Cigar Mistakes: Things to Avoid

REVISITED 06/03/20

We at EGM take pride in the way we store and smoke our cigars. We feel that when so much time, thought and effort has gone into creating these Cuban cigars, the very best we can do is make sure that they are being stored and smoked in the best way possible. So if our readers want to make sure they get the very best flavours out of their cigar, read our snippets of advice below:

STORING YOUR CIGAR

USING THE FRIDGE – One shocking but common mistake when storing a cigar is putting them in the fridge. We understand the logic behind such a move, if it keeps your food fresh for longer, you would assume that it will also do the same for your cigar. Nuh huh, this is not the case. Cigars are not meant to be kept cool, they are meant to be kept in humid temperatures, the tip is in the name of the storage unit, ‘Humidor’.

STEAMING CIGARS – This also goes for ‘steaming’ your cigars. We know that if by some horrible accident your cigar has dried out, that the most common thought is that if you were to put it in your bathroom with the shower running full blast on the highest heat, that by some sort of miracle your cigar will be restored to full health. Nuh huh, this is definitely not the case. Your cigar is not a human, despite being natural, organic and sensitive to natural environments, this will not cure its ‘cold’. Unfortunately, if your cigar does dry out, you may have to simply let it go and learn from it, because if you were to try to revive it in this way (steam room/dishwasher etc.) you will simply ruin it. The varying temperatures will affect the various layers in the cigar differently and you will in effect change the very flavours of the cigar, whilst also run the risk of splitting the wrapper entirely.

The best place to store your cigar is in a high-quality humidor which will maintain the ideal temperature for your cigars. Why not check out our range of Cigar Humidors from our online store?

Firing up a Cuban Cigar with an S.T. Dupont Lighter at the Corinthia.

USING HUMIDORS

RETURNING A HALF-SMOKED STOGIE – Another common mistake which would have cigar aficionados squirming is putting a cigar back into a humidor when they have already been lit and smoked. Cigars absorb the flavours around them, therefore if you were to do this the ashy remnants will be absorbed by the other cigars and tarnish their flavours. Not only this, but the ash will ruin any humidor and is an absolute nightmare to clean up. If a cigar is lit, give it the respect it deserves and either finish it or leave it in the ashtray to go out naturally, then dispose of it. A perfect accessory you may want to consider purchasing is one of our Cigar Ashtrays, as they would provide the perfect resting place for your smoke.

STORING IT IN A CIGAR BOX INSTEAD OF A HUMIDOR – A Boveda Pack will certainly help to keep your cigars at a good level of humidity within your cigar box, but if you want to get the very best out of your cigars, then the best thing to do is keep them inside a humidor. A humidor is a container that has been designed to control airflow and comes equipped with a device that maintains the humidity levels within it. Our S.T. Dupont Matt Black Humidor is the ideal container for any serious cigar collector and will provide the optimum conditions for your Romeo y Julieta Cuban Cigars for instance – whilst also looking sleek and chic in any home or office.

LIGHTING YOUR CIGAR

BE MINDFUL OF YOUR LIGHTER – When lighting your cigar, you want to ensure that it is lit evenly, whilst also ensuring that the flame used does not taint the flavours of your cigar with its own. Therefore, we suggest using a wooden match or a butane lighter, because if you were to use a gasoline lighter or a wax match, the flavours would transfer on to your cigar and, in consequence, alter its flavour. You wouldn't want to ruin the flavours of your expensive smokes, do you? We have an excellent selection of lighters available on our website, such as the S.T Dupont Lighter.

SHARING YOUR CIGAR

Something that will make any aficionado cringe with repulsion/shock/despair, are smokers who have cut a cigar in half to share. Not only is this cigar sacrilege, but it is also a sure-fire way to destroy your cigar; it will most likely fall apart as the wrapped unfolds. A cigar is not crafted symmetrically, different tobaccos are placed in specific parts of the cigar, so as to give you a dynamic smoking experience. Therefore, if you were to split it in half, you have cut half of those flavours out of your smoke, halving the experience value. If you are new to smoking or are sharing your cigar because you feel you will not be able to smoke a full one on your own, buy one of our smaller format coronas cigars such as the Bolivar Royal Coronas Cigar.

So there you have it, our top tips for maintaining cigar etiquette. We just want our readers to have the best smoking experiences and we know that these are sure-fire ways to ensure that you have them!

To learn about all-things Cuban cigars, be sure to check out our Cigar Blog: