When I first decided I was ready to try cigars for the first time, I was ready to jump right in and sit back to enjoy the experience. Then, something crazy happened. I couldn’t light it. It seemed so simple. Flame, meet cigar. It really couldn’t be that complicated. But I ran into a slew of problems. The wrong kind of flame, canoeing, an uneven burn, and the damn thing kept going out, causing me to restart the embarrassing process. So I reached out to my friends over at La Aurora to find out what I was doing wrong.
That is when I found out from their own John Gaglio that these issues are very common and there is no reason to be embarrassed. Instead, don’t overthink lighting your cigar. And don’t underthink it. Instead, try to use the following tips and enjoy the experience without shame.
And don’t forget my favorite cigar quote:
A fine cigar is just like a woman. If you don’t light it up just right and suck on it with a certain frequency, it will go out on you. – Anonymous
It truly is anonymous; I am not hiding behind it.
Avoiding the canoe
What the heck is the canoe? When you first start learning something new, there is a bevy of new phrases that you have to learn so you can be “in the know.” What I figured out really quickly is that I was notorious for the canoe. When I lit a cigar, I wouldn’t light it evenly, and I would start puffing before I should. Causing it to burn unevenly. So, I asked John to explain the canoe to me so I could hopefully rectify my mistakes.
“Canoeing is when one side of the cigar burns faster than the other, leaving an unbalanced ash line instead of a clean one. Usually it’s uneven lighting, a dry pocket in the tobacco, or holding the cigar the same way without rotating it, so heat builds on one side. The result: the draw gets harder to control, the hot side turns harsh, and you waste tobacco on the slow side instead of getting an even burn.”
Keeping it even
So how do you fix it? Well, I went to an event once in the city where I found myself surrounded by aficionados. These were the pros in the industry. To say I was insecure would be the understatement of the century. Luckily for me, the nearest expert could spot a newbie from a mile away, and he stepped in to give me some pointers in the moment. I asked John to do the same. How do you fix the canoe?
“Two habits fix nearly everything. Toast the entire foot evenly before you start puffing — don’t just focus one spot with the flame. Then rotate the cigar between your fingers as you smoke, just as you’d swirl a glass of whiskey to keep things moving. If one side still lags, a quick touch-up with your flame on the slow side brings it back in line.”
Choosing a flame
So, the question is, does it matter which kind of flame I use? I am more of a fan of a lighter because it takes me a minute to light the cigar…the problem with being a newb. When it takes too much time, the match burns down and gets my fingers. While I may prefer the lighter for practical reasons, I needed to know from John if there was a reason to use one or the other.
“Yes and no. Some matches do contain sulphur, so if you toast your cigar and pull through immediately after striking the match, there is the chance you’re going to get some of that sulphur taste, which isn’t a great way to start your cigar. Ultimately, matches and cedar are a great way to light your cigar, because it does force you to slow down a bit more than with your typical torch. Strike the match, wait for an even burn, and toast the foot of the cigar. Similarly, cheap lighter fluid could imbue a taste that affects the profile, and using a butane lighter is always recommended. Even with butane, ideally you’ve toasted the foot and don’t need to pull through while the flame is directly on the cigar. Cheap butane could also affect the taste, but to a much lesser degree than a cheap match that contains sulphur.”
Taking your time
I am a yapper. I talk a ton, especially when I am around my people. That means that my cigar burns while I am deep in storytelling mode. One of the issues I ran into a lot when I first started smoking was that it kept going out. No matter how I lit it, no matter what was going on in the moment, I found myself constantly relighting it. That, obviously, made me feel like I was doing something wrong. I found myself oversmoking to make sure I didn’t have to relight it. It meant I was no longer enjoying the experience. So, I ask, am I doing something wrong?
“Not necessarily. Deep conversation, a few drinks, and entertaining guests often mean putting down your cigar, and having to relight is normal. Construction issues do happen from time to time, even with quality control… also not your fault.”
So, in short, don’t overthink lighting your cigar. But don’t underthink it either. When you are first diving into the hobby, the smallest things make the biggest difference. But that doesn’t mean they should overwhelm you.
