Half Smoked Questions:

General Cigar Questions:

• • What Is A Humidor?

  A humidor is, quite simply, a storage container designed to allow controlled air flow and equipped with a device that maintains the internal humidity in the range of 70 to 75 percent; its internal temperature should be maintained in a narrow range of about 68 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. (Without something to maintain the internal humidity, it's not a humidor; it's just a box.) Humidors come in all sizes. Travel-sized humidors hold just a few cigars; room-sized humidors hold thousands of boxes of cigars.

• • How Do You Cut A Cigar?

  Smoking cigarettes is easy. Just put it in your mouth, light it up, and puff away to your heart's content. Cigars, on the other hand, involve some cutting rituals before you can embrace its puissant taste. If you're a non-smoker, knowing how to properly cut a cigar will come in handy if you get invited to social gatherings and someone asks you to cut it up for them. Who knows, it might even be a good way to impress your lady date.
  
  The Double-Guillotine Cutter method is the best way to cut a cigar. The name may sound complicated but it's not. First, you need to select the correct cigar tip to cut. This is the end of the cigar that goes inside your mouth (also called the head of a cigar). If you don't know which is which, distinguish the tip that has a cap on it- that's the cigar's head. The cap is there to tether the wrapper to the cigar. The head usually is close to the logo sticker circumventing the cigar. The opposite end of the cigar is known as the foot. When you already know the difference, pinpoint the line where the glue that sticks the cap on the cigar ends. 4 to 5 mm under this point is where you start cutting towards the foot of the cigar. Using your more able hand, pick up the cigar cutter and make sure it comfortably sits between your thumb and your forefinger. Position the cigar into the cutter and line it up securely. This is better done with one eye closed. Grip on the cigar with all your might using your free hand and try not to make it squirm until it is cut all the way through. Mustering all your strength, cut the cigar quickly in one fluid motion, and voila, you have a cigar ready for a wheeze!
  
  Oh, when you do this cutting method, make sure not to take off too much of the cap or your cigar's wrapper will fall off. But not too little as well. This can cause the draw of the cigar to be much heavier, which could sometimes push the cigar out. And I'm not kidding when I told you to cut the cigar in one quick motion. Limp cutting may crush your cigar rendering it unusable

• • How Do You Properly Light A Cigar?

  According to experts, the process of lighting a cigar might take a few minutes or so. But if you follow the following steps, you will enjoy the taste of the cigar the way it is intended to be savored.
  
  - Before being lit, grasp the cigar horizontally.
  
  - Hold the flame directly below the end of the cigar. This is to "warm" the cigar. Remember that the white tip is the hottest portion of the flame. Be mindful of it so you wouldn't accidentally light the wrapper.
  
  - Then, expose the entire end of the cigar with the tongue of the flame as you begin charring the surface. Again, do this slowly.
  
  - Place the cigar in your mouth. Hold the flame close enough to the end of the cigar without letting the flame touch it (about an 1/2"). Slowly suck on the cigar, rotating it until it is EVENLY lit. Avoid getting a bitter aftertaste by not drawing in the tobacco too fast.
  
  - When you think the glowing end has completely been set aflame, gently blow on it to ensure that the end burns evenly.
  
  But whatever you do, make sure that cigars are lit with a gentle flame. This is also a safer way to get an uneven burn. The key is to take your time and consider lighting a cigar a de-stressing ritual. Because like anything really pleasurable in life, lighting cigars should be done without any rush.

• • How Do I Post Reviews And Rate Cigars?

  After you've successfully registered, your humidor profile is immediately ready for you to use. Try to add a face or profile pic, and fill in other information that you'd like other members to know about you.
  
  When you're done with that then you're ready to rate and review cigars. It's more easy than it looks.
  
