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Cigars/how to light a perfecto

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Expert: - 8/31/2010


Question
Hi James,

I recently bought some Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story's...

I then realized that I have never smoked a perfecto shaped cigar before.   I imagine the head you cut like you would any cigar using a guillotine or punch etc, but what about the foot?

There is an opening on the foot but I am unsure if it needs to be cut at all since the open area is quite small.   Would you stil have to toast the head like a normal cigar?   because I feel like with such a small opening, it would light rather quickly with a puff or two over a flame.

Just another thing to learn about cigars that I hadnt encountered before.   While on the subject, are there any other cigar shapes that need a different procedure for lighting/smoking?

thanks for your help!

Answer
Hi Andrew,

With perfecto cigars (or any other figuardo cigar that has a tapered foot), you don't need to cut the foot.  Simply light the foot the same way you would light any other cigar.  Perfectos are popular because of the tapered foot.  They're easier to light and the tapered foot usually creates a more even burn.  

The only other cigar shape that requires a different procedure of smoking is the Culebra.  Culebra is the specialty cigar that has three slim cigars braided together in an "S" shape.  To smoke these cigar, you need to unbraid each cigar and smoke them individually.  

Hope this helps!  As always, if you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask.

Regards,
James

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James Yee

Expertise

My main area of expertise is Cuban cigars but I can also assist you with cigar etiquette, humidor maintenance and troubleshooting. Unsure of a certain cigar brand? Wondering what a certain cigar tastes like? Have any questions about Cuban cigars? Just let me know! I have smoked every brand of Cuban cigars and most reputable non-Cuban cigar brands on a regular basis so I know a fair bit about taste profiles, cigar etiquette and other fine nuances to cigar smoking. (NOTE: My main focus is on premium, hand-rolled cigars and not cheap, machine made, convenience store cigars.) IMPORTANT: PLEASE NOTE THAT I DO NOT PROVIDE CIGAR OR CIGAR-RELATED APPRAISALS. If you have a vintage cigar item and you want to know if it's worth something, please contact an antique dealer that specializes in "TOBACCIANA".

Experience

I currently have 19 dedicated years of cigar smoking and counting. I have smoked every brand of Cuban cigars and most reputable non-Cuban cigar brands on a regular basis so I know a fair bit about taste profiles, cigar etiquette and other fine nuances to cigar smoking. For 5 years, I studied with Cuban torcedores (rollers), catadores (taste testers) and revisadores (inspectors) on every aspect involving the production of the Cuban cigar and I am currently writing a book that will help beginners understand everything they need to know about cigars and cigar smoking.

Publications
Maple Leaf Gardens: Memories & Dreams 1931-1999 (1999; ISBN: 0920445616)
50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do (2006; ISBN: 0452286654)
The [London] Times (October 8, 2009)


Education/Credentials
B.A. University of Toronto

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