This is your go-to guide for cigar fundamentals, the place to start when questions come up. As part of our Cigar Academy, these articles focus on the basics that help you understand cigars with confidence. From common questions and cigar sizes to wrapper types and smoking basics, these articles break things down clearly and practically, no filler, no jargon, just useful knowledge that helps you get more out of every cigar.
A premium cigar is made in roughly nine stages, seed, harvest, curing, fermentation, sorting, aging, hand-rolling, quality control, and packaging, a run that takes anywhere from 18 months to several years. So no, a cigar is far more than rolled-up...
One of the very first questions every new cigar smoker wonders about is: how long does a cigar last? The truth is, it depends. Premium cigars come in all cigar shapes and sizes, and the smoking time can range anywhere from...
At After Action Cigars, we’ve always believed in quality you can carry and in partners who operate with that same mindset. That’s why we teamed up with our friends at TAG Firearms to release a limited-edition cigar designed for those who...
Cuban cigars are cigars rolled entirely from tobacco grown in Cuba, most of it in the Pinar del Río province, and sold to the rest of the world through the state company Habanos S.A. When cigar smokers argue about the...
Honduran cigars come out of three main growing regions, Jamastrán, Talanga, and Copán, and deliver bold, earthy smokes built on leather, oak, and spice, less peppery than a Nicaraguan, richer than a Dominican. Ask smokers where the best tobacco comes...
You’re packing for a trip. Maybe a long weekend, a golf outing, or a work escape with actual downtime. You glance at the humidor and think, I should probably bring some cigars. Per Cigar Aficionado, Cuban cigars remain restricted under the...
When cigar smokers talk about premium cigars, one country keeps coming up again and again: Nicaragua. Over the last few decades, this Central American country has gone from a hidden gem to the frontrunner in producing some of the most sought-after...
Dominican cigars are the smokes people mean when they call something one of the best cigars in the world, and there's good reason that reputation sticks. They come from a country that has quietly run the premium cigar business for...
At first glance, a culebra cigar looks more like a length of braided rope than a premium smoke. By definition, it’s made from three thinner cigars braided together into a single twisted cigar, creating that unmistakably unique cigar shape you don’t forget....
This section brings together cigar education and cigar fundamentals that help you understand what your smoking, compare cigars against others, and make better choices with confidence.
You’ll find articles that break down cigar sizes and shapes, wrapper types, strength and body differences, and the small details that influence how a cigar actually smokes. We also cover commonly asked cigar questions, from burn issues and draw problems to how flavor develops from the first third through the final stretch.
Every article is written from hands-on experience, not theory. The goal isn’t to tell you what to like, but to give you the context to understand what you’re smoking, why it behaves the way it does, and how to choose cigars that fit your taste, your pace, and the moments you smoke them.
Scroll through, explore what stands out, and take your time. Good cigars, and good understanding, are built, not rushed.
