The Tools Of A Cigar Smoker
One cannot deny that smoking carries health risks, and yet it is still widely practiced. Cigar smoking carries less health risk than cigarette smoking is a much different type of smoking. A cigar smoker is as much a connoisseur as someone who enjoys good wine. There are some basic things one should know about cigars, including the basic supplies a cigar smoker needs, like a cigar lighter.
Cigars are usually hand rolled and meant to have a distinct flavor based on the type of tobacco used. The flavors range from sweet to dry, and cigar lovers use the same sort of terms used by wine drinkers to describe the flavor and aroma of their cigars. There are too many flavor nuances to mention, but they are all based on the specific type of tobacco used, subtle added flavor enhancers, age of cigar, and humidity. Cigar tobacco is kept at the humidity necessary to produce fermentation but not rotting. Many cigars are aged for decades in special conditions to enhance the flavor.
Cigars, unlike cigarettes, are not usually inhaled. The cigar smoker puffs on the end closest to the band, called the head, and swirls the smoke in his mouth to savor the flavor, occasionally exhaling through the nose to enjoy the aroma. Some expensive cigars are even specially created to produce subtle flavor changes emerging as the cigar is smoked.
The head of the cigar is the end that has to be cut before using. This requires cigar smokers to carry a special cutting instrument. If the cut is not done just right, it can affect the burn and flavor of the cigar. If a cigar is smoked from the wrong side, it can have an adverse effect on the flavor and smoking experience. Some cigar lighters have built in cutters for added convenience.
Once the head of the cigar is perfectly cut, the smoker lights the end of the cigar with a cigar lighter. Using a common cigarette lighter can add the flavor of the lighter fluid to the taste of the cigar. If a match is needed, a wooden match is favorable to a paper match, again due to the addition of undesirable flavors to the smoke. Cigar lighters are butane type lighters and produce a torch flame as opposed to a flickering flame. The end of the cigar must be carefully lit, without igniting the paper coating, and lit so that it burns evenly.
One additional item that a cigar smoker needs is a humidor. This is a wooden box that is designed to remain the right humidity for the storage of cigars. If cigars are allowed to dry out, they lose their natural tobacco oils, and therefore much of their flavor. The best way to preserve a good cigar is in a humidity controlled environment, and there it can continue to age and ferment for years.
Cigar smoking may remain a mystery to those that do not enjoy them, but to the cigar smoker, it is a time to relax and enjoy the day. Now you have some idea why a cigar lover is so particular about his stash and the tools he uses. If you need a gift for a cigar smoker, consider a personalized cigar lighter, maybe one with an attached cutter.
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Article Source: ArticlesBase.com
