While in Vegas I got to enjoy some Fuente Fuente Opus X. While Vegas is very dry and thus, cigars tend to burn faster I still enjoyed them very much. I also brought back a God of Fire Pyramide which I enjoyed tonight. It burned beautiful and tasted great. It had a nice cedar flavour and the Cameroon wrapper helped add to that flavour nicely. I do find that those wrappers make a cigar even more enjoyable to pass an evening away quietly and with no thought.

Unlike many cigar aficiandos who enjoy a cigar with a nice whiskey, scotch or other stronger liquor, I enjoy mine with a pop, water or a nice rich coffee. It isn’t what I drink with it that makes it enjoyable but rather the fact that I can take time to enjoy the flavours and slow time down for a bit. So how does one enjoy a good cigar? Well, from my point of view, this is how..

1. Ensure you have a couple of interrupted hours in a low wind environment that is well ventilated. You want to be able to enjoy the flavours that the cigar long-filler and the wrappers provide. You don’t want to be overwhelmed by the smoke from the cigar, especially if it burns hot (something that happened when in Vegas because of the dryness of the area).
2. While enjoy a scotch or other hard liquor with it is good, water can clean out the palate and allow the true flavours come through. I’ve found that when enjoying a cigar with water I actually can taste things like chocolate, cream and other flavours come through on “non-flavoured” cigars.
3. A good cutter. Whatever cutter you have or method you use, be consistent on all your cigars. I have a very nice Xikar that I use to cut the tip off of a cigar so that the wrapper doesn’t come undone. Others use a bullet for the same effect.
4. A good lighter or a good set of long matches. I splurged on a decent single flame Blazer Torch lighter as well as have some nice Davidoff long cigar matches. The best matches I’ve ever had were Lieb Cedar Long Matches I got in Mexico. What you shouldn’t do is use a regular cigarette lighter (those cheapo 99 cent ones you get). Those add extra chemicals to the cigar when it burns. If you do have to use it, let it burn for a little bit to allow for the chemicals to burn out.
5. Don’t over-indulenge and try too many extremes of cigars. I’ll enjoy a strong full cigar with perhaps a Dirt (a very sweet cigar) as a dessert. You want to ensure that your taste buds get a chance to relax so they can enjoy the flavours. Again, water in-between cigars can help.
6. Relax and, if possible, enjoy good conversation with friends and/or family. A cigar is truly an social thing and more enjoyable when conversation can happen (or a good poker game).

Smoking cigar isn’t just enjoying a good smoke; it’s enjoying a full experience that takes in all senses to the fullest — much like how we should enjoy life in general.