How To Choose A Great Cigar for a Friend

As you think about selecting a premium cigar each selection process, whether you are buying one or a box is a function of these key attributes.

Are you looking for a full bodied cigar with lots of flavor or something milder or in between? The body of a cigar should complement your palate, giving you a taste that doesn’t overwhelm your senses.

Size is important and size selection should be thought of as a function of how much time you have to consumer a cigar – a seven inch behemoth is going to take a couple of hours to smoke properly, go with something that’s much smaller for a quick smoke, something under five inches in size. Generally Robustos are economical taking only 30 to 45 minutes to smoke. If you have a couple of hours a Churchill is going to fit the bill.

All cigar manufacturers reference the size of a cigar by the length in inches and the “ring” refers to the circumference of the cigar quoted in 1/60th of an inch numbers: 5.7 X 45 references a cigar that’s five by seven inches long with and 45/60th of an inch in diameter.

Cigar Aficiando Magazine came up with a rating system that is pretty much an industry standard, with a range of 70 to 100. Here are our informal recommendations for these numerical ratings:

• Under 70: Keep Moving and Don’t Waste Your Money
• 70-79: Good Average Cigar (it’s not going to knock your socks off)
• 80-89: Your in the Zone – it’s a good cigar and you will enjoy it
• 90-94: It’s a great stick you will enjoy
• 95-100: This baby is a keeper and you want to savor it as long as possible