Famous Smoke Shop has put together a primer for beginners on cigar smoking. There’s lots of useful information there, including:
- the anatomy of a cigar
- basic skills such as how to cut, light, hold and smoke a cigar
- cigar terminology
- cigar characteristics such as body, flavor and strength
- shapes and sizes
- collecting
- humidors
- understanding reviews
- pairing spirits and beers with cigars
You can, of course, smoke the random cigar at special occasions, just as you can play a round or two of golf every season. There is, however, another level to both. Avid smokers of cigars know that there is a “cigar lifestyle,” replete with its own skills, rituals, language and appreciation of the art. Similarly, the golf lifestyle has its own skills sets, rituals, language et. al. Fortunately for me, there is much overlap in the two. I enjoy a good cigar during and after a round.
