Modern cigar smokers are a niche crowd, and aren't afraid to admit it. While the popularity of cigar smoking in the United States has ebbed and flowed since its widespread emergence in the late 19th and early 20th century, cigar culture is stronger than ever.
For nearly 150 years, connoisseurs, collectors, and the manufacturers dedicated to keeping humidor shelves stocked and fresh blends rolling out have kept this form of relaxation and olfactory oriented enjoyment alive. From legacy brands and family dynasties, to the recent surge in interest in boutique and small batch artisanal cigars, there has never been a better time to be cigar smoker.
The reason why we say this is because there’s just so much out there to keep folks interested. Furthermore, the advent of online cigar retailers and the resources that come with a quick online search not only is convenient as all hell, but encouraging as well. There’s more reason than ever to learn, engage, appreciate, and explore cigar smoking together, and here at Case Elegance and Klaro, we’re more than happy to help.
May it be walking a new cigar smoker through the cigar humidor maintenance process, or sharing some long-term cigar aging tips we've found to work well with experienced cigar collectors, we are all here to savor this fascinating tobacco culture together. That is why today, we think it might be worth investigating the benefits of cigar smoking. For contrary to common belief, cigar smoking isn't just about flavor and collecting cool points.
Exploring & Understanding Cigars
A key benefit of cigar smoking is exploring the combinations of different wrappers, binders, and fillers as well as the various shapes, blends, and sizes that can affect the smoking experience. This provides almost limitless possibilities for cigar makers and smokers to experience over a lifetime.
Perhaps the allure of cigars begins at the craft level, for this is a centuries-old artisanal process. While the crop year, or "cosecha," matters a ton, so too does the region where a certain strain of tobacco is grown, the curing and fermentations processes utilized, and the rarity of the blend itself. Premium cigars are also hand-rolled, and the size of the cigar, as well as its shape, blend ingredients, and aging time all can influence a cigar smoking experience.
As cigar smokers, we learn to appreciate the nuances of these differentiations between various blends and sizes, or "vitolas." As we go, we learn from our own preferences, and determine as to whether we favor a full-bodied blend over a mild one, a spicy stick over something sweeter, and so forth. This experimentation and exploration is one of the key benefits of smoking and learning about cigars, and is the primary reason why people like to puff around a purchase cigar sample packs.
But this is the low-hanging fruit when discussing cigars and why we love them. Let's delve a bit deeper, and discuss some of the science behind cigar smoking, as well as the ritualistic rewards involved with this hedonistic hobby.
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Benefits of Cigar Smoking
It’s only fair that we discuss the potential downsides of smoking first to not risk frontloading our argument with benefits, which are many. But now let’s address them—because as many of us smokers know, it’s not just the taste and experience that draws us to cigar smoking. From getting together with our friends to reducing stress to learning about cigar-making, cigars offer many avenues of enjoyment.
While the hobby can be solitary, cigar smoking is a social activity—a benefit of its own. After all, social bonding over cigars leads to new friendships, valuable conversation, and even the potential for networking. Even if you don’t have a group of friends who smoke cigars, there are countless online forums to join where you can meet other smokers, learn about other cigars and pairings, and explore the many, many topics surrounding cigars, like cigar storage (humidors), aging techniques, cigar accessories, and more.
Secondly, not much compares to a good cigar at the end of a long and stressful day. Cigars offer a form of stress reduction and relaxation that’s hard to beat. Even the hour or two of quiet, contemplative time alone is a natural way for you to process the day’s events, think ahead, and reduce your overall stress. Sure, there are dangers to the addictive qualities of nicotine, but studies show there are some neurological benefits.
Even so, all of these benefits mentioned so far are an accessory to the activity itself. The experience of smoking a cigar is reason enough to smoke cigars: to appreciate the craftsmanship, to learn about how new blends are formed, new flavors achieved, to explore tastes and aromas and textures. If cigar smokers are a niche crowd, cigars are a nuanced product, worth time and consideration.
The more you smoke, the better you recognize those subtleties and nuances from cigar to cigar, across blends, regions, and cigar types. All rewarding in the end. But let’s not forget that other piece to the puzzle: selecting cigars, building your collection, and choosing the various accessories to help you store, cut, and light cigars.
Cigar Smoking Rituals
Cigar smoking is a process that starts when you research, hear about new cigars, visit tobacco shops, shop online, and read cigar reviews. This is part of the ritual. Selecting cigars to fill your humidor includes identifying and stocking favorites, aging cigars, trying new cigars, and keeping certain blends and types on hand for certain occasions or pairings. The more you get into this hobby, the more immersive it becomes.
And once you’ve selected a cigar for the evening? There are more rituals and processes to complete that add an aesthetic quality to the smoking experience, including prepping the cigar with a cigar cutter and lighting the cigar with a torch lighter, cedar spill, or other methods of lighting cigars.
Few things are more satisfying than a decisive, well-placed cut on a cigar followed by a clean and even burn that produces an effective cherry.
