01 · What to ask for at the counter
What to ask for at the counter
Walk into a real cigar shop, step into the walk-in humidor, and the easiest sentence you can say is this. I have never smoked a cigar. I want something mild and forgiving, around ten or twelve dollars, that will not put me on the floor. The person behind the counter will smile and reach for two or three options.
Three answers will set up the rest of the conversation. Honest answers serve you better than impressive ones. What you drink, if anything. What you have smoked or vaped before, if anything. And whether you are smoking alone or with friends. None of these are tests. They tell the counter what your palate already understands and what it does not, so they can put a cigar in your hand that you will actually enjoy.
02 · Three first cigars to ask for by name
Three first cigars to ask for by name
Three cigars sit at the front of our recommendation list for first-timers. All three are on the wall in our walk-in humidor in Buford. All three are premium handmade, all three are forgiving, and none of them will overwhelm a new palate. Prices are typical counter prices and rotate slightly.
- Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story. About ten dollars. A small perfecto with a smooth Cameroon wrapper. Mild to medium body. Toasted bread, cedar, a soft spice. Burns in about 45 minutes, which is the right length for a first cigar. The shape forces a slower draw, which is the right rhythm for someone learning the cadence.
- Brick House Classic Robusto. About nine dollars. A Nicaraguan Habano-wrapped Robusto with a forgiving medium body. Sweet earth, cedar, a clean finish. Construction is excellent for the price. The cigar that makes a new smoker realize a nine-dollar cigar can drink as well as a twenty-dollar cigar.
- Perdomo Inmenso SG. About eleven dollars. An Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper over Nicaraguan filler. Medium body. Wood, light pepper, a slow sweet finish through the back half. A cigar that gives you something to taste without asking you to work for it.
03 · How to actually smoke it
How to actually smoke it
A cigar is not a cigarette. You do not inhale. The smoke goes into your mouth, you hold it for a second, and you let it out. Some of the flavor comes out through the nose on the exhale, which is called the retrohale. The retrohale is where most of the depth lives.
Pace yourself. A draw every 60 to 90 seconds is correct. Faster than that and the cigar burns hot, sharp, and unpleasant. Slower than that and it goes out. The cigar will tell you the right pace if you pay attention. A good first cigar feels gentle in the mouth and tastes a little better with each inch.
Put it down when it stops being fun. There is no rule that says you finish the cigar. Smoking the last inch is harder, hotter, and sharper. Most experienced smokers stop with a half inch left in the ashtray. A first-timer should stop wherever the cigar still tastes good.
04 · What to drink with it
What to drink with it
A first cigar pairs best with something light and easy. Cold water on the side, always. For the drink itself, a black coffee in the afternoon or a light bourbon like Maker's Mark in the evening both work. Beer is fine, especially a dark lager or a brown ale. Avoid wine, hard liquor on an empty stomach, and anything sweet and citrusy.
The reason. New smokers sometimes get a mild head rush around the halfway point. That is the nicotine and the unfamiliar smoke meeting an empty stomach. Eating a small meal before you start, and keeping water nearby, blunts that almost entirely. If you do feel light-headed, set the cigar down, drink water, and eat something with sugar in it. The feeling passes in five minutes.
05 · Where to smoke it
Where to smoke it
Outside is best for a first cigar. A back porch, a patio, a quiet bench. Wind makes the ember uneven and a stiff breeze can put it out. A covered porch on a calm evening is close to ideal. Indoor cigar lounges are fine if you find one nearby, but the air pulls heavier indoors and a first cigar feels gentler outside.
Most North Atlanta neighborhoods have HOA rules that allow cigars in personal outdoor spaces. The Tobacco Shack patio is not a lounge but the parking lot bench in front of the store, weather permitting, is a perfectly reasonable place to spark a first cigar after you buy it. Several customers have done it.
06 · Five mistakes to avoid the first time
Five mistakes to avoid the first time
Five things go wrong most often the first time. Avoid these and the cigar will work.
- Inhaling. Do not. Cigars are smoked, not inhaled.
- Cutting too deep. Cut about an eighth of an inch above the shoulder of the cap, not below it.
- Lighting with a Zippo or paper match. Use a butane lighter or a long wooden match. The fuel taste from a Zippo ruins the first half of the cigar.
- Buying the cheapest thing on the wall. A four-dollar machine-made cigar will taste like a four-dollar cigar. Spend nine to twelve for your first one.
- Skipping food. A small meal before you smoke prevents almost every first-cigar problem.