Alright then, you’ve gone out and bought a cigar or two hopefully from one of our Outer Banks Brew Thru locations. If not, we understand, but you should know we carry a wide variety of fine cigars for your choosing. If this is your first time in buying a cigar then let us give you the general guidelines in the proper way to smoke a cigar.

So, now you’ve decided to take up the popular pastime of cigar smoking. After all, this recreational activity has increased in popularity in the last few years, creating all kinds of magazines, books and even smoking bars. Cigar smoking is a fine, affluent, and cultured hobby to take part of. You might be wondering what kind of accessories do you need to go along with your cigars so that you can have an authentic cigar smoking experience?

One of the first things you should purchase is a humidor. Coming in a variety of styles and types, we recommend that you get one that is made of Spanish cedar, or at least contains Spanish cedar in it. Spanish cedar is an important key to help keep cigars fresh for an extended period of time. Also, remember to keep it set at 70% as to keep your cigars in the best humid environment so they will be ready to smoke when you are. Problems in your humidor’s humidity can be overcome by making sure that it’s full of cigars, as an almost empty one messes up the humidity in your humidor.

Big D says before you can light up that cigar, your gonna have to clip off the end tip. The idea behind this is that it will expose the inner leaves of your cigar which are the most flavorful ones as you draw in the cigar smoke. Although many affectionados use any sharp object that might be handy, such as a pocket knife, you can really enjoy your cigar smoking experience prior to lighting up by obtaining a little guillotine clipper. You will notice that they have three holes, two for your fingers and one in the middle for the cigar (pay attention please, lol). Just put the end of your cigar (not your finger) in the middle one and pinch with your fingers causing the blade to snap off the end of your stogie.

Next, you should look into getting a good lighter. Experienced puffers prefer to puff using neither regular lighter, nor match as the sulfur from the match or the fluid from the lighter adds an unpleasant taste to your cigar and you don’t want that! Choosing a butane lighter is a very popular way to light the cigar without having to suffer through bad flavor after-effects.

The piece d’resistance in properly smoking a cigar would be to acquire a smoking jacket. Although not totally necessary, a smoking jacket has been the traditional garment used by Big D and other men to keep smoke from getting on their attire. Smoking jackets are usually about three-quarter-length coats made of a very rich material, deep in color, with cuffs for added effect! It’s true that you may not be able to find these most awesome jackets in stores anymore, you might luck into finding them in 2nd hand clothing shop. If necessary, you can have one tailored to your specifications as Big D has had his made. Just another fun way to enjoy your cigar while adding another layer of authenticity and dignity to your cigar smoking experience.