The more you smoke, the more you will learn the rituals of other smokers and develop your own. You will develop preferences of cuts, lighting methods, and the types of cigars you prefer to smoke. And beyond those choices? You begin to experiment with pairings—food and drinks, both, to further enhance the smoking experience.
Enhancing the Experience
Like eating and drinking, cigars are an olfactory and flavor experience. And just like you would pair certain foods and wines, smoking cigars invites unique pairings. And the combinations are somewhat endless.
Traditionally, many cigar smokers include an alcoholic beverage as a pairing. Wines, beers, and whiskeys are common. But there are many non-alcoholic and non-traditional drink pairings, including coffee. For pairing drinks with cigars, there are a few common strategies to take:
- Explore what is tried and true. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel, and you may develop a solid base by trying common favorites.
- Try to match the intensity of the drink with the cigar. Full-bodied with full-bodied, mild with mild, etc.
- Consider matching flavors. Spicy with spicy, smooth with smooth, creamy with creamy.
- Consider contrasting flavors. A creamy stout may pair well with a spicy corojo cigar.
- Experiment with different times of the day, a coffee cigar after breakfast, or a brunch cigar.
Speaking of brunch, food pairings open a world of new possibilities for cigar smokers. While we wouldn’t necessarily recommend eating at the same time as you smoke (though some surely do), you can match after-meal cigars with certain dishes to better experience the tobacco blend. Is there anything better than a cigar with which to follow a steak dinner?
Cigar Accessories
A good hobby should necessitate aesthetically pleasing gear. For cigar smoking, that’s the humidor. A humidor is an essential cigar accessory for the serious smoker, allowing them to keep their cigar collection in peak, healthy condition.
Cigar tobacco is finicky stuff. Too much or too little moisture can permanently damage or destroy a cigar. A humidor regulates the humidity of the cigar’s environment, ensuring it stays at the perfect moisture levels until you are ready to smoke it. Humidors also help prevent cigar beetles and mold.
That’s a humidor’s functionality. But the aesthetic is important, too. Humidors range from basic wooden boxes to ornately crafted pieces of art. At Case Elegance, we believe in crafting high-quality humidors at an affordable price, and our humidor selection ranges from small travel humidors to Spanish cedar glass top humidors to large electric fridgador units. If you’re looking for a good humidor, Case Elegance has an option for every smoker.
Aside from humidors, other accessories like ashtrays, cutters, torch lighters, and travel accessories are common among smokers.
These essentials improve the experience and can be fun to collect.
Exploring Cigar Culture
Cigar smoking, much like fine wine tasting, has a vibrant culture surrounding it, with various clubs, communities, events, and festivals that bring smokers together.
From local cigar clubs to online communities to cigar subscriptions, smokers can connect with others who share their love of cigars, including distributors, brands, and fellow smokers. As you meet other smokers, you will have the opportunity to discuss favorite cigars, brands, blends, and other cigar-related topics. These people can be invaluable for learning and sharing knowledge.
Also popular among cigar smokers are events and festivals, where we can learn, try new products, meet fellow smokers, and grow our understanding of cigar culture. Cigar tasting events, cigar dinners, annual festivals, and even factory tours all expose you to more cigars, cigar makers, and other smokers. These are great experiences you should seek in your local area or even consider traveling for some.
Cigar Smoking and Business
There’s a connection when you meet a fellow cigar smoker—a common interest. In business scenarios, it’s never a bad thing to find that you have business with a fellow smoker or to use cigar smoking as a reason to network, talk, and connect.
While the stereotype of businessmen smoking cigars has a negative connotation, connecting and networking over a cigar is a common activity, and you should add this to your list of benefits of cigar smoking.
Cigar smoking and networking are so common that you might also consider cigars as a hospitality gift to a new client or partner. And when you know your cigars, it’s your chance to shine.
Cigar Collecting and Investment
Finally, as with wines, whiskeys, and other luxury alcoholic drinks, cigar collecting is a niche and fascinating practice for many smokers that combines the enjoyment of cigar knowledge and accessibility with the investment in building a valuable collection.
Many cigars improve with aging, though this must be done correctly, and the right collector can manage cigars for decades, improving their value. Limited editions, rare releases, discontinued brands, and boutique brands all contribute to exclusivity and, potentially, increased cigar value.
Certain collections are not only coveted by smokers, but they also can represent a significant financial investment.
Embracing the Pleasures of Cigar Smoking
Cigar smoking offers much more than just a puff of smoke. There’s rich history, craftsmanship, and community. Whether you are delving into the complexities of cigar flavors, building a collection, or simply enjoying the camaraderie of fellow enthusiasts at events, cigar smoking provides a unique, multi-faceted experience.
The nuanced world of cigars is ever-evolving, and as it does, so too does the appreciation for the art of cigar smoking. Whether you are an aficionado or a newcomer, the opportunities to learn, enjoy, and connect over cigars are nearly endless, and we encourage you to explore the many benefits available to cigar smokers.
