Property Light Your Cigar, The Cuban Way - 5 Tips Using Indirect Heat

Properly lighting a cigar is an art form, and something that needs to be done correctly to property enjoy the cigar to its fullest. After all, you probably spent good money to enjoy a great experience so don’t cheat yourself by improperly lighting and potentially ruining a great smoke. I’ve personally tried a handful of ways and had different results. Only until I heard through the grapevine a similar recipe was I completely satisfied and knew I wouldn’t return to other methods. I’ve actually tested lighting the same cigar make and model (CAO Brazilia), purchased from the same store, and smoked on the same evening to truly compare the differences over the duration of each cigar using different smoking methods. Using the Indirect Heat Method, the cigar tasted fresher, smoother, and had a much better burn than a typical ‘burn and puff’ light you get accustomed to seeing.

I could care less how the cigar gets lit, I’m not set in my ways. But whatever protects the integrity of the cigar through providing the truest flavors and sensations from the smoke is my utmost concern. Considering many Cuban cigar enthusiasts (living in the cigar country of the world) use variations of this technique I quickly realized I was in good company. Don’t take my word for it, try it yourself and stick with what works best for you. But make sure to be patient.
1) Before you even pull the lighter out, cut 1/16” to at most 1/8” from the cigar tip if needed (keep as much of the cigar cap in tact as possible). A swift motion of a sharp cigar cutter (the Xikar XI2 is my weapon of choice) will do the trick and help prevent bunching the cigar fillers at the foot.

2) Although match lighting is preferred, a butane torch lighter is a great and recommended alternative which we’ll be referring to down below. The torch is only too hot for the cigar if used improperly - in our case we will be using the indirect heat to light the cigar ring. A good butane lighter will burn cleanly with very little odor and is important when considering which lighter and brand you decide to purchase. You do not want to introduce rough chemicals or substances into the cigar while lighting. I personally recommend using a Colibri lighter, as they provide amazing lighters at different price points.

3) Now let’s get technical - hold the cigar at a 45 degree angle, and in your other hand light your butane torch lighter. While being very careful never to let the torch flame directly hit the edge of the cigar, slowly and continuously turn the cigar in your fingers (you can twirl clock-wise or counter clock-wise based on personal preference.). Continue twirling while you raise the lighter closer to the cigar ring. The indirect heat will slowly burn a cherry along the ring.

4) Once you get a red cherry ring following the steps above, you can bring the cigar down and lightly blow on the ring to spread the cherry over the fillers since they will catch. Once you find you are good with lighting the ring using the indirect heat method, you can also use the same steps to light the fillers in the foot after you’ve caught the ring to get a full burning cherry - that too is a personal preference. If you can catch the fillers by lightly blowing from the lit ring you’ll get a more natural light but either way you’ll be in great shape.

5) Once the ring has been lit as well as some of the fillers, bring the cigar to your mouth and puff out once. This will blow out any harsh ingredients that may have collected. Your cigar should now be in perfect shape to begin smoking. Every so often you can blow on the foot to make sure the cherry is completely lit - begin puffing away and enjoy!

By lighting with the indirect heat method and refraining from the typical ‘burn and puff’ method, you do a number of things: first, you’ll avoid the unnecessary tar pulling puffs that begin to build when you would have normally over puffed to get the cigar lit. You’ll also avoid the initial harshness in taste that could result by lighting the cigar during a ‘rough light’. With a correct light, you will avoid injecting unnecessary chemicals if you had accidentally burned the wrapper or the fillers. Correctly lighting maintains the tobaccos in their optimum quality, which will deliver the tobaccos in their highest, truest and tastiest form - ultimately resulting in a much better and truer smoking experience.

Secondly, by using the indirect heat method, you will have burned less of the cigar to get going. This means there is more cigar at your leisure. With most cigars, the first half is where most of the enjoyment derives although the complexity of many cigars can be delivered through out the cigar. By correctly ligthing, you will not only maximize this first half, but you will also set yourself up for a complete smoke to the nub since you have maintained the integrity of the cigar’s components. If you’ve already hindered the cigar during the lighting phase, more than likely 2/3rds into the smoke your cigar will taste ‘dirty’ and certainly less enjoyable.

Lastly, and just as important, by using this method you limit your chances of having to re-light along the way. Although re-lighting at some point is typically standard, re-lighting too many times can get down right annoying. Not only that, but it opens up the doors for excess tar build up that would dampen your cigar experience.

With these tips in your cigar case, snag your favorite smoke and torch it up.