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.
A good cut and a patient light set up the whole smoke. Get them wrong and even a great cigar will burn crooked, draw hard or taste harsh. Get them right and you’ll barely think about the cigar for the next hour.
Find the cap
The closed end of a premium cigar is sealed with a small round piece of wrapper called the cap. You cut the cap, never the open end (the foot). The goal is an opening big enough for a smooth draw while leaving the cap’s edge intact so the wrapper doesn’t unravel.
Three ways to cut
Straight cut (guillotine). The most common. Line the blade up just above where the cap meets the body of the cigar, about 1/16 of an inch in, and cut in one quick, firm motion. A dull or hesitant cut tears the wrapper. Double-blade cutters are the most forgiving.
Punch cut. A small circular blade punches a hole in the center of the cap. It’s tidy, keeps loose tobacco out of your mouth, and suits cigars with a rounded head and a ring gauge under about 54. On very large cigars, the hole can feel too small.
V-cut. Cuts a wedge across the cap. It gives a deeper opening than a punch with less risk of unraveling than a straight cut, and it concentrates the smoke on your palate.
Not sure? Ask at the counter and we’ll cut it for you.
Toast, then light
Use a butane torch, a soft-flame butane lighter or cedar matches. Avoid gasoline lighters and paper matches, which add their own taste.
- Toast the foot. Hold the cigar at a 45-degree angle just above the tip of the flame, not in it. Rotate slowly until the whole foot glows evenly at the edge.
- Light it. Put the cigar in your mouth and draw gently while keeping the flame just off the foot, still rotating.
- Check it. Blow gently on the foot. You want an even orange ring all the way around. Touch up any dark spots.
The first few puffs set the tone, so take your time.
Fixing a bad burn
- Canoeing (one side burns faster): touch the slow side with the flame, or turn the cigar so the fast side faces down.
- Tunneling (the center burns out, the edges don’t): usually a sign it was lit too fast. Re-toast the edges.
- Went out: tap off the ash, purge it by blowing gently through it, then re-toast and relight. A cigar that’s been out for more than an hour or two can taste stale.
Practice on something you enjoy, not your most expensive cigar. A beginner’s guide covers the rest.