Where to Start as a Cigar Newbie | Choosing Your First Cigar

Anyone who has smoked a cigar before, whether they’re one, ten, or even fifty years into it, started in the same place. Many like to do lots of research, and some like to go in blind and buy with their eyes. Whilst browsing for yourself can be fun, it can also be very overwhelming, and choosing the wrong cigar for you can be the deciding factor on whether you continue your cigar journey or stub it out.

When making your first purchase, it’s important to consider:

Starting with location, many people overlook this consideration. Now, the cigar itself is the main thing, sure, but your experience is almost always affected by your location. One example I can personally give you is when I first tried the H. Upmann Half Corona – a Cuban cigar beloved by many. I took the cigar out late at night to the Norfolk broads amongst a bunch of friends, which sounds lovely right? But it was coming toward the end of Autmn, and was windy, cold and raining slightly. This combination (lots of people around, almost complete darkness, wind and rain) created a negative space in my mind, which would not allow me to enjoy the cigar as much as I’d hoped for. I tossed the cigar halfway through, then decided I didn’t like it. This was back in my early days of smoking cigars, so I didn’t quite realise it had nothing to do with the cigar.

Fast forward a few years later, I sit in a lounge to film a review on the exact same cigar, going into it with a hesitant but open mindset, and voilà. It’s damn good.

The next thing to think about is how long you want to smoke for. It’s all well and good saying you want a classic cigar like in “The Godfather” (this is a genuine experience I had with a customer), however if you only want to smoke for around 15 minutes, then something like a larger ring gauge cigar which was typically seen in The Godfather is probably not ideal and would be a total waste of money.

There are so many Vitolas (size and shape) of cigars, from Cigarillos through to Coronas, all the way up to Double Coronas and Churchills. If you plan on sitting with the cigar for around an hour, then you will have ample choice, and should be able to smoke anything up to a Robusto. If you are going to spare around 2 hours, then you will no doubt be able to smoke through a Churchill. However, if you want something a little smaller and less intimidating, then for a Petit Corona, you’re looking at around 30 minutes.

When you get into the world of cigars, you’ll realise one thing – it’s bloody expensive! Sampler packs are a great way to get the most value out of your money, as typically these will be of lower cost than sold singularly.

Prices vary heavily based on location. For example, a typical New World cigar from one brand could cost $4.00 in the US, but in the UK it could cost £15.00. This is mostly down to taxes and import duties – it’s a little unfortunate, but most UK retailers (especially C.Gars Ltd) will price as low as possible.

It wouldn’t be accurate for me to say that “Robustos are always around £X” so I won’t say that, but what I do know is that the more popular the brand, the rarer the tobacco, and the heavier the cigar, the more it will typically cost. Don’t go into a store expecting to buy a large cigar for only a few quid – that’s unrealistic.

There are some amazing options out there on the lower end of the scale, though. For example, a few good picks that are not only affordable, but great entry cigars include:

Mitchellero Nicaragua

Regius Serie Limitada

Inca Secret Blend

This can be the hardest part to figure out, especially if you’ve never touched a cigar before. What do they typically taste like? How do you find out what you like?

My best advice here is to buy wide before you buy deep. But what do I mean by this? Buying wide is when you purchase multiple cigars from a wide array of brands, whereas buying deep means buying multiples of one or two brands. For example:

Buying wide: Purchasing a Montecristo No. 4, Bolivar Royal Corona, Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 3 and H. Upmann Half Corona. This selection includes different Vitolas, strengths and flavour profiles.

Buying deep: You enjoyed the Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 3, so now you buy deep into that brand, purchasing the Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2, Elegantes and Epicure Especial.

Doing this allows you to understand what you do and don’t like in a cigar. In the example above, you enjoyed the Hoyo de Monterrey cigar, meaning you most likely enjoy the light and relatively sweet profile.

I do always say, however, that it’s more important to know what you don’t like than what you do like. Then you can keep an eye out for those particular notes or profiles (sweet and creamy / earthy and spicy etc.)

One of the first decisions you'll face is whether to choose a Cuban or New World cigar. Neither is inherently better. Cuban cigars are often prized for their elegance, subtle complexity and heritage, while New World cigars, produced in countries such as Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Honduras, often offer richer, sweeter and more full-bodied flavours. For a beginner, both are well worth exploring.

The last thing I’ll leave you with is this – trust the cigar experts.

When those customers came into the shop requesting a cigar “like in the Godfather”, then pointed out a large and intense cigar, I advised them against it. I made some recommendations that would be better suited to beginner palates, but they did not want to listen and made the purchase of the two cigars anyway. Which is perfectly fine! They may have enjoyed them, but I never had the opportunity to help them explore cigars further. Starting with something suited to your palate often leads to a much better first experience.

The staff members are there to help. We go through multiple training sessions, so any staff member should always be able to advise on what’s best for you.

If you are looking for your first cigar, or perhaps even just unsure about what to try next, you can check out our New to Cigar Smoking? section, which includes a hand-picked selection of premium cigars, both Cuban and New World. Alternatively, you can contact our Customer Care team to receive a personalised recommendation.

Happy herfing!