Cigar guides

Direct answers, written from what is actually known. No brand storytelling, no invented tasting notes, and no advice we cannot stand behind.

In review — a cigar smoker has not checked these pages yet.

Start

Your first cigar, from the cut to putting it down.

01How to smoke a cigarThe full first-smoke sequence — cut, light, draw, pace, and when to put it down.Guide
02How to cut a cigarThe three common cuts, where the cap line is, and how to avoid unravelling the wrapper.Guide

Which cigar, which size, and what the numbers mean.

01Cigar sizes and shapesWhat vitola, length, and ring gauge mean, with the published dimensions of the common sizes and the few smoking times anyone actually publishes.Guide
02Best cigars for beginnersMild, well-reviewed, and under $15 — pulled from the catalog by a stated rule, not by opinion.List
03Best cigarsThe top of the rated catalog by a stated rule — score 90 or better, ten reviews or more, one per brand family.List
04Best cheap cigarsWell-rated cigars at $10 or less, pulled from the catalog by price and score together.List

Keeping cigars, and what we refuse to guess at.

01How long cigars last in a humidorWhat a working humidor does to shelf life, what actually kills a cigar in storage, and why Cigarbench does not tell you when one is ready.Guide
02How cigar ratings workWhat the Cigarbench 0-100 score is, how it is built, and what the number cannot tell you.Method