These are the best instructions for lighting a cigar that I have seen.

This video brought to you by The Cigar Student

www.youtube.com/watch?v=biP0FC1MHvM

As stated by the gentlemen in the video, the wipedown method runs the risk of over saturating and warping the interior of your humidor. This video is clean enough that if you follow it you could employee this method

Rating – 91.5 (out of 100)

Description

The cigar smoked for this review was a robusto, Silvio Perdomo Edicion De’ Silivo. I have searched far and wide to try and figure out the origin of the tobacco used in this cigar, but apparently the Perdomo family "fiercely guards" this information.

- I kept the cigar in my humidor for a week with my hygrometer at 70.

- I used a Cuban Crafters Guillotine cutter.

- Total smoke time – 53 minutes

Color – 5 of 5:

The robusto features an exquisite natural colored wrapper. The wrapper was even and smooth and free from any blemishes

Construction – 9.5 of 10:

Upon first sight it is clear that the Ediciion De’ Silvio is a finely crafted cigar. The head of the cigar is mounted with a triple cap, a Cuban tradition that is the signature of high quality craftsmanship in an ultra premium cigar.

The cigar body was firm, giving slightly when pinched.

I spent a good 5 minutes inspecting the wrapper on this cigar. In early evening light, the wrapper edges were barely distinguishable. There were no uneven edges or blemishes whatsoever!

Lighting – 4 of 5:

My torch was out of fuel for this smoke, so I used some Tommy Bahama 2 inch wooden matches to light the cigar. It took 2 full matches to get the cigar edges completely lit. The center was more difficult to get started, but a few good puffs against the third match and it was ready to go.

Aroma – 9.0

Rustic and full, yet lighter than most cigars, the aroma of the Silvio is full of spice and oak.

Flavor- 22 of 25:

The oils in the wrapper of this cigar were unusually strong spice to them, almost as if I had sucked on the skin of a spicy pepper. The flavor of the cigar was very robust, and continued to be through the end of the cigar. Once the spice from the oils wore off, the cigar became very enjoyable. The flavor is very well rounded with delicate undertones, with a full bodied finish.

Draw – 10 of 10

This Perdomo cigar has by far the lightest draw of any ultra premium cigar that I have ever smoke. I used a Cuban Crafters guillotine cutter, but would recommend using a punch instead.

Smoke – 8 of 10:

Frankly, there was a bit too much smoke for my taste, or this would have been rated a 10. I think that may have been a result of the easy draw and the somewhat large cut I made using the guillotine. I will have to try another one of these fine cigars using a punch.

Ash – 10 of 10:

The Silvio Perdomo Cigar produced a nice gray ash. The Rubusto was a little over 5 inches, and the ash only fell of once during the entire smoke, and was easily over 2.5 inches long.

Burn – 9.5 of 10:

The burn was even and smooth until a little runner started in the last 2 inches of the cigar. I rotated it in my grip and it evened back out fairly quickly.

Intangibles – 4.5

I rate intangibles because I believe my mood has a lot to do with how much I enjoy a good cigar. Today was a particularly stressful day at work. I lit up the cigar and walked around my neighborhood with my English Bulldog. After about 15 minutes, I found myself smiling and just enjoying the day, my dog, and the quality of this fine cigar.

New To Cigar Smoking?

- Check out our Cigar Woman community

- Read our Cigar Primer

The first characteristic to consider when choosing a cigar is the color of the wrapper. Ranging from a brownish green Candela wrapper to the near black of the Maduro, the wrapper is a key element in many people's choice for a cigar.

Although there are over 100 identified shades of cigar wrapper, they can all be separated into these categories:

 

Double Claro

Claro

Claro Colorado or "Natural"

Colorado

Colorado Maduro

Maduro / Oscuro

Colors:

• Double Claro
  Also known as “American Market Selection” [AMS] or “Candela,” this is a green wrapper. Once
  popular, it is rarely found today.
• Claro
  This is a very light tan color, almost beige in shade; often grown in Connecticut or from
  Connecticut seeds in Ecuador.
• Colorado Claro
  A medium brown found on many cigars, this category covers many descriptions. The most
  popular are “Natural” or “English Market Selection” [EMS]. Tobaccos in this shade are grown in
  many countries.
• Colorado
  This shade is instantly recognizable by the obvious reddish tint.
• Colorado Maduro
  Darker than Colorado Claro in shade, this color is often associated with African tobacco, such as
  wrappers from Cameroon, or with Havana Seed tobacco grown in Honduras or Nicaragua.
• Maduro
  Very dark brown to almost black. Tobacco for Maduro wrappers is primarily grown in
  Connecticut, Mexico, Nicaragua and Brazil. These dark wrappers – which usually offer a
  sweeter taste – are usually created by leaving leaves on the plant longer and then curing them for
  longer periods, but there are some who take shortcuts and boil or “cook” leaves to create the dark
  shade.
• Oscuro
  This is black . . . really black. This shade of wrapper reappeared with more frequency in 2001
  after being almost off the market in the 1990s.

