What is it About Smoking Cigars That Makes It Such a Unique Lifestyle?

There’s the aroma and flavor. Woody, savory aromas. Leathery, coffee, spicy flavors. Each cigar treats your palate to an intriguing range of tastes experienced in an entirely new way.

There’s the relaxation. In the 45 minutes to two hours it takes to smoke a cigar, you can unplug and kick back. Those minutes shared between you and your cigar are your time to contemplate anything or nothing at all.

There’s the celebration. A graduation. A wedding. A birth. A milestone birthday. An anniversary. Lighting up with family and friends is a perfect way to mark an occasion, to pause and say, “This life is worth celebrating.”

There’s the camaraderie. Take out a cigar and chances are you’ll find fellow lovers of the leaf. Whether it’s simply to hang out or to share the finer points of enjoying premium hand rolled cigars, cigar smokers are a friendly, social bunch.

There’s the ritual. Between the cutting, the toasting, the lighting and the puffing, the act of enjoying a cigar can take on symbolic, individual meaning. Whether your cigar represents quiet contemplation, a celebration or quality time with your friends, the process of smoking becomes a ritual that’s as individual as you.

There’s the art. Creating a cigar is an art form. Each puff can reveal the careful thought each blender put into selecting the tobaccos for the filler, the binder and the wrapper. Almost every selection creates a specific smoking experience that also reflects the region where the tobaccos were grown, the conditions, the curing, the… Well, after all, it is an artform.

Where to Learn More

Once you step into the cigar lifestyle, you quickly realize that you’ve entered a very unique world. First, find the basics to get you started – like how to choose your first cigar or how to properly light a cigar.

So, where do you go to find out more? Go to where the other cigar smokers and aficionados are—online or in person. It’s easier than ever to get information and find your comfort zone.

• Online Resources

  From ratings to opinions to facts and fiction, the online world is teeming with information about cigars. First, find the basics to get you started – like how and where to properly cut a cigar or how to properly light a cigar. Check out a comprehensive site like Cigar Advisor, which provides a ton of knowledge, opinion and facts about cigars. This is an excellent destination for the newbie and expert alike.

• Cigar Store Employees

  A good tobacconist will be an endless resource for basic knowledge and insider info. How can you tell a good tobacconist? Step inside the shop and you’ll catch the aroma of quality tobacco: warm, aged and fresh – not sterile, stuffy, or stale. The staff will ask questions about what flavors you prefer and will make appropriate recommendations. Also, the cigars will look fresh and smokable, not dry, brittle or spongy.

• Other Smokers

  Cigar smokers are social creatures and they love to chat about cigars. Yes, there are some cigar snobs out there, but most brothers and sisters of the leaf (“BOTLs” and “SOTLs”) love sharing their knowledge. Reach out to your fellow smokers and they’ll share their favorite cigars, tips and company.

• Online Forums

  Another excellent resource for new cigar smokers are online forums. These websites are virtual oases for those seeking advice from avid cigar smokers on practically every aspect of the lifestyle from choosing a good “first cigar” to how to set up a humidor, and much more.