Beginners Guide to Cigars - no. 1

“There’s something about smoking a cigar that feels like a celebration. It’s like a fine wine. There’s a quality, a workmanship, a passion that goes into the smoking of a fine cigar.” —Demi Moore

The world of cigars is a link between a forgotten time and the enjoyable minutes and hours of the day that we can sneak away and enjoy a stick with. For those of you new to cigar smoking, welcome; and for those of you whom have been smoking for years, welcome back! There is a beauty and eloquence to cigar smoking that we all can enjoy, whether you are a casual smoker, or run through a couple cigars a day. Even if you’ve never been a smoker or have never thought about cigars in general, names like Rocky Patel and Cohiba are sure to ring a bell! But if you’re a guy or girl on the outside looking in, wondering where to start and how to get into cigar smoking, whether it is on the course or on the porch, here are your starting blocks because this hobby is for everyone and anyone! Let’s light it up!

I got into cigars a little bit in my senior year of high school with my buddies Mason and Alex one night. We went to a local shop in Mentor, Ohio and each grabbed a cigar to smoke back at one of our houses. I still remember it like it was yesterday… the first cigar I ever bought that set the bar on my measurement of a quality stick, the ever so coveted, absolute classic, Cohiba Red Dot. It still is one of my very favorites of all time! That evening, I was introduced to a new world of luxury and enjoyment for a kid that didn’t really drink or party much in high school. The taste of a cigar, while a little strange and a little bit overwhelming at first, is something that you grow to not only love, but become addicted to that can turn a rough day into just another day at the office.

Since finishing up undergrad, cigars have been my go-to in terms of celebrating moments of enjoyment or taking a load off after a stressful day. I’ve smoked $1-2 cigars to $16-20 dollar cigars and have found that no matter the maker, the binder, the filler, and especially the price, a good cigar is a good cigar.

First things first, let's talk about what you need to know when shopping for your first cigar.

You’ll certainly notice while perusing the isles at your local brick and mortar shop the differences in colors, sizes, and lengths between cigars, and let me tell you, this can completely make or break your first cigar experience.

Let’s take a peek at the chart below.

As you can see in the lower left corner, the colors of cigars range from Double Claro to Colorado to Oscuro, and they all hit you with a different kind of punch, but that’s the point! You’re smoking the cigar to get yourself a little bit of a buzz… ya gotta expect to feel a little something, but let’s take it slow to start.

For newbies to cigars, starting in the Double Claro, Connecticut, Colorado Claro range is probably going to serve you very well! You’ll feel a little bit of buzz, but really get that flavor and not get hit with the spins so bad you throw up. This mellow smoothness will be exactly what you're looking for to usher you into your newest, and eventual favorite hobby. Believe me, the darker they are, the harder you’ll fall… it’s a slow burn that you definitely have to build up to, but once you get there, smoking a cigar anywhere on the range of strength matches up perfectly with whatever kind of experience you’re feeling for the evening! Having that luxury and control over your own destiny puts a little piece of this world back together after it gets torn to shreds each and every day, and that’s what it’s all about; finding a way to enjoy those little moments.

Next up, consider the size of a cigar for your first time smoking. While you might be drawn to those thick and long fuckers that you see being smoked in Goodfellas, those things are made for the mafia because they pack a punch and a half, even if they're on the lighter side wrapper-wise. My go-to is starting off with something about a little bit thicker than your middle finger and maybe slightly longer. It'll give you a manageable draw when you inhale, and won't take you terribly long to smoke either. It's the perfect amount of time to get the full experience, but not too much of it that makes you regret smoking it. Keep it nice and simple, wiseguy. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Lastly for today, and maybe most importantly... please don't swallow the smoke like a cigarette or any other substances you may have smoked in the past. While it typically goes against everything you might have learned or knew about smoking before, swallowing this smoke will mess you up something fierce down your throat and in your lungs, and that enough would be enough to not want to come back for another puff. Instead, take a manageable inhale and hold it in your mouth for a moment, and exhale a nice plume of smoke. The taste and the aroma enough will be exactly what you are looking for without really risking hurting yourself.

I threw a lot at ya today, and definitely don’t want to overwhelm you all at once, so I’m going to try to make this a running blog segment and maybe give you guys some insight into the world of cigars a little bit at a time, week to week. In the meantime, check out this video from Tim at Cigars Daily on Youtube to get awesome tips on how to get into cigars for yourself, check out our cigar reviews on instagram @FourthManUp, and check out my personal Cigar Instagram page The Epicurean Gentleman @TheEpicGentleman.