How to Smoke a Cigar

Draw the smoke into your mouth, taste it, and let it go — do not inhale. Take a puff about once a minute, let the ash build, and set the cigar down to go out on its own when you are done. That is really all there is to it.

Before you start

• Eat first. Smoking on an empty stomach is the most common reason a new smoker feels dizzy or queasy.
• Have a drink nearby. Water is perfect. Coffee, soda, beer or a spirit all pair well too.
• Pick a mild cigar and a medium size. A mild robusto takes 45 minutes to an hour. See our best cigars for beginners.
• Give yourself time. A cigar you have to rush is a cigar you will not enjoy.

Smoking a cigar, step by step

1. Cut and light it. See cutting and lighting.
2. Draw gently. Pull smoke into your mouth as if sipping through a straw. Hold it for a moment and notice the flavor, then let it out.
3. Do not inhale. Cigar smoke is meant to be tasted, not breathed into your lungs. If you cough, you have inhaled.
4. Pace yourself. Roughly one puff a minute. Puffing too fast overheats the tobacco and makes it bitter; puffing too slowly lets it go out. Both are easy to fix.
5. Leave the ash. An inch of ash is fine and helps the cigar burn cooler. When it gets long, roll or tap it gently into an ashtray rather than flicking it.
6. Take the band off when it loosens. After the first inch or two the heat loosens the glue and the band slides off easily. Pulling it off earlier can tear the wrapper. Leaving it on is fine too.
7. Know when to stop. Most people put a cigar down somewhere between halfway and a couple of inches from the end, when it gets hot or harsh. There is no prize for finishing it.
8. Let it go out. Rest it in the ashtray and it will go out by itself in a few minutes. Grinding it out like a cigarette makes a lot of unpleasant smoke.

How to actually taste a cigar

At first, a cigar may just taste like "smoke." That changes fast. Try these:

• Pay attention to where you feel the flavor: sweetness on the tip of the tongue, spice or pepper on the palate, bitterness at the back.
• Try describing it in food words: toast, nuts, cream, coffee, cocoa, cedar, leather, pepper, dried fruit.
• Notice how the flavor changes. Most cigars develop across the first, second and final thirds, usually getting a bit fuller as they go.
• Many experienced smokers gently let a little smoke out through the nose (called retrohaling) to pick up more aroma. It is optional, and strong cigars can sting, so try it with a mild one first.

If you start to feel unwell

Feeling lightheaded, sweaty or queasy is a sign of too much nicotine, and it happens to almost everyone at some point. Put the cigar down, drink some water, and have something sugary — a soda, juice or a sweet snack usually helps within a few minutes. Next time, choose a milder cigar, eat beforehand and slow down.