Notes from the humidor
Short guides on choosing, smoking, storing and sharing cigars. Written for first-timers and regulars alike.
New to cigars? Start here
The fundamentals: what a cigar is made of, strength versus flavor, how to pick your first one, and how to smoke it without inhaling.
Read the guide →- Etiquette
Cigar lounge etiquette
The unwritten rules of a good cigar lounge, from where to put your ash to how to treat the regulars' chairs.
- Basics
How to cut and light a cigar
Straight cut, punch or V-cut, and the right way to toast and light so your cigar burns evenly from the first draw.
- Basics
A guide to wrapper shades
Claro, Colorado, Maduro, Oscuro: what the color of a cigar's wrapper tells you about how it will taste.
- Basics
Cigar sizes and shapes
Robusto, toro, Churchill and torpedo explained, plus what ring gauge means and how size changes the smoke.
- Care
How to store cigars at home
Humidors, the 70/70 rule, humidity packs, and what to do (and not do) with cigars between visits.
- Pairing
Pairing cigars with drinks
Bourbon, Scotch, rum, coffee and beer: simple rules for matching a drink to your cigar.