Lighting a Cigar Is the Second Test of Cigar Etiquette

Three Mainstream Lighting Tools

1. Cedar Spill -- The Old-School Highest Standard

Appearance: A thin strip of cedar wood (the inner lining material of cigar boxes is cedar).

Steps:

1. Use a lighter or match to light one end of the cedar spill
2. Wait for the flame to stabilize (5-10 seconds)
3. Use the flame of the cedar spill to toast the foot of the cigar

Advantages:

• Zero metallic taste, zero gasoline smell
• The aromas of cedar and cigar tobacco leaves blend together
• It is the top-tier lighting method in the cigar industry

Disadvantages:

• Requires time (the whole process takes 1-2 minutes)
• Inconvenient outdoors when the wind is strong

2. Wooden Matches (Not Paper Matches) -- A Classic Choice

Steps:

1. Light the match
2. Wait for the sulfur smell from the match head to dissipate (5-10 seconds; this step is extremely important)
3. Use the burning wooden part of the match to toast the cigar

Advantages:

• Natural, with no metallic taste
• More convenient than a cedar spill

Disadvantages:

• They must be wooden matches (paper matches will produce a paper taste)
• Matches will be blown out outdoors when the wind is strong

3. Torch Lighter -- The Modern Mainstream

Appearance: Similar to a kitchen gas torch, with a blue high-temperature flame.

Advantages:

• Fastest -- done in 30 seconds
• Usable even outdoors in strong wind
• Suitable for large ring gauge cigars

Disadvantages:

• You need to choose the right brand -- low-quality torches can have a gasoline smell
• The flame is too strong and can easily scorch the tobacco leaves -- technique is required

Recommended brands: LUBINSKI, Xikar, S.T. Dupont (all are provided at W Cigar Bar)

❌ Absolutely Do Not Use: Regular Lighters (Zippo / Bic)

Gasoline lighter (Zippo): The gasoline smell will permanently contaminate the cigar Plastic Bic lighter: The flame is too weak, uneven, and has a plastic smell

The Correct Steps for Lighting a Cigar (4 Steps)

Step 1: Toast the Foot (Toasting)

Hold the foot of the cigar 1-2 cm away from the flame -- do not touch the flame directly; use radiant heat to toast it:

• Time: 30-60 seconds
• Purpose: To let the tobacco leaves heat up slowly and release natural oils
• Observation: You should see the foot of the cigar begin to glow evenly red

Step 2: Light It (Lighting)

After toasting is complete:

1. Put the cigar in your mouth
2. Draw slowly and gently (do not draw hard)
3. At the same time, rotate the cigar -- allowing the flame to distribute evenly
4. Take 5-8 gentle draws in a row, until the foot of the cigar is completely and evenly glowing red

Step 3: Blow Out the Smoke (First Puff)

The first puff of smoke will be more irritating (with a burned papery sensation):

• Blow the first puff out through your nose (do not inhale)
• Wait 30 seconds for the burn to stabilize

Step 4: Begin Appreciation

From the second puff onward, you can appreciate it normally.

What to Do If the Cigar Is Lit Unevenly

Symptom: One side burns fast, the other side burns slowly

Reason: Uneven toasting during lighting

How to fix it:

1. Use the flame of a torch to toast only the slower-burning side
2. Continue for 30 seconds
3. Take another 2-3 gentle draws to even out the heat

Symptom: The cigar goes out

Reason: You have not smoked it for more than 5 minutes

How to fix it:

1. Use a cedar spill or match to relight it (do not use a torch; the heat is too strong)
2. Accept that the quality will decline slightly
3. Pay attention to your rhythm next time

The Cigar Prince's Philosophy of Lighting

"Lighting a cigar is a 1-2 minute ritual" -- do not treat it as "just lighting a fire".

At W Cigar Bar, I slowly light every top-tier cigar with a cedar spill -- this process itself is part of cigar culture.

Welcome to W Cigar Bar, the gentlemen's cigar lounge in Da'an District, where the Cigar Prince Wilson Tsai personally demonstrates the art of lighting with a cedar spill.

Frequently Asked Questions Q&A

Q1: How do you light a cigar outdoors when the wind is strong?

Three methods: (1) Find a wind-dead corner -- a wall corner, beside a car, or a cigar shelter (2) Use a torch lighter rather than matches -- the high-temperature blue flame of a torch has strong wind resistance (3) Point the foot of the cigar toward the wind -- let the wind help supply oxygen and accelerate even combustion. This is counterintuitive but effective. In completely strong wind (>15 km/h): give up on being outdoors and go indoors.

Q2: What if the torch runs out of gas halfway through lighting?

If the foot of the cigar is already glowing red = it is already half-lit -- there is no need to force another torch and start over. Switch to a cedar spill or wooden match and continue; the effect is actually gentler than a torch. If it has gone completely out and there is no fire source: take it to a nearby cigar lounge and ask someone to help light it, or return to W Cigar Bar and we will help you relight it.

Q3: Can candles / gas stoves / barbecue charcoal be used to light a cigar?

• Candle: Possible, but only for emergencies (the wax smell will cling slightly; scented candles are even worse)
• Gas stove: No. The open flame is too large and will directly scorch the tobacco leaves
• Barbecue charcoal: Absolutely not -- charcoal, meat juices, and cumin smoke will permanently contaminate the cigar
• Lighter (regular Bic / Zippo): Zippo gasoline smell will permanently contaminate it; Bic flames are too weak and uneven

There are only 3 legitimate tools: cedar spill, wooden matches, and torch lighter. Everything else wastes a good cigar.

Q4: How do you tell whether it is thoroughly lit (well lit)?

Hold the cigar 30 cm away from your mouth and look at the foot -- the entire ring should be glowing evenly red, with no black unburned areas. Blow gently, and the red will become brighter. If one side is red and the other is black: use a torch to toast the black side for 30 seconds, then take 2-3 gentle draws to even out the heat. If you smoke it before it is thoroughly lit, it will be bitter, the draw will not be smooth, and the rest of the cigar will be impossible to save -- these 30 seconds are worth it.

Q5: Should you blow out the first puff?

Yes. The first puff contains the papery sensation of the burned cap and the aftertaste of toasting -- this is the "clearing puff", not an appreciation puff. Blow the first puff out through your nose to cleanse the mouth; the second puff is where formal appreciation begins. At W Cigar Bar, we call the first puff the "tribute puff" -- a tribute to the cigar artisan, and it is not a pity to blow it out.