Cigar Sizes:

There are 20 different sizes and shapes for cigars. Below are the ones we find the most common.
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Cigars are measured by length, and "ring" which is the diameter of the cigar. Length is measured in inches, and ring is measured in 64ths of an inch. So, a cigar that is 7 x 47 (a typical Churchill) is 7 inches long and 47 / 64 (about 3/4 ) of an inch in diameter.

Sizes typically range in length from 4 inches to 9 inches long, and in ring from 25 to 64. Clearly, the longer or thicker the cigar, the long it will take to smoke.

Here is a chart with all of the different sizes:

Tips

Here are 3 good tips to remember while choosing a cigar

1. The cigar should be firm. IF you squeeze the cigar it should give a little bit, but if it is too soft then it is a sign of an over-humidified cigar.
2. The cigar should not be so dry that it is flaky or fragile. This is a indication of a dry cigar (under humidified). Dry cigars burn hotter and faster, and can be uncomfortable to smoke.
3. Moldy cigars should be thrown away. Be sure you do not confuse mold with plume. Plume is the white ash like residue that can be brushed off. This is a sign of good aging.

Our cigar primer will teach you everything you need to know about how to choose and smoke a cigar. We cover topics such as

1. The "parts" and ingredients of a cigar
2. How to select a cigar
3. How to cut, and light a cigar
4. How to store a cigar

Part 1 - Cigar Ingredients

Before choosing a cigar, you might be interested in knowing how they are made.

All hand made cigars are comprised of 3 parts:

1. The center of the cigar is filler tabacco

2. A binder leaf which holds the filler togehter

3. The outer wrapper, which is rolled around the binder leaf.

For the novice cigar smoker, it is important to be able to identify a hand made cigar from a hand rolled cigar, from a machine made cigar.

Handmade cigars use "long filler" tobacco. Long filler is a term to describes tobacco leaves which run the length of the cigar. All 3 parts of the cigar are assembled manually.

Machine-made cigars use machinery to combine scraps of tobacco into "short filler." Machine-made cigars are placed under a great deal of tension, so they use a homogenized tobacco product which is stronger and smokes differently than natural leaves.

Recently, the term "hand-rolled" has come about for a select few companies that combine machine-bunching (using long filler tobacco) with hand-rolled wrappers.

Cigar Filler

The quality of the "smoking experience" is determined by the quality and blend of the tobaccos used.

The filler is typically made up of 3 different types of leaves.

1. Ligero leaves provide power to the flavor
2. Seco leaves balance the Ligero leaves with a milder flavor
3. Volado leaves are blended into the mix ensuring an even burn

A tiny bit of gum tragacanth (sap from a gum tree) is applied to seal the wrapper. It’s a tasteless and safe form of dietary fiber keeps the cigar together until you can enjoy it! 

In our Cigar Woman Cigar Primer Part 2, we cover choosing a cigar by its color, shape, and size.

Top Internet Guides.com is proud to announce The Cigar Woman,  a blog community  for women to discuss, and learn more about Cigars.

I have searched far and wide to find a blog or forum with the Cigar Woman concept, that is, an interactive community rather than just a website where you have no input.

Sadly, my search turned up very short.

Thus I decided to start this series of blog posts to get the ball rolling. Once there is enough interest, I will launch a community forum dedicated to the cigar smoking for women.

We will provide the basic information you need to further women's interest in the hobby.

This will include a basic guide about how cigars are assembled, the different flavors of cigars, how cigars are rated, choosing a humidor, cigar accessories, and much much more.

Top Internet Guides is in the process of scouring the internet to find the best selection and best deals available for purchasing cigars and cigar accessories.

Welcome The Cigar Woman.

Smoking cigars is no long a hobby relegated to old men in stinky lounges. People of all legal ages are finding the collection and smoking of cigars to be a fun hobby.

So, if you are woman new to smoking cigars, or are even a veteran of the hobby, we are certain you'll find articles, people, and resources of value as part of our guides.

Questions and Suggestions From The Cigar Woman

We of course welcome your feedback, comments, suggestions, and questions. If you would like a particular recommendation, say for a party or other social gathering, please let use know.

We also recommend posting your facebook or other social networking website ID for other women to be able to find and chat with you.

Also, feel free to use the comments section of this post to keep in touch.

Our Cigar Primer

We have put together a great primer on cigars to get your started. Take a look at our Cigar Woman Cigar Primer.