Choosing your first cigar doesn’t have to be intimidating. The key is comfort, balance, and approachability—not strength or price. Here’s a beginner-friendly guide that works whether you’re buying your very first cigar or helping someone else get started.
My advice is to start with mild to mild-medium strength. Strength refers to nicotine impact, not flavor. A good beginner rule is if it’s labeled full-bodied or strong, skip it (for now). Why? Strong cigars can cause dizziness, nausea, or “nicotine sickness,” which turns people off cigars completely. The wrapper (outer leaf) influences flavor more than most beginners realize. Best wrappers for beginners are Connecticut Shade (Light tan, creamy, mild, forgiving) and Habano (lighter versions – Slightly richer but still approachable). While not always the worst choice, it is best to avoid dark maduro wrappers, or wrappers labeled “bold” or “extra fuerte” at first.
What Size Should I Choose?
Bigger isn’t better when you’re new, it is best to start small and get a feel and taste for it. Some of the best beginner sizes are Robusto, Corona, Petit Corona, and Toro. I would recommend avoiding larger sixes like Churchill, double corona, “A” and/or anything above 56 ring gauge until you have a better feel for smoking cigars. The larger the cigar, the more tobacco and body it will have.
Stick to Trusted Beginner Brands
These brands prioritize balance and construction over power. Popular beginner-friendly brands include:
- Arturo Fuente
- Macanudo
- Ashton Classic
- Perdomo
- Romeo y Julieta (non-Cuban)
Price Sweet Spot:
You don’t need expensive cigars to enjoy good ones. Cigars in the $7 to $14 price range will cover the most amount of cigars that you will be looking to smoke in the beginning and even as a novice or a solid expert. These cigars are well made, very consistent and not a huge waste if you don’t love them. They are also pretty readily available. I recommend staying away from higher priced and/or rare cigars until your feet are much wetter. These cigars are often expensive and can be some of the best cigars you will smoke. The problem with smoking these out of the gate is that it can ruin your expectations down the line, leaving you stuck only craving hard to find and expensive cigars. If you think I sound crazy – I watch it happen everyday. *sigh*
Flavor Expectations (What Beginners Usually Enjoy)
New smokers tend to like soft, familiar flavors. Common beginner-friendly notes are Cream, Toast, Nuts, Light cedar, Mild sweetness and Coffee with cream. While more experienced smokers tend to enjoy stronger flavors such as heavy pepper, intense earth, strong spice and heavy bitterness. Taste is personal and subjective. At the end of the day, the one thing that matters is what YOU enjoy, so smoke a variety of different stuff and then figure out what your favorite profiles are.
Buy Singles, Not Boxes
In the beginning, it is best to only buy one or two cigars at a time of each blend. I recommend one or two but each in a different size as the size differences can matter in the way cigar tastes. But do not buy boxes out of the gate unless you find a cigar your in love with you want to make one of your regulars. But don’t settle on one blend either, there are too many great ones out there.
A good cigar shop will happily help you through this process. If you walk into a store looking to shop, just be honest and let them know you are new. A few other bonus tips for first-time smokers include eating beforehand, smoke slowly and don’t try to power through it, absolutely do not inhale and at any point if you feel sick, dizzy or unwell put the cigar down and grab some water and something with sugar. Sugar helps counteract the nicotine. If you walk into a cigar store and they know you’re a beginner and they try to push boxes of strong cigars on you – leave.
