So you’ve decided to try a cigar. Maybe you’ve seen someone smoking one and wondered what all this is about. Maybe a friend handed you one at a celebration. Or maybe you’ve just always been curious. Whatever brought you here, welcome.
My aim in starting this blog is to enjoy cigars and help people do the same along the way. Most of the content I found online was aimed at seasoned cigar smokers, so I have always wanted to bridge that gap and give honest advice to people starting on this journey, where I can. The problem I faced and I think most beginners face is entering the world of cigars and immediately feeling overwhelmed. The terminology is unfamiliar, the price range is enormous, and the sheer variety of shapes, sizes, and origins can make choosing your first cigar feel like an impossible task. But, it doesn’t have to be.
I am by no means an aficionado, you will hear me say this a lot, I know I still have a lot to learn and experience as the cigar world continually develops, but I hope this guide cuts through the noise and gives you everything you need to make a confident first choice, without spending a fortune or pretending to know more than you do. The cigar community is a friendly one and people will nearly always take the time to talk you through any tips they may have to help, regardless of your experience levels. So, if anything is unclear and I mean this sincerely, just ask.
Start with cigar strength – not size
The single most important thing to get right with your first cigar is strength. Get this wrong and your first experience will be an unpleasant one (like mine was which i explained briefly in post 1 on my blog). Dizziness, nausea, and a lingering headache are the hallmarks of a cigar that was simply too strong for a newcomer.
Cigars are generally categorised into three strength profiles:
• Mild — smooth, creamy, easy going. Little to no harshness. Perfect for beginners
• Medium — more complexity, some pepper and spice, still very approachable.
• Full — bold, intense, powerful. Not where you want to start.
For your first cigar aim for mild to medium. You can always work your way up as your palate develops and it will, faster than you’d expect.
Understanding size and shape
Cigars come in a bewildering number of shapes and sizes. The good news is that for a first cigar the shape matters far less than the strength. That said, a couple of things are worth knowing.
The size of a cigar is measured in two ways. Length in inches and ring gauge, which is the diameter measured in 64ths of an inch. A larger ring gauge means a thicker cigar which generally means a cooler, slower, more complex smoke. A thinner cigar burns hotter and faster.
For a first cigar a medium sized Robusto is the ideal starting point. Robusto is the term given to a cigar shape that is typically around 5 inches in length with a 50 ring gauge. It’s not too long of a commitment, 45 – 60 minutes to smoke and gives you enough smoke time to actually settle into it and start noticing the flavours.
Where it comes from – Origin of fillers, binders and wrappers
The country of origin if the fillers, binders and the wrapper leaf are the biggest factors in determining how a cigar tastes. Here’s a simple breakdown of what to expect from the most common origins:
• Dominican Republic — consistently smooth and approachable. Often creamy with subtle sweetness. A great starting point
• Nicaragua — more complex and slightly bolder than Dominican. Earthy, peppery, full of character. Still very enjoyable for beginners choosing a medium strength
• Honduras — reliable and well rounded. Often woody and nutty in profile
• Cuba — the most famous origin in the world. Complex, earthy, and distinctive. Expensive and perhaps best saved until you’ve developed your palate a little
The wrapper — the outermost leaf — also has a significant impact on flavour. A dark oily maduro wrapper tends to deliver sweetness, chocolate, and coffee notes. A lighter claro or natural wrapper gives a more subtle, grassy, or creamy experience. For a first cigar, I would recommend starting with a lighter wrapper.
What to spend
You do not need to spend a lot of money on your first cigar. In fact spending too much on your first smoke is often wasted in my opinion. Your palate isn’t yet developed enough to appreciate the nuances of a high end Cuban and the experience can feel anticlimactic.
A solid first cigar will cost you somewhere between £10 and £15. At that price point there is genuinely excellent quality available that will give you a proper introduction to what cigar smoking is all about. My previous 2 posts have both been aimed at this very thing. Both cigars have been bought in the UK for under £15 and I have provided the links on those posts for where I bought them
Once you’ve smoked five or ten cigars and started developing your preferences then absolutely start exploring the higher price brackets. But start sensible.
Simple but important points to remember
Never inhale cigar smoke. It is meant to be drawn into the mouth and savoured, not taken into the lungs. If you do this, you will turn approximately 8 different shades of green and cough up said lungs.
Take your time, a good cigar should last 45 minutes to an hour. Don’t rush it it will keep the cigar cool to allow 60-90 seconds between draws and will allow for a quality smoke throughout
Pair it with something. A good coffee, a glass of whisky, or even just a cold drink of your choice enhances the experience significantly. Again, you can experiment with this as your palate develops more and you will find what you enjoy. So keep your drink pairing simple. People can say what they want, but I have smashed numerous ice cold cans of pepsi-max while smoking and I have loved it.
If it goes out don’t panic — simply relight it. A cigar going out is not a failure, it’s part of the experience.
Store any unsmoked cigars properly. If you have no humidor that’s no issue, even a simple zip lock bag with a Boveda humidity pack will keep them fresh for weeks. If you buy your cigar in-store they will likely provide you with this and if not, ask them to.
Lastly, if you do get lightheaded or dizzy from the cigar, which will definitely happen at some point. A little bit of sugar will help level you back out. The higher dose of nicotine can drop your blood sugar levels quickly which is what causes this feeling. Which can be also what a drink pairing will avoid!
The bottom line
Your first cigar doesn’t need to be expensive or complicated. Find something mild to medium in strength, pick up a robusto sized smoke from a Dominican or Nicaraguan producer, sit somewhere comfortable, and give yourself the time to actually enjoy it.
The cigar world rewards patience and curiosity. Start simple, smoke regularly, and your palate will develop naturally. Before long you’ll find yourself chasing flavours, exploring new origins, and spending more money that you’d like to admit.
CAO L’Anniversaire Cameroon Box Pressed Robusto Cigar – Review
This cigar is reasonably priced at £16 for a 45-60 minute smoke and was released to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the CAO cigar brand. As you can see by the pictures its a lovely looking cigar with attractive bands drawing the eye and making it a good addition to the humidor.
The Cameroon wrapper is very delicate, first time trying one and even when I was toasting the foot of the cigar I could smell the notes of dark chocolate.
1/3 – Immediately this cigar seems to have a dominant flavour of light spices especially on the retrohale, followed up with an aftertaste of salt and leather closing off the first third.
2/3 – More of an earthy and light notes of cocoa coming through to me at this point and the smoke itself became very creamy and the draw has been superb. I paired this with a black coffee and the bitterness from the coffee complimented the spices very well, giving a well rounded profile.
3/3 – The earthy flavours have subsided slightly on the retrohale giving a nuttiness at the end. The burn slowed down for me immensely and very suddenly on this particular stick. I actually had to give this a slight adjustment to keep it going but I’m not annoyed about it. The wrapper itself struggled to keep its structure but this Cameroon wrapper is very delicate so I am surprised it did hold up throughout.
Overall I enjoyed this cigar, but i cant say I was as impressed as I hoped to be. That being said Its reasonably priced and decent quality and it has been given a very respectable 92/100 by cigar aficionado. However, I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would and I need to be honest. This one gets a 7.5/10 for me personally.
If you want to give this cigar a try yourself then you can find it here if you are in the UK.