10 Common Mistakes with Smoking Cigars and How to Avoid Them

In 2020, the worldwide cigar market value was $36,673.4 million. Studies show that it will register an 11.54% compound annual growth rate from 2021-2026. This shows that the number of cigarette smokers is increasing every day.

Most people smoke a cigar as a form of relaxation after a long day at work. One of the finest practices to make the experience of smoking a cigar pleasurable is by investing in high-quality cigars.

New cigar smokers need to take their time and learn all about cigars before making any purchase. You need to be aware of many mistakes with smoking cigars to avoid them. 

Here are ten common mistakes with smoking cigars that you need to avoid.

1. Cutting the Cigar Cap

Premium cigars come with a small section filled with tobacco leaf covering; we call the cap. For the cigar to draw, you must cut the cap in a certain way. Cutting too much of it will compromise your cigar smoking experience.

New smokers often get too impatient when removing the cap. You will be compromising your health when you cut the cap too much.

You need to locate where the cap ends and cut just above the line. Cutting a cigar cap is an art that maximizes the enjoyment of your chosen smoke.

The cigar consists of three components, binder, filler, and wrapper leaf sealed at the end with a wrapper leaf cap. You have to remove most of the cap with one slicing movement.

You can either use a guillotine cutter or a special scissor. You may have seen some people piercing the end of the cigar with a match. But, we discourage this because it causes poor draw.

2. Taking Off the Band Early

Beginner cigar smokers often remove the band almost after lighting it. It looks like the most naturalistic thing to do, but that can damage your cigar. The best way is to wait before removing it.

If there were too much glue during production, you would tear a hole in the cigar when you try removing the band early. The best way is to wait before removing the band.

Most cigar experts will advise you to wait until your burn line is around an inch away from the band. Waiting allows the glue to melt away, making it easier to remove.

3. Inhaling the Cigar Smoke

Never inhale when smoking a cigar. Cigars are not cigarettes, and tobacco is stronger here than in cigarettes.

Savor and enjoy the smoke in your mouth, but do not inhale. You are likely to experience a coughing fit once you inhale the smoke.

Here is a good way on how to smoke cigars. Draw on and hold the cigar in your mouth slowly.

Let every part of your mouth taste the flavors, and then inhale slowly. Puff and keep rotating your cigar between every 30 seconds to one minute.

You can enjoy your cigar with a strong alcoholic drink, but not simultaneously. That’s how to enjoy your smoke properly.

4. Smoking What the Rest of Your Colleagues Are Smoking

Just because your boss enjoys a certain cigar brand doesn’t mean you will. There are many different sizes, flavor profiles, regions, etc.

Choose one to make it a very exceptional experience. If unsure about what different cigar brands to choose, ask for some advice.

Most cigar users love to share their knowledge, so do not hesitate to ask.

5. Using a Regular Lighter

Using regular lighters is a harsh mistake to call out new smokers, since even seasoned smokers make the same mistake. But, this is not the best way of enjoying a cigar.

Regular Zippo or Bic lighters utilize standard lighter fluid. The fluid leaves a nasty and chemical taste on your cigar. In addition, the flame is not hot enough to light properly.

The best cigar lighters are butane or torch lighters. You can also use matches when lighting a cigar. None of these lighting techniques will leave the gross gas taste.

If done properly, you will light the whole foot of your cigar. Note that all fire is not equal. The flame source should be clean, or else impurities will go into your cigar and contaminate every puff.

Do not use candles to light your cigar. That is because they put wax particles in your smoke, and you will have a waxy taste in your mouth.

6. Ashing the Cigar

Ash accumulates as cigars burn down. Cigarette smokers often knock off the ash with each puff to avoid getting on their clothes or floor.

But, ashing a cigar is slightly different from regular cigarettes. One, you should not ash after every puff. The longer the ash will remain tight and solid, the better the tobacco quality.

Long solid ash indicates that the rolling, humidification, and quality of tobacco are perfect. If you want to avoid an ash bomb, roll the ash gently in the ashtray. That way, you get rid of the ash in the right way, without mashing up the cigar’s end.

7. Smelling the Cellophane

The smell and aroma of the cigar are the initial attractions people have to a new cigar. You often smell tobacco to understand the quality and flavors to expect.

But, often, we see people taking cigars still in the cellophane wrapper and smelling it. Just know that is not a good look.

You won’t smell anything through the cellophane. The right way is to gently slide the cigar’s foot out of the cellophane and then smell it.

Do not have it up to your nose; give it a gentle whiff. That way, you get an idea of the cigar you are about to light.

8. Smoking Fake Cigars

The common mistake new cigar smokers do is not purchasing the cigar from reputable sources. With so many fake cigars out there, smoking the wrong one might put you off the experience for life.

It would be best if to learn how to order quality cigars. Look for smoke shops or specialists tobacconists. A nice way to distinguish between legit and fake is by checking on its components.

It is not a premium cigar if it does not contain a binder, filler tobacco, and wrapper. Some premium cigars have a custom sample pack.

Missing to order a sampler pack is a big mistake. Sampler packs allow you to broaden your palate and save you money.

You get to try different sticks without having to break your wallet.

9. Smoking on an Empty Stomach

Smoking on an empty stomach is another mistake you must work hard to avoid. New cigar smokers are usually not aware of their nicotine tolerance level.

You feel sick in your stomach when you smoke a cigar on an empty stomach. Some novice smokers will experience “cigar sickness” when smoking strong cigars on empty stomachs.

Avoid skipping meals beforehand. When you feel nauseated when smoking a cigar, stop immediately. Get some fresh air and try drinking or eating something sugary.

10. Not Storing Correctly

Proper storage is vital to maintaining the quality of the cigar. Consider having a high-quality humidor for your cigars.

The cigar may not burn or taste properly, even after doing everything correctly. Why? If you aren’t using a humidor to store the cigars, that is the problem.

Storage for cigars should be at a certain humidity level. Too humid conditions will make the cigar moldy, and not too humid conditions dry it out and lose its flavor.

To avoid drying and becoming moldy, you need to store your cigar in the correct conditions. Dry cigars lose their flavors fast.

Avoid putting a half-smoked cigar in the humidor. You can use a cigar stand to hold your half-smoked cigar before lighting it again.

Like clothes, humidors absorb aromas. Placing a half-smoked cigar in the humidor will leave an ashy aroma that is hard to remove. Worse enough, it can ruin your humidor.

Avoid the Above Mistakes With Smoking Cigars

With the knowledge of the common mistakes with smoking cigars, you can be ready to have the finest smoking experience.

Avoiding the mistakes will impact your cigar smoking experience with friends when unwinding after a long day. Take your time and enjoy each cigar you light.

Remember not to inhale the smoke, and never smoke on an empty belly. And, keep your mind open by trying out different types of cigars. To avoid looking like a novice, avoid each mistake we have gone through above.

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