveda, what's the RH for cigars. Product specs come from our own product pages.

Sold to adults aged 18 and over only. Nicotine and tobacco are addictive.