Congratulations, you’re a cigar smoker! You can now proudly join the ranks of Hollywood’s elite and some of our nation’s Founding Fathers. Given that cigars are one of life’s great pleasures, it’s important to take a moment every now and then to enjoy your new hobby. However, with so many types of cigars out there, you might find yourself wondering which is the perfect stick for you. The good news is that finding your favorite cigar is an adventure in itself—and one that can be fairly straightforward if you know how to look for it. So let’s get started!

Figure out what you like.

Tobacco enthusiasts agree that cigar variety is one of the most exciting things about the world’s oldest enjoyed smoke. So don’t be afraid to experiment with different brands and blends, shapes, sizes, strengths and flavors. If you like a cigar one day—no matter what it might be—but not another time? That doesn’t mean anything’s wrong with your taste buds! Cigars are like fine wines in that they vary from batch to batch and even between cigars within a single brand.

So how do you find your perfect stick? Try them all!

Choose a cigar with a blend of filler tobaccos that makes the flavor suitable for your palate.

Selecting the right cigar is all about finding one that suits your palate. There are many factors to consider, including the blend of filler tobaccos used, its wrapper and binder leaf and the shape and size it was rolled (torpedo, robusto, gordo). But if you can’t discern between flavors or detect any hints at all, then you might need to take another look at your selection and make adjustments to your selected size, shape and tobacco profile.

There are several tobacco blends available, each crafted by a seasoned master cigar blender; each unique combination of filler, binder and wrapper blends brings something different to the table when it comes to taste and aroma. Here are some common types of filler, binder and wrapper tobaccos:

• Cameroon–A mild-medium bodied tobacco, typically used as a wrapper to lend flavor profile to milder cigars, with notes of butter, pepper and leather.
• Connecticut Shade–This mild-to-medium bodied leaf produces a light flavor with a hint of sweetness
• Connecticut Broadleaf–Often used as a filler or binder, the CT broadleaf is a medium bodied tobacco often used in maduro cigars, featuring flavors of dry spice, sweet molasses, dark chocolate and maple.
• Corojo–A full bodied leaf with a significant level of spice.
• Criollo–A medium bodied leaf which varies in flavor depending on the region grown. Honduran criollo has a sweeter profile, which Nicaraguan criollo is more earthy and nutty.
• Habano–Manly a wrapper leaf which is dark with notes of spice and chocolate.
• Piloto–Piloto, or Piloto Cubano, is robust in flavor and full-bodied, usually carrying some spice.
• Rosado–A medium bodied tobacco, this hard to cultivate leaf is used as a wrapper to bring flavor profiles of nuttiness, spice, cedar and light floral notes.
• Sumatra–Mostly used as a wrapper, the Sumatra leaf can feature a flavor profile of cedar, raisins, coffee, black pepper, and baking spice.

Look for a cigar that’s fresh and well made.

Freshness is one of the most important aspects of choosing your ideal cigar. It’s not just about whether or not it was stored properly, though that does play a part as well—fresh cigars are less likely to be stale, too dry or wet, poorly constructed and so on. A good idea would be to look at reviews online from other smokers who have tried out different brands before you buy one yourself. If they say something like “this is by far the worst cigar I’ve ever had,” then you might want to steer clear while you’re still learning what works best for your palette!

Once you have a cigar, take it in your hand.

If you’re right-handed, hold the cigar between your thumb and forefinger, with your thumb resting on top of the cigar. Place your index finger on the cigar near its top; this will help give you leverage as you smoke. Rest your middle finger on the wrapper (the side opposite where your mouth goes) and rest your ring finger on top of that to complete the “handshake” with your thumb (which should be positioned over). You can adjust how much or little pressure each digit exerts by moving it along different parts of the cigar’s length.

If you’re left-handed, simply do everything described above with all five fingers in reverse order!

Smell the foot of the cigar.

