Learn the leaf
The short course on reading a cigar
Six quick lessons, in plain English. No snobbery — just enough to walk into any humidor and choose well. Start at the top, or jump to whatever you’re curious about.
8 lessons · about 24 minutes total
Lesson 1
Strength, and why it isn’t flavor
The five-step scale — and the thing every beginner gets backwards.
Lesson 2
The wrapper does the talking
The outer leaf drives much of the flavor. Learn to read it at a glance.
Lesson 3
Where it grew
Nicaragua, Dominican, Honduras, Cuba, Mexico — each a flavor family.
Lesson 4
Shapes & sizes, decoded
Robusto vs. Toro vs. Gordo, Churchill vs. Lancero, and whether you’d like a torpedo.
Lesson 5
How to actually smoke one
Cut, light, draw, and pace — the ritual, and the mistakes to skip.
Lesson 6
How to taste it
The thirds, the retrohale, and how to find words for what you’re tasting.
Lesson 7
Keeping your cigars
Humidity is everything. Humidors, the 70/70 rule, and the easy beginner setup.
Lesson 8
Why one cigar rates higher
What the scores measure — and why the top score isn’t your best cigar.