Beginner's Guide to Cigars
Your First Cigar. Done Right.
Whether you have never held a cigar or you are somewhere in the middle of your journey, this guide is for you. No judgment, no pretension, just everything you need to walk in confident and walk out with a new favorite experience.
The Welcome
Empire Social Lounge is a members cigar and cocktail lounge, and we take both of those things seriously. But what we take equally seriously is making sure that every person who walks through our doors, regardless of where they are on their journey, feels completely at home.
If you have never smoked a cigar before, that is not a problem. It is actually one of our favorite situations to walk someone through. There is no intimidating knowledge test at the door. There is no wrong question. Our humidorists are here specifically to guide you, and matching someone to their first great cigar experience is genuinely one of the most rewarding parts of what they do.
What we want for every first-timer is simple: leave knowing more than when you came in, and leave having genuinely enjoyed it. That is the whole point. This guide will help you get there.
There is no wrong question. Our team is here to make sure your first experience is one worth repeating.
The Basics
Before getting into styles and strengths, it helps to understand what you are actually holding. A premium handmade cigar is three components working together to create a single, unified smoking experience. Each one plays a role in what you taste, how it burns, and how the whole thing feels in your hand.
The outermost leaf that you see and touch. The wrapper contributes significantly to the flavor of the cigar, often more than people expect. Its color gives you a general indication of the smoking experience, from lighter and creamier to darker and richer.
The leaf that holds the filler together beneath the wrapper. The binder adds structure and contributes its own layer of flavor complexity to the overall blend. A well-constructed binder is part of what gives a cigar its even, consistent burn.
The leaves packed inside the cigar that make up the body of the blend. The filler is where the blender has the most room to create complexity, layering different leaf types and primings to build the flavor profile and strength of the cigar from start to finish.
The Spectrum
One of the most common questions a first-timer asks is where to start. The honest answer is that it depends entirely on your palate and what you enjoy. But understanding the general spectrum of cigar strength and flavor gives you a foundation to work from and helps your humidorist point you in the right direction immediately.
Light bodied, smooth, and approachable. Mild cigars tend to feature creamier, more subtle flavor notes like cedar, hay, light nuts, and a gentle sweetness. Connecticut shade wrappers are a classic example of this profile. If you are brand new, this is almost always where we start the conversation.
More complexity and presence without overwhelming the palate. Medium bodied cigars open up the full range of flavor, bringing in leather, earth, coffee, dried fruit, and more depth on the finish. This is where most experienced smokers spend the majority of their time and where the category really starts to reveal its range.
Bold, rich, and assertive. Full bodied cigars deliver maximum flavor intensity and a noticeable nicotine presence. Dark wrappers, complex blends, and long finishes define this end of the spectrum. These are not where you want to begin if you are new, but they are where a lot of enthusiasts eventually land once they have built up their palate.
Some cigars are infused with flavors like coffee, vanilla, honey, or rum during the production process. These can be a comfortable on-ramp for someone who wants a sweeter, more familiar taste profile as they get acquainted with the experience of smoking a cigar. Not traditional, but completely valid as a starting point.
The Ritual
Nobody tells you this part, and it is the thing that trips most new smokers up. A premium cigar is not smoked like a cigarette. There is no inhaling. You draw the smoke into your mouth, let it sit for a moment, taste it, and release it. That is it. The experience is entirely about what happens on your palate, not in your lungs.
The cut. Before you can light a cigar, you need to open the cap, the closed end you put in your mouth. A straight cut with a sharp cutter is the most common approach and the most foolproof for a beginner. Our team will do this for you if you are not comfortable doing it yourself. A clean cut is the difference between an easy draw and a frustrating one.
The light. Use a soft flame lighter or a long wooden match and toast the foot of the cigar, the open end, before you begin drawing. Rotate the cigar slowly to get an even light across the entire surface. Take a few gentle puffs while doing this and you will see it begin to glow evenly. A proper light is the foundation of a good smoke. Rush this step and you will fight the cigar the entire way through.
The pace. Puff every thirty to sixty seconds. That is slower than most people expect. Smoking too fast overheats the cigar, turns the smoke harsh, and cuts the experience short. Let it breathe between draws. You are not trying to finish it quickly. You are trying to enjoy it fully.
The ash. Do not tap it off. Let the ash build and fall naturally when it is ready. A solid white ash is actually a sign of quality construction. Tapping it like a cigarette interrupts the draw and drops the temperature of the burn.
When to stop. You do not have to smoke the whole thing. When the flavor starts to change or the heat becomes noticeable, that is your signal. Set it down and let it go out on its own. There is no rule that says you have to finish it, and forcing it past its natural finish point does not improve the experience.
Questions to Ask Your Humidorist
- I am brand new. Where do you recommend I start?
- What is the mildest, smoothest option you have in the humidor right now?
- I usually drink bourbon or scotch. What pairs well with that?
- How long will this cigar smoke for?
- What is the difference between this one and that one?
- Can you show me how to cut and light it properly?
- What would you personally recommend for someone at my experience level?
The Pairing
The right drink alongside the right cigar is one of the most underrated pleasures in the world. The two complement each other in a way that makes both better than they would be on their own. Here is a simple framework to get you started.
Mild cigars pair beautifully with lighter spirits and cocktails. A good coffee drink, a rum cocktail, or a lighter whiskey works well here. You do not want anything too bold or it will overpower what the cigar is doing.
Medium bodied cigars are the most versatile pairing partners. Bourbon, aged rum, a well-made Old Fashioned, or a Manhattan all work exceptionally well. This is the range where most pairing conversations get interesting.
Full bodied cigars can handle big, assertive spirits. A heavily peated Scotch, a high-proof bourbon, or a robust añejo tequila all hold their own alongside a full cigar without either one drowning the other out.
When in doubt, ask your bartender and your humidorist at the same time. At Empire, both teams talk to each other, and getting a recommendation from both sides of the experience is one of the advantages of being in a room where cigars and cocktails are equally taken seriously.
Come In. We Will Take It From Here.
Our humidorists are here to match you to the right cigar for your experience level, your palate, and your evening. No pressure, no pretension. Just an exceptional first experience waiting to happen.
Reserve at Brickell Reserve at Las Olas