We recommend smelling the foot of the cigar to get a sense of what you are about to smoke. You can also smell the tobacco that comprises it, as well as any wrapper you may have detected during your initial inspection. The air around your cigar will tell you about its humidity level and then there’s always the smoke itself. Finally, if you’re lucky enough to get one with an ash on it (and if so, consider yourself very lucky!), take a good whiff of that too! There are many other things to sniff once you’ve popped open your humidor: from cigars themselves to their boxes and bands—the world is truly yours for discovery!

Inspect the wrapper for blemishes.

The wrapper is the most visible part of your cigar, and it’s important to check it over carefully before investing. A good wrapper should be even in color and texture, without any blemishes whatsoever. If you see mold or small holes, don’t buy that cigar; it’s likely an indication that other issues exist beneath the surface as well. You may also want to look out for discoloration or cracks in the wrapper—these are not necessarily deal breakers (though you should avoid cigars with major splits), but they can indicate a lack of quality control on behalf of the manufacturer. The vein patterns are also important: if they’re too prominent or unevenly spaced from each other, this could indicate that your cigar was rolled poorly and won’t burn evenly when lit up later on down its life cycle.

When you’re ready to light, check whether the tobacco is dry enough to light.

You’ll want to use wooden matches or long butane cigarette lighters. Never use a paper match or traditional lighter. Light the cigar slowly and evenly, toasting the foot of the cigar before taking the first draw, allowing it time to burn evenly. When you first light up a cigar, it’s normal for the smoke to be harsh and bitter, toasting the foot of the cigar and allowing it to burn before taking the first draw helps to avoid this. Smoke enough so that you get an accurate impression of its flavors without burning through all of them too quickly! Slow, deliberate draws on the cigar are best, allowing the tobacco to burn evenly and not too quickly. Smoking a cigar too quickly can cause the cigar to burn uneven, and can make the tobacco burn too hot, creating off flavors. Remember, a cigar is to be enjoyed and savored.

The best way to ensure that you’re getting a good taste of what your cigar has to offer is by smoking fully: The flavor and strength profile of a cigar will change as you smoke it, and you should notice these changes as you make your way through!

Remember that your palate will change over time.

You may find yourself preferring milder or spicier flavors as you grow older, for example, or perhaps you’ll want your cigars to taste more like wood or leather as opposed to sweet fruit. This can happen if you’re on a diet that makes your tastebuds less sensitive to sugar (or something else), or if you simply find yourself in a different situation than usual one day and discover something new about the way your body reacts to certain tastes. For these reasons, it’s important not only that you know what kind of cigar suits your preferences now, but also how much they might change over time—and whether this would affect which type of cigar works best for you at any given time. Don’t be afraid to try new cigars, even if you already have a favorite.

There are many ways to discover new cigars and find ones you love.

The cigar world is vast, and it’s up to you to find your own perfect stick. There are many ways to discover new cigars and find ones you love, but the most enjoyable process starts with learning what each cigar type has to offer. Here are some tips on how to find your perfect cigar:

• Try new types of cigars until you discover what suits your taste buds best. Cigars come in countless varieties, so don’t limit yourself by only trying one kind!
• Get advice from people who know a lot about cigars. Ask your local tobacconist or check out reviews online; there’s no shortage of trusted sources out there who can help guide you along this journey!
• Don’t be afraid of spending money on good quality sticks; most well-made cigars are priced reasonably for their excellent construction and rich flavors. Online retailers like Best Cigar Prices and Cigar Page provide excellent cigars at unbeatable prices, purchase cigars you are interested in with smaller 5 cigar packs, and try them before committing to a whole box.

Conclusion

The key takeaway is that the possibilities for finding your perfect cigar are endless. With all the varieties of cigars available, everyone has a different preference. It may take a while to find what you like, but in the end it will be worth it when you do. You’ll probably smoke through a lot of cigars before you settle on one that’s just right, and you might find more than one that takes the top shelf spot in your humidor!