What Makes a Good Cigar

There are a number of factors that make a good cigar and should be considered when choosing one. There are plenty of different rating systems that consider varying numbers of factors when grading a cigar. Below are the 4 elements most important to me. As I start to rate cigars on my own, I plan on using these characteristics as the primary focus.

Appearance: It's always a good idea to look over the cigar before buying it. The color should be pretty uniform throughout. Sometimes you'll see a cigar that looks like it was rolled using different colored leaves as the wrapper. I always put those right back on the shelf. Whether it's a light tan, or dark brown wrapper, you want to find something that remains consistent in color across the whole cigar. Also, take a close look and check for any imperfections. There shouldn't be many instances of the wrapper peeling up with any frayed edges. Also make sure it isn't too dry as this often leads to the wrapper just flaking off as you smoke it.

Burn: If a cigar doesn't burn correctly, then you simply will not be experiencing the tastes and flavors you were meant to. The taste of the smoke is heavily dependent on the burn. Remember, a cigar isn't simply a long piece of tobacco. It's a carefully constructed roll of different tobaccos purposely put in certain orders and combinations. The only way to get the intended flavor, is to have these tobaccos burn properly. A cigar should not have to be lit multiple times. It should also burn evenly. An uneven burn is usually the result of a poor roll. Another factor to pay attention to is the ash. The exact color of the ash usually varies depending on the cigar, but you're usually looking for some shade of a dark gray. Never black. The ash should also remain on the cigar for at least one inch before falling off. If you find that the ash keeps dropping off quickly, you probably didn't get the best cigar and it isn't burning properly. If the ash stays on for at least an inch at a time, that is usually a sign that the cigar is of good quality.

Construction: This refers primarily to how the cigar was filled. This is important because it affects the draw of the cigar. A well constructed cigar will be full but have an appropriate number of holes that the smoke can flow through. You should be able to take a light puff and get a mouthful of smoke easily. If there are too many air pockets and it draws too easily, then it doesn't smoke well and you're just getting mouthfuls of air. If it's too full, there will be no room for the smoke to travel. It will have a very tight draw and basically be unsmokable. My personal biggest peeve with cigars is finding one that is packed to full. One way to determine if the cigar is packed correctly is to gently squeeze it. It should be firm yet pliable. If a light squeeze flattens the shape of the cigar, it's probably too loosely packed. If the cigar is harder than a piece of wood, it's obviously too tight.

Taste: Obviously, this is all a matter of opinion. Tastes can range from very mild and creamy to full bodied and spicy. The trick to enjoying the taste is experimenting and figuring out what type of cigars appeal to you most. And don't make the mistake of assuming that the boldness of the flavor is correlated with the quality of the cigar. I sometimes hear people refer to mild cigars as "weak tasting". This makes it sound like someone cut corners when making the cigar. Obviously, that's not the case. The cigar was constructed just as well as a bolder one with just as much flavor. Only in this case, the flavor was meant to be a mild taste. I tend to lean toward the full bodied cigars because I enjoy the bolder and spicier tastes, but that's me. Also, for the purpose of the blog, I do plan on expanding quite a bit in terms of what I smoke and covering all flavor ranges.