Welcome to Cigars 101. Class is in session. We will be using this as a way to help out our newer BOTL & SOTL (Brothers/Sisters of the leaf). Maybe even some of our seasoned veterans will find a nugget of wisdom that they’ll benefit from. In this post, I’ll be covering some bare basics on how to get the ball rolling.
Step One: Choosing Your Cigar
It wasn’t too long ago that I was a new cigar smoker. Tim decided to open the shop twelve years ago and I didn’t have a clue what to do with a cigar. If you find yourself in the same boat, Shawn is going to give you a bit of knowledge that will help you avoid looking like a lost and confused puppy dog when you smoke your first cigar.
Step Two: Cutting & Lighting Your Cigar
Let’s start with a couple of basic terms that you’re going to want to know. While there are a ton of different shapes and sizes of cigars, they all generally fall into the “cylindrical and long” category. The first two terms you should become familiar with are the “head” and “foot” of the cigar. These are your respective ends of the cigar. The cap of the cigar is the end you’ll want to cut. The foot of the cigar is the end you’ll want to light. The cap of the cigar is at the tip toward the head and is what you’ll actually be cutting. I was nice enough to put together a little diagram for you.
For a more visual representation, here is Greg:
Cheers and long ashes!!