How to Light a Cigar the Right Way

To light a cigar, hold the foot just above a butane torch or a wooden match without letting the flame touch the tobacco. Toast the outer edge for ten to fifteen seconds while rotating, then draw gently while holding the flame just below the foot until the whole rim glows evenly. Patience is the entire trick. Rush it and you scorch the leaf; take your time and the cigar rewards you with the flavor its maker intended.

What should you light a cigar with?

Use a butane torch lighter or a long wooden match, or a thin strip of cedar known as a spill. Each burns clean and leaves no aftertaste. Avoid standard fluid lighters, whose fuel can taint the first few draws with a chemical note. Whatever you choose, the flame should never touch the tobacco directly. You are warming and toasting the leaf, not burning it.

How to toast and light the foot

1. Hold the cigar at a 45 degree angle with the foot, the open end you did not cut, hovering just above the flame.
2. Rotate the cigar slowly so the entire rim heats evenly. This step is called toasting and takes about ten to fifteen seconds.
3. Once the edge begins to glow, bring the cigar to your lips and draw gently while keeping the flame just below the foot.
4. Continue rotating as you puff until the whole foot is lit. Then blow softly on the ember to confirm an even, glowing circle.

How do you keep a cigar burning evenly?

Smoke at a relaxed pace, roughly one draw per minute. Puffing too quickly overheats the cigar and turns the smoke hot and bitter. If one side starts to burn faster than the other, simply touch up the lagging edge with your flame for a second or two. An even burn is a sign of both good technique and a well-constructed cigar.

What if it goes out?

If you set a cigar down for more than a few minutes, it may go out. This is completely normal and not a problem. Gently knock off the loose ash, toast the foot again for a few seconds, and relight as before. A cigar can be relit throughout a single sitting without harm. Letting it sit overnight and relighting the next day, however, will taste stale, so it is best finished or set aside in one session.

A note on ash

Resist the urge to tap constantly. A firm, intact ash actually insulates the ember and helps regulate the burn temperature. Let it build to about an inch, then rest it off gently against the tray rather than flicking it.

Key takeaways

• Use butane or a wooden match, never fluid lighters, and never touch the flame to the leaf.
• Toast the foot first, then light while rotating and drawing gently.
• Smoke slowly, about one draw per minute, to avoid a hot, bitter burn.
• Relighting within a session is fine; let a solid ash build before resting it.

An even light is where craftsmanship shows, because a properly rested, well-made cigar burns straight and true. If you are new to the ritual, a smooth Connecticut cigar is the most forgiving place to practice, and a sampler lets you compare how different wrappers burn.

Attaie Cigars are intended for adults 21 and older. Please enjoy responsibly.