The Art of the Flame: A Guide to Lighting Your Cigar Like a True Aficionado

Let’s be honest - lighting a cigar sounds simple until you’re doing it with a crowd watching, one shaky hand, and a flame that seems to be auditioning for a magician's act. But the truth is, how you light your cigar can dramatically influence the flavours that follow. There's chemistry at play, combustion temperatures, airflow, and even the shape of your flame.

After running my own little experiment, lighting the same cigar two different ways, I discovered something worth sharing. And since cigar lighting is often overshadowed by talk of blends, wrappers, and pairings, it’s high time we gave the flame its due respect.

Torch Lighters: The Dumbproof Destroyer

Let’s start with the good ol' torch lighter, or as I call it: the dumbproof dragon breath. Easy? Absolutely. Precise? Not really. A jet lighter gets your cigar lit in seconds, with zero drama. Perfect for a windy day or an impatient smoker.

Torch lighters use pressurized butane gas and burn at upwards of 1,300°C (about 2,372°F). That’s hot enough to melt aluminum, incinerate your foot if you’re not careful, and unfortunately, scorch the delicate oils and sugars on the foot of your cigar. Instead of coaxing flavour out like a slow violin solo, you’re launching a flamethrower into an opera house.

Convenient, yes. Romantic? Not quite. You're not toasting the cigar, you're fast-forwarding through its foreplay and straight into the crescendo.

Soft Flame: The Gentleman's Choice

Soft flame lighters burn at a gentler 600°C to 800°C, a whisper compared to the jet's roar. The flame dances with your cigar rather than attacking it. The result? A more even, flavour-forward light, where the natural oils aren't burnt off before you even take a puff.

And here’s the dreamy bit - soft flame lighting takes time. It requires presence. A little patience. It's a courtship, not a conquest. And that might be why some purists swear it's the only "real" way to light a premium stick.

I haven't pulled the trigger on a proper luxury soft flame lighter just yet, but after tasting the difference - like sipping wine instead of downing vodka - it’s climbing high on my wish list.

Matches: Old School Romance

Now let’s talk about my personal revelation - matches. Not just any match, mind you, but cigar matches. Longer, thicker, made to burn slower. You're wielding fire like a 19th-century novelist might light a candle before writing something brilliant.

Matches burn at a lower temperature and produce a more organic flame, often with a bit of sulfur at first (pro tip: let the sulfur burn off before you bring it near your cigar). What you’re left with is pure wood flame - a soft, flickering warmth that teases out the subtle, complex flavours of a great cigar.

When I lit up my Davidoff Yamasa Robusto with a match, I tasted something... elevated. Fruity, herbaceous, like a Bolivar in a berry patch. In contrast, the torch-lit version felt like I’d roasted it over a bonfire with some truck tires.

Sure, you’ll need 2-3 matches to get it going, and more if the cigar needs a touch-up. But who says romance should be efficient?

Cedar Wood Spills: The Cigar Nerd’s Lighting Wand

Cedar spills are strips of cedar wood often found inside cigar boxes (that fancy little sheet on top? Keep it!). They catch flame beautifully and burn with a sweet, woody scent that primes your palate before the first puff.

Cedar spills burn slow, with a dancing flame that’s more whisper than roar. The wood itself imparts a subtle aromatic note that pairs gorgeously with most cigars, especially those already leaning into cedar, spice, or cream. It’s a theatrical lighting method, ideal for rituals, whisky pairings, or simply flexing on your friends who think Bic lighters are acceptable (they're not).

Science? Oh yes. Cedar spills burn at lower, fluctuating temperatures, which reduces the risk of singeing the wrapper and lets the oils wake up gently. It’s like drawing a warm bath for your cigar’s soul.

So What's the Verdict?

Lighting a cigar shouldn’t feel like prepping a rocket launch, but it is an art. It’s not about being pretentious, it’s about giving your cigar the respect it deserves. Torch lighters are convenient but aggressive. Matches and soft flames? They’re like whispering sweet nothings to your cigar before you kiss it.

Burning versus toasting is a crucial distinction. Burning is combustion. Toasting is transformation. And if you want to taste all the poetry the blender put into that cigar, you better start with a gentle spark.

And remember: don’t burn it. Toast it. You know, like actual toast. Golden, warm, inviting. Not charred, black, and bitter. Your taste buds will thank you.

Final Puff

So, what did I learn from all this? Lighting matters. Big time. The same cigar, lit differently, can taste like two completely different sticks. So experiment. Try different flames. See what tickles your palate.

Find what works for you. Don’t stress the method, respect the ritual. And whatever you use - match, spill, soft flame, or torch-light it with care, puff with pride, and happy smoking, aseres.

Cigar Featured in this Experiment: Davidoff Yamasa Robusto

• Format: Robusto (127mm x 50 ring gauge)
• Wrapper & Binder: Yamasa (Dominican Republic)
• Filler: Aged Dominican & Nicaraguan tobaccos
• Strength: Full-bodied
• Flavour Notes: Earth, spice, coffee, cedar, dark chocolate, roasted nuts, with subtle fruit and herbal sweetness

A cigar I now consider the “Cuban of non-Cubans.” Bold words, I know. But taste it properly, and tell me I’m wrong.