  1. Click "Review" on the left side of the website and you will be transported to the Main Review Page.
  
  2. Once you've reached the Review Page, locate the search box situated in the middle of the page.
  
  3. Type in the exact name of the cigar. Please NOTE that when a cigar is from a cigar series, always use "No." and the numeral. For example, the cigar "Davidoff Aniversario # 2 " would be encoded as "Davidoff Aniversario No. 2" for you to get the results. Anything else and you will not receive a reply. All names with an apostrophe should be omitted when you encode the name. For example, the cigar " " would be encoded as " " for you to get the results. Also, if you prefer copying and pasting, make sure that you don't leave an extra space after every entry, otherwise you won't find the cigar you're looking for.
  
  4. Hit the "Search" button and you will be directed to the results page.
  
  5. If you do find the cigar you're looking for, a review box appears at the bottom of the page for you to fill up. Try to be as honest as you can,and you don't have to write very long reviews to prove your point. Just do what you think best illustrates your experience when you smoked that cigar or used that accessory.
  
  6. When you're done writing, click on the stars to determine how favorable your experience with the cigar are. The more stars means the better the experience.
  
  7. When you're done rating, you can now hit the save button. With a successful save, your review will immediately be seen on the cigar brand along with the other members who also have shared their opinion about the cigar. If a cigar pleases you greatly, may we recommend that you also hit the "Favorites" button at the top of every cigar brand page? When you go back to your humidor, you will then notice that all the reviews you've posted are listed in your personal page for reference.
  
  8. If you'd like to review another cigar, repeat the process again. You have no limit on the number of reviews you can make provided that it's not the same cigar you've already posted.
  
  9. We are still completing our list of cigars. So after so many trials with the Search function and you still couldn't find the brand you're looking for, head back to your humidor. Click on the "Wish List" button and indicate the cigar that we may have overlooked to list. After checking if the brand is not in the site, we will create a new page for that brand for you to place your review.
  
  

• • Storing Your Cigars and Charging Your Humidor.

  If you enjoy cigars on a regular basis then a humidor is but one of the major accessories you need to have to keep your cigar in good shape. A good humidor will balance the humidity and temperature of the environment where the cigar is kept. Imagine it to be your cigar refrigerator. A good humidor should maintain a temperate 70 degrees Fahrenheit at 65-70% humidity. Or more popularly known as rule of thumb, 70/70.
  
  A good humidor should have kiln dried cedar as it lining. It works to preserve the flavor and aroma of the cigar. It should also have an hygrometer. It measures the humidity levels of the humidor.
  
  If you just bought a new humidor, the first thing to do is to charge it. Charging will depend on the size of the humidor. Don't place your cigars there just yet. The humidifier and hygrometer should be installed inside the humidor. From there, the humidifier will do its job in creating the best environment where the cigar can be stored. It usually takes at least 7 days before you can store your cigars. That only happens when the humidity levels in the hygrometer registers 60-70%.

• • How Do I Restore a Dry Cigar?

  Stuff happens. When a cigar has been left outside for too long, it dries up because of lack of humidification. The best things to "resuscitate" it is time and rehydrating the cigar slowly back to its original state.
  
  To do this, place the cigar on a sealed box for five to eight days. That way, you allow it to breathe and adjust to its environment. On the eighth day, place the cigar in the humidifier (partially filled) with low levels of humidity. Every three days, you slowly raise the humidity. Let the cigar adjust to the environment. Repeat the process during the next few weeks.You will know that the cigar has been refreshed when the cigar regained its supple and smooth feel.
  
  Remember, if you're not patient and try to force the cigar back to its original state, the leaves will absorb too much moisture from the humidifier. You not only ruin the cigar by shocking it, the contents will force the wrapper to expand and burst!

• • Should My Cigar Have a Different Flavor from End to End?

  When you light up a cigar, the tobacco heats up and gives off its bursts of flavor. You are bound to taste leather, wood, and different kinds of spices like pepper and vanilla. There are a lot of things to discover. And if you've become an expert, you look for those cigars that bring out a better experience every time you light up. That's why these cigars can be expensive.