Selecting the perfect cigar can be a very tedious process. One can spend hours reading reviews, Googling ratings and asking the opinion of your local tobacconist. After completing your research, you make a purchase and your quest for cigar induced relaxation is almost complete. You have your ashtray, a lighter and a favorite beverage of your choice. Now, the only thing separating you from two hours of pure bliss is the tobacco on the head of the cigar.

Believe it or not, this is where many people go wrong and destroy all of their hard work up to this point. I recently had one of my stores inform me that they had a guest who had returned several cigars.  He had purchased some super premium sticks and claimed that none would stay lit. Of course, we replaced his
cigars, but he then continued to return them. I asked the store if they still had some of these cigars in the humidor and they replied, "yes." I stopped by and lit up one of these suspects. I smoked the first third of the cigar,  I know it's a tough job but someone had to do it. Anyway, my test drive was perfect. The cigar had a nice draw, burned evenly, and was exactly everything I expect out this piece of Dominican craftsmanship. Fortunately for me this young man came into the store while I was there. He handed me several of his "bad" cigars. One look at them and I knew exactly why they were going out. Each of the cigars were clipped almost all the way down to the band. I very politely explained to this new smoker the importance of getting the cut right and showed him where the binder leaf started on this particular cigar. He was very appreciative of the advice and to this day when he comes back to our store it is only to buy cigars.

Cigar after being clipped above cap line

By cutting the cigar that far down he clipped the binder leaf, which caused the filler to unravel. This is a very common mistake made by most novice smokers and it is an understandable mistake. Common sense would tell you the bigger the cut, the more smoke you will get. This couldn't be more far from the truth, for when it comes to clipping your cigar, less is better. You should never cut below the cap. This is a circular piece of tobacco that is placed on the top of Parejo on round-headed cigars to complete the
top. If you look closely you can see the line that separates it from the cigar. One should never clip below this mark. If you can't see the cap or are lighting up a figurado or other odd shaped cigar, then just clip off a little to start with. After making your cut, take a few "pre-light" puffs.  If you can taste the tobacco and pull air through cigar easily, then it is ready to light. If the cigar seems constricted, then clip a little more. Keep in mind, you can always clip a little more, but you can never add tobacco back.

Now that we know where to clip, what kind of cutter should we use? There are many different types on the market, in many varying price ranges. No matter what type you choose, make sure it is sharp. Dull cutters will pull and tear your cigar. I would also stay away from the single blade guillotines. Even when sharp, they tend to crush the side that is not touching the blade. A double blade should be your only choice of guillotine or open cutters. Some of these come with one side closed which acts as a guide to ensure you don't clip too much. These do take out a lot of the guess work. Don't fret if your cutter doesn't have this safety device. You can copy this action by setting your cutter on a hard surface and pressing the crown of cigar down into the cutter.

Another option is a punch, probably the easiest to use. This is a a circular blade that you insert into the head of the cigar and it makes a perfect, round cut. This is a great option for those who are new to smoking. The only downside to this method is that it only works on round cigars. A punch will do you no good on a Figurado. Also, if you have a large punch and are using it on a very small ring gauge, then you may make too big or too deep of a cut.

Starting the cut

A very popular cutter today is the V. It makes a perfect little V shaped incision in the top of the cigar and the cut offers a nice concentration of taste and flavor on the palate. The downside to the V cutter is when they are dull they really tear the cigar, not to mention they are no good on certain shapes. If you are going to buy a V cutter, make sure you spend the extra money and get a good quality one.

Lastly I would suggest that you stay away from the scissors. Unless you have a steady hand and lots of experience, you can really mangle your cigar and maybe even a finger.

At a minimum, along with a good torch lighter, I suggest that all cigar smokers have in their repertoire a sharp, double guillotine cutter. If you shop around you can find a lighter that has a punch built in. We actually have some of these lighters in stock at ABC.

This is the result of a good cut!

Long Ashes,

Chris Gwaltney

ABC Fine Wine & Spirits regional manager in Jacksonville. Follow him on Twitter @chrisgnole