How to Cut a Cigar Like a ConnoisseurNovember 26, 2012
If You Think Cutting a Cigar is Simple, I Challenge You to Reconsider. Seriously.
Tad Gage
The simple answer is that clipping a cigar isn’t very difficult at all, so does it really require much consideration? You whack off the head of the cigar so you can draw, and light up, right? For the truly cutter-challenged, most cheap short-filler cigars come with a pre-punctured head, but let’s not go there.
Sure, you can use one of those cheap (or free) plastic guillotine cutters, and they might work adequately in an emergency. If you’re happy with that cut, drop me a line because I have dozens of unused ones floating around my house in various boxes of junk. You’re welcome to them. I just hate throwing this kind of stuff away, and most have attractive cigar brand logos on them.
From the Editor: During my interview with Alan Rubin, the President of Alec Bradley Cigars, Alan taught us a neat trick that we call "The Wrapper Test". It’s a fun and interesting way to test how much the wrapper leaf of a cigar contributes to the overall flavor profile of that specific cigar. The 1 minute, 50 second video clip is below. My friend, and colleague in the pipe business, 
If you weren’t scared off by the first part of this article, and you’ve decided to set aside some cigars for your aging experiments, here are some things to keep in mind. A lighter, milder or more nuanced cigar will more quickly lose intensity and complexity than a robust, full-bodied cigar. All tobacco softens in character with age, so a mild cigar won’t develop more body, nor will a full-bodied stogie become more intense. They’ll all decline in intensity over time because of exposure to air.
As a cigar smoker, aging a finished cigar is the one aspect of the cigar’s journey that we have some control over. For that reason alone, there’s some fun to be had! You may never quite know what you’ll get, but who doesn’t like playing mad scientist? There are as many opinions on this topic as there are smokers, so I’d like to offer my thoughts – not as a definitive truth, but as something for further consideration.
There has always been a considerable amount of discussion, and information, about aging cigar leaf once it’s picked, the value of aging tobacco for years in tercios (burlap or palm leaf wrapped blocks before leaves are turned into cigars) and the merits of aging cigars once they’re constructed. You often see discussions of vintage leaf and years of aging and maturing.
Beyond all the basics, there is a "certain something" about cigars and fine tobacco that captures our interest and passion. A cylindrical roll of well-aged leaves and the drifting blue smoke of a fine stogie tell part of the story, but not the full story. In the end, tobacco is as much about enjoying the moment and making memories, as it about the smoke itself. Not every cigar or situation will yield a memorable moment, but if you keep your eyes, ears and taste buds open, it’s surprising how many times a fine cigar can also yield a fine memory.
Let’s say you don’t have any immediate plans to be a cigar reviewer, but maybe you’d like to better understand what the reviews are describing. Or, perhaps you want to be a better judge of your own smokes. In my decades of enjoying, writing about and making recommendations to friends, or cigar lounge acquaintances, I believe I’ve nailed a few basics that can be pretty helpful in selecting and assessing your cigars.
