Tips for Lighting Your Cigar Correctly

There’s nothing better than lighting a cigar and relaxing. If you’re not lighting your cigar properly though, you could be missing out. A properly toasted foot is just part of the enjoyment of smoking a cigar. With these tips and tricks, the cigars your buy from your favorite online cigar shop will taste better and last longer.

Your Lighter

What are you using to light your cigar? If you’re using a stove, candles, matches, or lighters that use lighter fluid, you’re tainting the taste of your cigar. Instead, use a long, wooden cigar match or butane lighter. Neither of these contains sulfur or chemicals that will impact the scent or taste of the smoke as you inhale.

Toasting the Foot

Take your cigar in hand and find the right lighter. Once you’ve positioned your cigar correctly between your fingers, it’s time to toast the foot. Rotate your cigar slowly around the flame and take a few, slow puffs. Take a look at the foot to ensure that it’s burning evenly. If it’s not, blow on the end of the cigar softly. Then, let your cigar sit for a minute, allowing it to stabilize.

Now, move on to the ignition of the outer layers of tobacco. Without this important “toasting” step, the filler would be the only part of the cigar to burn, leaving you with a less-than-stellar experience. Once the tip of your cigar has been lit accordingly, use your lighter to evenly toast the outside edge. Slowly rotate your cigar while holding your lighter to toast the wrapper of your cigar. If you’ve done it properly, the wrapper of your cigar will have a slightly white, or ashen, appearance. Take a look at the foot to ensure that it’s burning evenly. If it’s not, blow on the end of the cigar softly. Then, let your cigar sit for a minute, allowing it to stabilize.

Lighting the Filler

Once you’ve toasted the foot, it’s time to ignite the filler. For this step, you will need to use a lighter that produces a larger flame area. A long, wooden match is a great choice. Then, hold your cigar at a 45-degree angle over the flame. Place the cigar in your mouth and hold the match about half an inch away from the end of the foot. Rotate your cigar while gently inhaling. This will draw in the flame from your match and cause the filler to ignite. Once you release your breath, you’ll notice a surge of heat from the foot of your cigar along with a puff of smoke.

Now that you’ve properly lit your cigar, you’ll enjoy every puff. There won’t be any uneven burning or unwanted taste. If you’ve been lighting your cigars wrong, you’ll find that by following these instructions, your experience is better than ever before. Whether you prefer a mild cigar or something that’s a bit fuller, using the right lighter and technique is the best way to get the most out of your tobacco. Practice makes perfect. When you’re ready to test out your toasting techniques, order cigars online from Corona Cigar and find a new favorite.