Stogie Commentary: A To-Do List of ‘Don’ts’

When I worked at USA Today, one of the principles about which we had no doubt was that people like lists. They’re succinct, accessible, and often entertaining.

So, in that spirit, here’s a list of five “Don’ts” for cigar smokers.

1. Don’t buy a box too quickly. This is particularly true for new releases. Smoke a few over time to make sure the quality is consistent. It’s better to miss some “great deals” than to be stuck with boxes of cigars you don’t like.

2. Don’t confuse aging with magic. Keeping a lousy cigar in your humidor is just going to turn it into an older, lousy cigar. Unfortunately, Spanish cedar isn’t the philosopher’s stone.

3. Don’t pay attention to sales hype. Ignore it all, particularly when retailers tout some incredible buy or neglected stash they stumbled across in a factory. Do you honestly think cigar manufacturers don’t know how to run their businesses? Or that appropriating the name of an ancient Cuban brand makes any difference?

4. Don’t forget what you like and dislike. It’s not necessary to become an expert in the world’s tobaccos. But if, for example, you’ve really enjoyed several Cameroon-wrapped cigars, you’ll increase your chances for success with a new stick if you look for another Cameroon.

5. Don’t rush your smoke. In our speed-obsessed culture, cigars provide a rare opportunity to slow down. In the end, you’re probably better to skip a smoke than to try to squeeze one in when you can’t give it sufficient time.

Feel free to share your own cigar “Don’ts” with StogieGuys.com readers as comments below.

-George E