Choosing a cigar

How to Choose a Cigar

There is no wrong answer at the cabinet — only a question worth asking first: how strong do you want the evening to be? Everything else follows from that.

If you have never chosen one before, start here and stop reading after the first line that sounds like the night you had in mind. Four words cover almost everything in the case, and they are written on the trays in plain language so nobody has to guess.

Mild

Mellow and creamy

Light on the palate and easy all the way down. Cream, cedar and a soft nuttiness, with none of the pepper that people worry about. This is the first cigar you hand someone who is not sure they like cigars yet — and often the one they come back for.

Medium

Balanced and smooth

The middle of the room, and where most evenings land. Cocoa and coffee up front, a gentle spice underneath, everything in proportion. It holds its own beside a drink without ever taking over the conversation.

Medium-Full

Rich and complex

More weight, more detail. Espresso, leather and earth, deepening as it goes and changing on you in the last third. Worth taking slowly, and worth a pour with some character beside it.

Full

Bold and intense

Dark chocolate, black pepper and wood, held long enough to feel substantial. A fine way to close an evening if you have eaten well and have nowhere to be. A hard place to start if you have not.

✦

And if you are still not sure — say so.

Tell us you are new to this. Tell us whether you want something light or something that lasts an hour. We will steer you to the right tray, and we would far rather be asked twice than have you smoke something you did not enjoy.

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