How to Select and Buy the Perfect Cigar

When selecting a cigar, there are no rules, there are only tips that help you make the best decision for your own tastes. But by following some basic guidelines you should pick a winner every time. Let’s focus on purchasing a stogie from your local cigar shop.

“Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar,” said Sigmund Freud. Yes, but not all stogies are created equal. When looking in a humidor whether it is a walk-in room, a large bookcase conversion or even a counter top display, a trained eye can separate the winners from the losers. Here are some hints that will help you get the most for your smoking dollar.

Hint 1: Pick your price-point wisely. A more expensive cigar is not always better. Find a comfortable amount to spend and only look at those cigars. Depending on the state you live in and the amount of excise tax they force purveyors to pay, great smokes can be found from $3 to $6. There are plenty of $15-$25 smokes that are just not worth and yet there are some that are worth every penny. For now, just pick a number.

Hint 2: While most cigar store workers and owners are generous and willing to honestly help cigar folk, there are some who simply push their bad stock on people they think are only passing through. Be sure to make your presence known as someone who lives nearby, visits often, or has a need to get a cigar at least a couple times per month. This will ensure no false suggestions.

Hint 3: Ignore the box quality. Often times, boxes stay forever because it is generally easier to restock a few cigars at a time then wait for a box to empty then put another inside. Only pay attention to the cigar itself. But if you see cigars that are not laid out in a uniform fashion, leave. It means that they either do not watch what people are doing to the poor stogies in the humidor or don’t care enough about their stock to keep it in order.

Hint 4: Feel the cigar to see if it is slightly soft. If it is too hard, then there is no humidity and your dry smoke will produce little taste. If it is soft as a sponge, that means there is far too much humidity which leads to mold, fungus and a difficult cigar to try and pull smoke through. The cigar should let you press lightly with a gently squeeze.

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Hint 5: Check the cigar band. If the band is loose, that means the cigar has constricted and lost humidity since it arrived at the shop. Apart from meaning it is dry, it tells you the cigar guy doesn’t know how to maintain his humidor. If the band is so tight that it is piercing the stogie, the same holds true. It should be on the cigar and not able to move. Do not play with it as it may cause damage to the cigar, then you end up buying a damaged stogie.

Happy smoking everyone!