The first-time cigar purchaser is likely to be overwhelmed walking into the humidor of the local tobacco shop and scrutinizing the prices of premium, hand-rolled cigars. “After all,” you think to yourself, “the cigar is created by simply rolling up a handful of leaves, how much could that cost? “A couple of dollars and I’m good to go,” might be your first impression. Not so fast my friend! There’s a significant amount of time and effort that goes into the construction of a premium cigar that goes far beyond rolling a tobacco leaf around a bunch of tobacco. The planting, cultivation, leaf selection, curing, blending and handcrafting of a premium cigar is a lengthy and complicated process that requires careful monitoring every step of the way. The manufacturing of a premium cigar is a very labor intensive procedure, as each part of the cigar manufacturing process is performed by hand, with no involvement of mechanical technology.
The cutting, lighting, and smoking of a premium hand-crafted cigar has been described as an elegant ritual, an experience to enjoy and savor, either alone or with fellow cigar enthusiasts. Few things in life will afford you the tranquility that is derived from smoking a cigar in the company of fellow cigar smokers, or while gazing at a sunset alone on your deck with a glass of wine or favorite spirits. Cigars should never be rushed, but rather should be savored and enjoyed in a relaxed atmosphere. In this section of our website, we hope to enlighten the novice (and perhaps the experienced) cigar smoker on some of the nuances of cutting and lighting a premium cigar. We will explore how to properly cut and light a premium, hand-made cigar and also discuss some of the best cutting and lighting instruments to accomplish these tasks.
