Cigar Buying Guide: How to Choose a Good Cigar
By Ruben Gonzalez
How to pick a good cigar?
Cigar selection can be a daunting experience, as there are too many options to choose from! One can often get confused with different brands, blends, cigar intensity, smoking time, and other factors. However, it shouldn’t be this difficult to pick out a cigar. New smokers pose a challenge in terms of choosing the right cigar for themselves or as a gift. To save some trouble, shops offer packs with different cigar options ideal when looking for something new to try out. It’s best to learn the basics about cigars and avoid future complications. Read this cigar guide about everything you need to know before making your purchase.
Cigar Country’s Cigar Guide
The Perfect Strength
This is one of the first steps in cigar selection. The question is mild, medium, or full-bodied. Mild sticks are for beginners or experienced smokers’ early first smoke of the day. On the other hand, medium strength satisfies the broadest smoking demographic. In contrast, full-body should only be selected for experienced aficionados. A good way to determine what someone’s preference would be by reflecting on the person’s consumption habits. Check out this table before you choose the right cigar.
| If you enjoy this you are likely to enjoy that | ||
| Mild | Medium | Full |
| Tea | Coffee | Espresso |
| Salad | Fish/White Meat | Red Meat |
| Beer/Wine | Cocktails | Spirits |
Important tip: When in doubt, ALWAYS choose Medium.
The Ideal Size
When people ask me what size cigar they should choose, I always ask how much time they want to spend smoking. Are you making time between meetings or celebrating a new job offer? This is a key variant as you would not like your precocious handmade craft to go to waste. Here is an unscientific length vs. smoking time chart to guide from:
| Cigar Length vs Smoking Time | |
| Inches | Minutes |
| 3″ | 20 mins |
| 4″ | 35 mins |
| 5″ | 50 mins |
| 6″ | 65 mins |
| 7″ | 80 mins |
How fast a person smokes will affect these numbers slightly, either up or down. Another factor is the ring gauge on a cigar. This is a measurement of the circumference of a cigar. For your reference, 48 RG is equal to 3/4” in the diameter of the puro (EXACTLY A USA QUARTER). A lower number is thinner, and a higher one is wider. Did you know that wider ring gauges produce more flavor in the mouth?
| Here are the three most popular sizes in the world | |||
| Most Popular Given Name | Ring Gauge | Length (Inches) | Aprox. Smoking Time |
| Corona | 42 | 5 1/2″ | 55 mins |
| Robusto | 50 | 5″ | 50 mins |
| Toro | 50 | 6″ | 65 mins |
The Right Price
Another key element when choosing a cigar is money. How much are you willing to spend on a moment of enjoyment for yourself or a loved one? Handmade puro prices vary depending on quality, brand, and packaging. Life is too short to smoke cheap cigars! I will always choose quality over quantity. My sweet spot is $8.00-12.00 dollars a stick. Rarely do I go below, and only ever go above for exceptionally unique experiences.
Keep in mind that a high price tag does not always equal a good puro or experience. This all comes down to your taste pallet and enjoying your cigar of choice. Be sure to find your favorites at Cigar Country. Where you can filter your search by brand, blend, strength, size, and price.
Was this cigar guide useful? Find us online at Cigar Country or Instagram, where our experts will be happy to answer any question on how to pick a good cigar. We also suggest you visit our Best Sellers page, where you can sort according to your preferences. Trust me; there are good reasons for these products to be on this list.