Cigar etiquette: are you doing it wrong?

Say goodbye to scattered ashes, palate burnout and unraveling cigars

Kathrine Hamdan 2 Min Read

Nobody enjoys scattered ashes, palate burnout and unraveling cigars. So, here are some tips and tricks to enjoy your cigar experience neatly and smoothly. 

1. Chain smoking isn’t for cigars 

After a long, hard day at work, sometimes all you need to relax is to indulge in a cigar. But whether you’re a first-time cigar smoker or an avid one, be careful not to overindulge and chain smoke. After all, cigars are not cigarettes, and cigar etiquette experts tell us you must wait at least half-an-hour before moving onto the next one. If not, get ready for some serious palate burnout. 

2. In this case, don’t put out the fire

Putting out a cigar is inherently different than putting out a cigarette. As you reach the end of your cigar, the correct way to snuff it out is to lay the butt in an ashtray and let your cigar extinguish by itself, otherwise, it will put out a sour smell (and result in an unpleasant mess). Another tip worth mentioning is, avoid smoking your cigar to the last point, as it would have more likely already lost its flavor. 

3. Nobody likes scattered ashes

You may have accepted the downfalls and unpleasantries that come with smoking cigars: scattered ash everywhere – your shirt, the table, the floors, and the couch. But it doesn’t have to be that way. One trick is to roll the ash gently on the wall of the ashtray for a clean transfer. You can also twist the cigar into the deep entrails of the ashtray – precisely what the cavity was meant for. 

4. To remove or not to remove the label

Cigar bands were originally created for a reason – so that connoisseurs could hold the cigar without discoloring their white gloves. But since that’s no longer a problem, many people are opting to remove the label, as they consider it bad taste to show off a brand. However, removing the label too early on could damage the wrapper leaf. So, the best way to remove it is to smoke a part of your cigar first, which will soften the glue and loosen the label’s hold. 

5. The more, the merrier 

Part of the cigar experience is enjoying it among friends, so it only makes sense to bring a few extra ones so there’s enough to go around in case someone runs out. And what’s better than having your friend’s back after a long day of business? So now that you’ve got these tips and tricks, you can go ahead and enjoy your hard-earned cigar.