Anecdotes, myths and curiosities from the world of the cigar.

No — cigar smoke is not inhaled. You take the smoke into your mouth, taste it and let it drift out again.

In a humidor at around 65–72% relative humidity and room temperature. Without a humidor, cigars dry out within weeks.

By a flawless, silky wrapper and an even fill without hard spots. While smoking, quality reveals itself through a clean, cool burn.

In ordinary room air a cigar loses aroma noticeably within a matter of days and dries out completely over weeks. For a short period a tightly sealed bag or a box with a humidification pack will do. If you regularly keep more than a handful of cigars at home, there is no avoiding a regulated environment.

Less than the reputation suggests: you need a cigar bought with advice from a specialist retailer, a simple cutter and a light — the humidor can wait until it is clear the passion is here to stay. As a rough guide: a good entry-level cigar costs about as much as a decent drink at a bar, and the tools cost once-off about as much as a handful of cigars. Good advice matters more than budget.

Either is perfectly acceptable — the strict remove-it rule is British tradition. Practically speaking, there is much to be said for leaving it on at first: the band is glued, and on a cold cigar the wrapper tears easily when you pull it off. After a few minutes of smoking, the warmth releases the adhesive and it almost slides off on its own.

Nothing dramatic — it happens to experienced smokers too. Tap off any loose ash, blow gently through the cigar once to clear stale smoke, and relight it as you did the first time. If you relight within about an hour, it will taste almost as it did before.

Mild to medium strength, a moderate format — and a specialist retailer to whom you honestly say you are just starting out. Set aside a quiet hour and do not smoke on an empty stomach. Mild is not a beginner's level to be overcome: many great cigars are gentle.

“Entirely by hand” — the Cuban declaration for genuine handwork from bunch to wrapper and the benchmark by which premium cigars worldwide are measured. Be cautious with wordings such as “hecho a mano”: these can refer to hybrid forms in which machines handle part of the work.

No — colour describes only the wrapper; strength is determined above all by the filler blend, which you cannot see. Dark Maduro wrappers tend to bring sweetness, cocoa and coffee; there are mild dark cigars and light-coloured ones with considerable power.

A sharp knife makes a clean cut just above the shoulder; alternatively, the cap can be scored with a thumbnail and carefully lifted away. Biting it off is not recommended — it frays the wrapper and ruins the draw.

A Habano is a cigar from Cuba — the protected designation of origin. A Puro is any cigar whose tobaccos — filler, binder and wrapper — come entirely from a single country. Every Habano is a Puro, but by no means every Puro is a Habano.

Yes — within a few hours this is perfectly fine; the cigar will taste almost as it did before. Keeping a part-smoked cigar until the next day is rarely worthwhile, however: cold smoke residues make it bitter.

The first warning sign is the price — nobody gives away genuine Cohibas, not even in Cuba; street and beach sales are almost invariably a trade in fakes. Genuine boxes carry the Habanos seal and the state guarantee seal with hologram and serial number, which can be verified on the official Habanos website. Washed-out colours and absent embossing on the band reveal the copy.

A portion of the smoke is released slowly through the nose — without inhaling. The nose's receptors differentiate more finely than the palate and unlock additional aromas. Best practised with a mild cigar and a small amount of smoke; a slight burning sensation at first is normal.

Typical entry-level models are designed for around 25 to 50 cigars. Buy one size larger than you think you need: the collection tends to grow faster than planned, and the cigars need a little breathing room so that the climate can circulate.

Without any drink at all the palate tires quickly — still water is therefore more than a stopgap: it stays neutral and lets the cigar speak for itself; professional tasters reach for it precisely for this reason. Classic companions are rum, whisky, coffee or a strong black tea — the main thing is that neither partner drowns the other out.

Do not stub it out — crushed tobacco releases acrid smells. Rest the cigar in the ashtray: it will extinguish itself within a few minutes and can then be disposed of with minimal odour.

Dry-boxing means leaving the cigar outside the humidor for one to three days before smoking — in a simple wooden box without a humidifier, for instance. Slightly drier, it burns more evenly and more coolly — useful above all with cigars that have been stored moist or when recurring burn problems arise.

In Switzerland, uniformly 18 years since 1 October 2024: the Tobacco Products Act prohibits the sale of tobacco and nicotine products to minors nationwide — previously this was regulated differently by canton. In most European countries too the minimum age is 18.