The truth of the matter is that the size of a cigar does not have any bearing on its flavor. Neither does it have anything to do with the quality of a cigar. So what does size have to do with anything? Quite obviously, the larger the cigar, the longer you can enjoy its flavor!

Are there hard and fast rules regarding the size of the cigar? Unlike with color, where there are standard terms for the color of the wrapper, there are varying terms when it comes to sizes. You might hear of a cigar being a Churchill and expect it to be a certain size. However, you should not be surprised if you see that one manufacturer’s cigars, which are labeled Churchill can be the same size as another manufacturer’s cigars which are labeled Double Corona.

With experience, though, comes knowledge. After a while, you will get familiar with the measurements of different manufacturers and as such know what size cigars are labeled which. So what is my suggestion? If you are a new cigar smoker, stick with the smaller and shorter ones. You never know if you can finish a “full size” cigar. Stick with Coronas and Robustos to be on the safe side. After a while, move on to bigger ones.

Anyone can merely go to a cigar store and pick out a box of cigars. That, however, does not guarantee that he will pick out good quality cigars that would suit his taste and preferences. With hundreds, maybe even thousands of choices, the task of picking a cigar “blind” can be quite daunting. So what indicators should one look at?

The color of the cigar is a good place to start. There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to color but the general rule of thumb is that the darker the wrapper of the cigar, the stronger the flavor. So, if you are smoking a cigar for the first time, you may want to pick out one that has a lighter wrapping.

There are many shades of cigar wrappers, here are a few to help you:

Claro – light brown, indicative of a mild flavor
Double Claro – the wrapper has a greenish hue, indicating limited aging
Colorado Claro – the standard brown, stronger than claro but still considered mild
Natural – light brown to brown; this has a fuller flavor
Maduro – dark brown, more aromatic, and range from medium to strong flavors
Oscuro – very dark brown, almost black; very strong flavor.

In the next post, we’ll look at another indicator, which is the size of a cigar.

What do you do about this? Well, there is no need to suffer the smell. There are smoke eaters which can be purchased easily from your local cigar shop. These will do very well for the designated smoking room in the house. You could check out products that are sprayed onto surfaces to “eat” the smell of smoke away. However, this would only work if you spray all the surfaces that smell of smoke. If you have a large smoking area, then it might be a bit too costly.

There are also smoke eaters which function much like an exhaust fan. These are normally used in commercial areas where smoking is allowed in an enclosed place. Of course, they could be quite expensive as well.

My suggestion? Choose a smoking room that has good natural ventilation so that you can get fresh air in more easily. Clean up the room as soon as you can and make use of the cheaper “sprayable” smoke eaters.

Do you have any suggestions of your own?

Preference for quality smoked cigars is a given and it is no mystery why people would prefer buying cigars as individual sticks rather than in bulk. The bundled or second cigars will still possess the same smoke and tobacco, but for the experts, identifying the difference can be determined in the taste that these cigars would have.

Cigars are usually tagged depending on their point of origin such as Nicaraguan Bundles, or brands such as National, Baitoa and La Floridita. Building brand awareness in the category of cigars takes time, ironically similar to smoking quality cigars which would preferably take 6 to 8 weeks of aging before they are offered for sale to the cigar enthusiasts today.

Some have resorted to trying to quit the habit. Using alternatives such as gum or applying filters to lower the nicotine intake has not done much to alter the demand for tobacco manufacturers today. The efforts made are totally unexplainable and despite the hazard warnings and medical inclinations placed on them, people still continue to patronize and look for them.

Whatever the case may be, it all boils down to really sheer will power to kick the smoking habit and nothing else. Perhaps when the mortality rate of people dying from lung cancer would drop, then it can be said that people are doing something to really kick the habit of smoking.

For one, the tobacco leaves used for some cigars are traced towards medicinal herbs that may be good for the body. This was done in ancient times and has been forgotten ever since.

Cigars are also associated with aid in weight loss. While such may be considered an unorthodox way of putting up with it, some people have found it effective although there may be hitches with regards to health as the inhaled smoke may be bad for the body as smoking has been known for.

Either way, health or health risk, the ultimate decision on passing judgment towards cigars and tobacco leaves will still fall on the hands of the person who smokes them. The final word will always be theirs.

For the beginning cigar smoker, it would be best to try buying one piece instead of the usual box which would not be light on the pocket of any person. Brands have their say as far as cigars are concerned, but for beginning smokers, this is not yet important.

The essence of what people get from smoke that they have in their mouth is something that no one can really explain. Most people are simply for the acknowledging their curiosity while some are in it because of the things they hear around them.

Cigar smoking is believed to be addicting. Nicotine is the primary culprit that people would turn to but yet people would care less. Some would take up smoking to relax themselves, while there are people who really have no sufficient to smoke. Some would feel that it is just a form of identification to be accepted in social events.

But just the same, smoking would really be something a person would best avoid since it is a habit that is really hard to kick. The final decision on it would be on the person and depending on the actual reason why they do smoke these tobacco leaves for self-satisfaction.

Starting the first of July, the tax on tobacco will increase. This means one thing: the prices of cigars and other tobacco products are going to go up as well. And, if there is one thing that cigar enthusiasts would not like to happen, this is it. There is no way around it, however. The government has made the decision, and the taxes are going to increase, so we might as well face it.

Now on to the good news…it is just the beginning of April. That means that Utah cigar enthusiasts still have at least a couple of months to stock up on their favorite cigars. Even better, smoke shop owners in Utah are making moves to prepare for the tax increase.

If you go to Utah, you will see shops left and right offering excellent deals. The reason for this is that they are actually cutting back on orders. It’s not that they do not want to keep doing business, but a lot of them are small businesses, and they do not have that much cash laying around to buy as much as they used to. This is even harder on them as they will have to pay the 51% difference in tax on their existing inventory by July 1.

What are you waiting for? Get those good deals now and prepare yourself for the tax increase!

In February of this year, the Cohiba Behike was launched in Havana, and the tag line “setting a new standard among smokers worldwide” was used. Naturally, the interest of cigar aficionados was caught, and the fact that supplies of the cigar will be limited has only helped fuel the flames. Law of supply and demand at work here!

Where there is smoke, there must be fire, right? While the cigar has not yet been released for sale, privileged people have already tried it. Mitchell Orchant is one example. He is a cigar merchant operating out of London, and he was one of the select individuals who was able to smoke a Cohiba Behike during its launch. He swears by the cigar, and is proud to declare that he as 1,000 people on his waiting list for the cigar.

What makes this particular cigar that great? Orchant says that “this is perfection in a Cuban cigar… the Cubans have got every aspect of this cigar right – the brand, the size, the taste. And of course it’s unique because a rare leaf is being used in its blend, the first time such a leaf has been used in a cigar.”

It will be for sale in June – I suggest you go find your source as early as now.