How to light a cigar properly

Why lighting matters

A good light decides the first inch, and the first inch decides the rest. When the foot starts even, flavor opens up and the wrapper stays tidy. Rush the start and you fight canoeing, bitter edges, and flaking ash. Take one calm minute and the cigar pays you back.

Tools that work

• Soft-flame butane lighter. Gentle and clean. Great for most rooms and patios.
• Long wood matches. Classic feel. Good control. Let the sulfur burn off before you touch the cigar.
• Cedar spill. A thin cedar strip lit from a match. Smooth heat and a light cedar scent.
• Torch lighter. Strong flame for wind. Use with care. Hold farther from the foot so you do not scorch the wrapper.

If a lighter uses old liquid fuel that smells, skip it. Taste can jump into the smoke. Butane and matches keep the flavor clean.

Prep before you light

• Cut well. Take a small slice above the cap line. Keep the shoulder intact.
• Check the cold draw. Air should move with a little resistance. Too tight? Take a hair more off the cap. Too loose? Slow your pace once lit.
• Look at the foot. You want an even ring of filler and wrapper. If you see loose bits, tap them off.
• Set your spot. Pick a place out of the wind and with a stable surface for your lighter or matches.

The soft-flame method (step by step)

1. 1
   Hold the cigar at a slight angle above the flame. Do not touch the flame to the leaf. Heat should kiss the foot.
2. 2
   Rotate slowly. Watch the rim darken all the way around. This is the toast.
3. 3
   Bring the cigar to your lips. Keep the flame just below the foot and take short puffs while you rotate.
4. 4
   Stop and look. The cherry should be a full, even circle. If one side trails, warm that side for a second and puff again.

Slow is smooth here. A soft flame gives you time to shape an even ring without blackening the wrapper.

Toasting makes the difference

The toast warms oils and evens the edge before the first draw. Think of it like preheating a pan. You are not cooking the leaf. You are getting it ready. When the whole rim glows, the first puffs taste sweet and the burn line stays tidy.

Using matches the right way

1. 1
   Strike a long match and wait a second so the initial flare fades.
2. 2
   Hold the match below the foot and begin the toast as above.
3. 3
   Rotate and puff with short pulls. If the match gets close to your fingers, light a second match from the first and keep going.

Wood matches give steady heat and a relaxed pace. Keep a small bowl for spent sticks so the table stays clean.

Cedar spill method

1. 1
   Light the end of a cedar spill with a match.
2. 2
   Hold the burning tip below the cigar and toast the foot.
3. 3
   Switch to short puffs and rotate. The flame is wide, so keep a little distance.

Many fans like this for a gentle start. The cedar note is light and goes away after a few puffs.

Torch lighter outdoors

Torch flames fight wind, yet they run hot. Keep the blue tip a few millimeters below the foot. Move the cigar, not the lighter. Touch the far side first, then the near side. Short bursts prevent scorching. When the rim is glowing, take small puffs and back the flame away. If the wrapper looks black, you are too close.

Check the burn line early

Look after the first five or six puffs. The ring should be even. If one side lags, warm that side only and draw once or twice. A tiny fix now saves a long fight later. If the center burns a tunnel, you lit too fast. Slow your puffs, give a gentle warm-up to the edges, and take a rest for a minute.

Common mistakes and quick fixes

• Jamming the flame into the leaf. Causes black spots and harsh taste. Hold the flame just below the foot and let heat rise.
• Lighting only one side. Leads to canoeing. Rotate through the whole toast until the rim glows end to end.
• Chain-puffing at the start. Overheats the core. Take short puffs with small pauses.
• Lighting in a strong draft. Wind bends the flame to one edge. Find a corner or use a torch with distance.

Keeping it lit once you start

Good pace is the trick. A puff every 30–60 seconds suits most cigars. If the smoke turns hot or sharp, rest for a minute. You can clear a heavy taste with a quick purge: hold the lighter away, blow gently back through the cigar, then draw fresh air through the foot. The next puff should taste cleaner.

Touch-ups during the smoke

Small waves happen. Tap off the ash on a rest, then warm the short side while you rotate slowly. Do not torch the high side. Aim heat at the low side only. One or two puffs bring the line back.

Relighting a cigar

1. 1
   Let the cigar go out fully.
2. 2
   Roll the tip on the ashtray and knock off ash until the ember is gone.
3. 3
   Blow gently through the cigar to clear stale smoke.
4. 4
   Toast the foot again and light with short puffs as you did at the start.

Flavor after a relight can feel heavier. A purge puff helps. If the taste still feels flat, give it a minute of slow pulls and let the burn settle.

Ash and when to drop it

A firm ash acts like a small heat shield. Let it build to about an inch if it feels solid, then set it down with a light roll. Do not jab or tap hard. If the ash hangs and tilts, drop it so it does not fall in your lap. Even ash, even burn.

Safety and etiquette

• Keep flame away from faces, sleeves, and hair. Set lighters down on a stable surface.
• Ask before lighting in mixed company. Pick a spot with airflow or a marked smoking area.
• Do not ash on the ground. Use a rest or tray.
• Never leave a lit cigar or lighter unattended.
• Store cutters and lighters out of reach of kids and pets.

Calgary weather tips

• Cold evenings. Dry air and wind can make cigars burn hot. Find a wind break, light with patience, and take slower puffs.
• Winter starts. Warm the foot a touch longer during the toast. Keep the flame farther back with a torch so the wrapper does not split.
• Summer heat. Do not leave cigars in a hot car. Wraps can crack. Light in shade if you can.

Lighting special shapes

• Torpedo and belicoso. Toast the point gently, then draw with the flame below the tip. Rotate often so the wider shoulder catches up.
• Box-pressed. Keep the flame moving along the flat sides and corners during the toast. Corners can lag; give them a second of extra heat.
• Figurado. Start at the narrow end with tiny puffs. As the ring widens, the burn evens out. Keep rotations frequent during the first inch.

Match vs torch: when to pick each

Use matches or a soft-flame lighter indoors for the cleanest taste and the most control. Pick a torch when the wind fights you. Hold it farther back and keep the tip of the blue flame below the foot. Move the cigar, not the lighter. Short bursts beat long blasts.

Two quick “perfect light” drills

1. 1
   Toast to glow. Rotate until the whole rim glows without drawing. Then add two short puffs. Check the ring. Fix tiny gaps now.
2. 2
   Half-and-half. Warm half the rim, turn, warm the other half, then finish with light puffs. This prevents a hot spot on one side.

What to do if the wrapper cracks while lighting

Stop heating. Let the cigar rest for a minute. If the crack is small near the tip, you can keep going with gentle puffs. Keep heat low so it does not spread. If the crack is deep, save the cigar for later and pick another. Dry air causes most cracks, so give cigars a little humidor time before a big night out.

Cleanup and storage after the session

Set the nub down and let it go out on its own. Do not crush it. Wipe the cutter with a tissue so resin does not build up. Close your lighter cap. Put everything back in a small kit so it is ready next time. If you keep cigars at home, use a humidor or a travel case with a humidity pack. Stable conditions make the next light easy.

Quick checklist

• Cut above the cap line.
• Toast the foot all the way around.
• Keep flame below the cigar; do not touch leaf.
• Short puffs while you rotate.
• Check the ring and fix small gaps right away.
• Slow, steady pace; rest if smoke turns hot.
• Touch up the low side only.
• Drop ash with a light roll when it reaches about an inch.

Cigar products are for adults of legal age only. Follow local rules on where smoking is allowed. Handle flame with care.