Getting The Right Cigar Light

Posted July 12, 2010 at 4:52 am

There is something of an art and science to lighting a cigar properly. A cigar, of course, has a much wider area to it than a cigarette and requires special techniques to ensure that the tobacco burns evenly and at the correct temperature. There will inevitably be occasions when an individual like their cigar improperly and where they will be required to repeat the process to ensure the best-possible tasting smoke. The relighting process is very similar to the initial lighting process.

Cigar lighters have certain characteristics that help to provide an excellent light every time. Most often, these lighters have a wider flame area which ensures that the heat from the flame is distributed more evenly across the tobacco which prevents hot-spots that must be evened out. If this happens, however, the process of correcting the light and making it more even is fairly easy.

If the cigar is burning hot in one area and smoldering in others, one may simply blow on the foot to even out the temperature. It's common enough to see even experienced cigar smokers doing this. If this proves inadequate, one may hold the flame to the unlit portion to heat the tobacco up to a good burning temperature. This should be done without drawing on the cigar in most cases. If the cigar is burning very unevenly, one may wish to start over.

After stubbing out the cigar, repeat the entire process starting with the toasting. To toast the tobacco, hold the cigar slightly above the lighter flame until it reaches an even warmth. After this is been done, one lights the cigar by holding the flame slightly below the wrapper and puffing the flame into the tobacco. Because the cigar has been stubbed out and was never lit correctly in the first place, the toasting process must be repeated to ensure proper burn. Without doing so, the cigar will burn unevenly resulting in a poor-quality smoke.

If one is very much a cigar aficionado, one owes it to themselves to purchase a proper cigar lighter. These are available with attachments that make it more convenient to smoke when away from home. For example, one may purchase a cigar lighter with cutter implements attached which can ensure that one receives an even draw off of their cigar every time and which can eliminate the need to correct a poor light or to relight a stogie altogether when it is burning unevenly.