Oh, certainly but on the rare occasion that I actually smoke a cigar, I do still sometimes use a spill for the initial lighting. I just like the smell of burning cedar.
Real Bad at Lighting Cigars
- Thread starter Pooh-Bah
- Start date
SmokingPipes.com Updates
Watch for Updates Twice a Week
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
When you leave your cigars on the humidor in the same position for a long time , humidity accumulate on one side. That more humid side is more difficult to burn. My advice is to keep them more dry on the humidor (62-65%) and rotate them occasionally. Anyway , you can fix that while smoking by "tamping" on the unburned portion. Sometimes you can also have a thick vein on the binder wich may give you the same problem and then again...tamp with the edge of the tamper on the vein. you will see that it will fix by itself.
Some cigars will run on one side no matter how perfectly even you light them. You just have to do a little touch up lighting as you're smoking it.
More often than not, a poorly burning cigar is a lack of quality control.
The following are some of the ones with exceptionally good quality control
1. Anything from Padron
2. Anything from Oliva
3. Almost anything from Caldwell
4. 601 line from Espinosa (I had some issues with another line from Espinosa but that may be one bad batch)
5. La Aroma de Cuba
Also I have not smoked the following a lot, but none had construction issues
6. Ashton
7. AJ Fernandez
8. La Palina
9. From the cheapest Fuente to the Opus X
10. Altadis made Monte Christo and Romeo y Julietta
On the other hand I found the following well revered brands full of construction issues
1. My Father
2. Liga Privada
3. Dunberton
4. A few other expensive limited editions the names of which now skip my mind
Out of the offenders I do like some My Fathers a lot and would smoke them. Others I am unlikely to buy
The following are some of the ones with exceptionally good quality control
1. Anything from Padron
2. Anything from Oliva
3. Almost anything from Caldwell
4. 601 line from Espinosa (I had some issues with another line from Espinosa but that may be one bad batch)
5. La Aroma de Cuba
Also I have not smoked the following a lot, but none had construction issues
6. Ashton
7. AJ Fernandez
8. La Palina
9. From the cheapest Fuente to the Opus X
10. Altadis made Monte Christo and Romeo y Julietta
On the other hand I found the following well revered brands full of construction issues
1. My Father
2. Liga Privada
3. Dunberton
4. A few other expensive limited editions the names of which now skip my mind
Out of the offenders I do like some My Fathers a lot and would smoke them. Others I am unlikely to buy
I've never had construction issues with Dunbarton maybe just luck
I find that lighting a cigar is not really different from lighting a pipe. First, I do a charring light, holding the cigar level above the flame and rotating it to char the end evenly for about one-half to three-quarters of an inch. Once charred, I then hold the flame just in front of the end and slowly draw it into the tobacco. Like the pipe, I believe that a cigar should be slowly sipped to maximize taste and enjoyment. Further, I find that a butane pipe-lighter works well for this technique. I would NOT use one of the jet/torch lighters, as they provide too-hot a flame.
Its in the cut as well as the light. Rotate the cutter around the cap just above the seam. Pop the cap off just smaller than a dime. Then trim clean the shag that is left. 45 degree angle over a tightly twisted up piece of lit paper. You need the length. Rotate the foot over the flame and take a look to see that it is evenly charred. Then one puff to bring the flame to the foot once, then extinguish flame. Puff away...but remember to rotate often and remove your label in the company of others to be polite.
Toast your cigar thoroughly and lightly blow on it before the draw. When smoking, if you see an canoe, touch it up lightly to get a straight burn.
I exclusively use multiple types of single-flame torch lighters. I find it is waaay too easy to scorch your wrappers with dual or triple flames.
-Cigar in one hand, lighter in the other.
-Hold the lighter away from the cigar and bring it closer until your end starts heating up and burning a bit. Roll the cigar around or the lighter around the bunch.
-Do not point the flame directly into the cigar, keep it at an angle, so the burning fuel shoots toward the end but not into the cigar.
-continue to heat up the end. Patience. You will be surprised how far you can get from a cigar while the flame is still heating the end.
-when the end is red (the entire way around and not just a small bit), put it in your mouth and puff a couple times without the lighter.
I NEVER use the lighter to heat a cigar while it is in my mouth. You can heat it enough prior to putting it in your mouth that it will be properly lit.
1000’s of cigars. Never burned my face.
-Cigar in one hand, lighter in the other.
-Hold the lighter away from the cigar and bring it closer until your end starts heating up and burning a bit. Roll the cigar around or the lighter around the bunch.
-Do not point the flame directly into the cigar, keep it at an angle, so the burning fuel shoots toward the end but not into the cigar.
-continue to heat up the end. Patience. You will be surprised how far you can get from a cigar while the flame is still heating the end.
-when the end is red (the entire way around and not just a small bit), put it in your mouth and puff a couple times without the lighter.
I NEVER use the lighter to heat a cigar while it is in my mouth. You can heat it enough prior to putting it in your mouth that it will be properly lit.
1000’s of cigars. Never burned my face.
Toast the entire foot of the cigar until lit. Never light a cigar in your mouth. Looks like the OP's cigar is over humidified. A cone like that is unpleasant and tastes like mud!
If in doubt - dry box a cigar for a day or so.
If in doubt - dry box a cigar for a day or so.
Never light a cigar in your mouth ? . In Cuba it was always light in your mouth. I have been smoking cigars for 50 years and always like that. So , i have been doing it wrong for media rueda.
Try this...
Don't light a cigar - completely toast the foot and lightly blow on it. When the foot is fully glowing red, you are ready to enjoy your stick. Toasting properly will ensure a good, straight burn. If the foot starts to burn off, like in your photo, touch the unburned side lightly with your torch lighter until it is even with the burned side. A good cigar usually needs few, if any touch-ups.
Forget the matches and use a quality torch lighter, but keep the flame off of the foot when lighting.
Enjoy!
Don't light a cigar - completely toast the foot and lightly blow on it. When the foot is fully glowing red, you are ready to enjoy your stick. Toasting properly will ensure a good, straight burn. If the foot starts to burn off, like in your photo, touch the unburned side lightly with your torch lighter until it is even with the burned side. A good cigar usually needs few, if any touch-ups.
Forget the matches and use a quality torch lighter, but keep the flame off of the foot when lighting.
Enjoy!