Cigar beginners may benefit from starting off with smaller, simpler-tasting sticks. Larger cigars are filled with more tobacco and thus have a tendency to be more complex. Good advice for anyone new to the lifestyle is to start small and work up to the Churchills and Double Coronas.

Also, take the cigar’s components (filler, binder and wrapper) under consideration. Cigars with Dominican filler and binders and those with Cameroon wrappers often provide a milder taste; cigars with Nicaraguan filler and binder and Ecuadorian wrappers may be more suited to those who enjoy complex blends with pronounced flavors. Dominican puros also fit into this latter category, being medium- or full-bodied.

With the complexities that cigars present, beginners are advised to start purchasing single sticks before considering full boxes.