Some of your friends can recite sports stats from the last ten years off the top of their heads, and some can explain the ins and outs of cryptocurrency until the cows come home. What trivia knowledge can you bring to the table? 

What about cigar knowledge? The next time your friends come over for a visit, break out your cigar humidor and educate them on everything there is to know about cigars. These are some tidbits you can share to look like a real cigar aficionado. 

Understanding Cigar Flavor Profiles

Cigars are like coffee. Every cup of coffee will have a unique flavor profile influenced by the beans used and the roasting style. A darker roast will produce a bold, bitter flavor, while a lighter roast will produce a bright, acidic profile. 

Cigars will boast different flavor profiles based on the tobacco used and its aging process. Two basic flavor distinctions you can teach your friends about is the difference between maduro and claro cigars. In simple terms, they are dark and light cigars. 

Maduro cigars can be easily detected by their dark brown wrappers. They tend to have a rich, earthy and intense flavor. This is influenced by the tobacco’s long fermentation process. Claro cigars have light brown or tan wrappers. These are milder than maduro cigars both in flavor and nicotine content. You can anticipate a claro cigar to taste creamy or slightly sweet. 

If none of your friends have tried cigars before, you should give them a claro cigar to puff on. A light cigar will be an easier introduction into this relaxing pastime. A rookie move would be to hand them something like a Presidente Maduro cigar and let them light it. The flavor profile could be far too intense, forcing them to put down the cigar after only a few puffs.

The Necessity of Humidity Control

Your passion for cigars could convert your friends. They might be tempted to purchase their own cigars. If that’s the case, you will want to impart some knowledge on humidity control.

Cigars are delicate. They require specific humidity levels to stay fresh. If the humidity level is too low, the cigars could dry out. If the humidity is too high, the cigars could get soggy–or worse, they could grow mold. 

To protect cigars, you should store them in a cedar humidor outfitted with two-way humidity control packs. The humidor should protect your cigars from environmental factors like sunlight and oxygen, which can quickly dry out the tobacco and make the cigar less pleasant to smoke. Meanwhile, the humidity control packs keep cigars fresh by ensuring the interior of the humidor stays at the perfect humidity level. Not too dry and not too moist. 

How to Properly Smoke a Cigar

Your friends may be thinking “How hard could it be to smoke a cigar?” But, if you don’t know what you’re doing, you could easily sabotage your smoking experience. 

You should impart some of these smoking tips on your friends who are admitted cigar novices:

• Use the Right Tools: Use a top-quality guillotine cutter or punch cutter to create a clean cut across the head of the cigar. For lighting the cigar, use a butane torch. This will burn cleaner and faster than a basic pocket lighter.
• Don’t Cut Too Low: You only want to cut the cap of the cigar. Do not cut past the cigar’s shoulder, or else the wrapper could start to unravel. 
• Pace Yourself: Cigar-smoking is more of a marathon than a race. So, don’t try to rush through the experience. Take slow, measured puffs. 

Wow your friends with all of this crucial cigar knowledge. They’ll appreciate these facts, especially when they’re trying their first smoke.

Published by HOLR Magazine.