A Romeo Y Julieta 1875 is probably one of the most common “first-time cigars” out there. Even if it wasn’t your introduction to Romeo Y Julieta cigars, it is an endearing favorite among the lines produced by the brand. RYJ produces a number of highly esteemed cigars such as their 505 Nicaragua, Reserva Real, and RYJ Añejo, in addition to the classic 1875.
The company, which has a rich history spanning back many decades and originated in Cuba, leans heavily on tradition and experience to produce some of the finest cigars in the world today. The Romeo Y Julieta brand produces a range of flavor profiles, with many mellow to medium full-bodied cigars with a smooth finish that is on the lighter side.
With that being said, this article is going to focus more on the matter of getting a satisfactory, enjoyable light for your cigar - each and every time you set out to do so. The good news for you is that, if you’ve come across this article and happen to be holding something other than an RYJ in your hand, it’ll be just as applicable.
So sit back, peruse our words of wisdom, and then get ready to enjoy a pleasant, cool smoke from a properly lit cigar - be it an RYJ or otherwise.
Preparing the Cigar
The first thing any cigar smoker has to do, whether the item in question represents Romeo Y Julieta Cigars or even Montecristo Cigars, is to prepare the cigar for the smoke.
You may know from experience that a cigar’s wrapper effectively prevents establishing a clean draw through it until it has been properly prepared. To prepare the cigar, you’ll need either a cigar punch or a cigar cutter. Some might prefer specialized cigar knives, but these must be properly engineered and very sharp, not to mention the fact you need a certain degree of skill to use them effectively.
For that reason, we’re only going to cover the use of punches and cutters in this article, but for most of you reading this it should work just fine.
Take a look at your cigar; the end that you light, the open end where you can see the binder and filler wrapped up inside the cigar - that is called the foot. You don’t need to worry about this right now.
The other end of the cigar is called the cap; this is the end that you need to punch or cut. The shape, style, and size of the cigar will dictate the appearance and nature of the cigar’s cap, but whether it’s rounded or pointed doesn’t make a difference, in this specific scenario.
If you’re using a cigar cutter, open the blades and place the cap of the cigar in the slotted hole. Don’t allow more than a quarter of an inch to protrude through the hole since you’ll be cutting this away. You don’t want to remove too much from the cap; only enough to give you a clean and even draw. Press the blades firmly together to shear through the wrapper and remove a small section from the cap.
If you’re using a cigar punch, expose the blade, then insert it into the cap of the cigar, as near to the center as you can. Rotate the blade slightly as you insert it if you encounter a bit of resistance from the wrapper. Push the punch in until it will go no further than remove it cleanly from the cap of the cigar. You should have removed a small plug of tobacco from the cigar, which you can discard in an ashtray.
At this point, your cigar has been effectively prepared for smoking. Place the cap of the cigar in your mouth and draw some air into your mouth, as though you were smoking. Here you can taste the cold, pre-light notes, but we’re not diving into that here. We just need to make sure that you have a clean, even draw.
With the plug removed or the cap cut, you should be able to draw air evenly and cleanly into your mouth. Now you’re ready for the light.
Different Types of “Lights”
They say there’s more than one way to skin a cat. Well, there’s more than one way to light a cigar, too, and there are some pretty heated opinions on the matter, as well.
Most people light their cigars using either a torch lighter or wooden matches, although some traditionalists will use a strip of cedar that is said to give a superior light. We’re also going to cover soft blame butane lighters as well as liquid fuel lighters, like classic Zippos, just because they’re common and people do occasionally use them to light cigars.
We have to walk before we can crawl, however, so we’ll start with tradition.
Using a Strip of Cedar
If you’ve ever bought a box of cigars, it probably came with a very thin strip of cedar that covered the top of the box, or with several strips of cedar cradling the cigars contained within. The cedar is pretty and improves the aesthetic presentation of the box, but there are several practical reasons that it is included.
For one thing, cedar is antimicrobial as well as antifungal, and it protects the cigars from degrading. Cedar is also amazingly effective at regulating humidity, which protects the cigars during travel. Cedar also has a very pleasant odor and flavor, which it imparts to the cigars to which it is adjacent, slowly, over time.
These are valuable enough observations about cedar, to be true, but there is one more highly practical reason that cigar makers pack their boxes of cigars in the company of cedar strips: to light them. Purists will tell you that cedar establishes the finest, most fragrant light.
First, tear or cut off a strip of cedar from the sheet that came with the box of cigars. You can roll it up, or you can cut about a one-inch wide section from the sheet.
Using a cedar strip effectively to light a cigar requires a little bit of finesse. Also, you’ll need to use something else to actually light the cedar strip, so you won’t want to use anything that will impart undue flavors into it.
If you are using a match, use only a wooden match (we’ll explain more about that in a moment). Allow the head to burn off entirely before you light one end of the strip. Butane lighters are preferable for this, instead of liquid fuel lighters, because they will add no flavor.
Light one end of the strip and allow the flame to burn for a second or two. Level the strip of cedar and bathe the foot of the cigar in the yellow flame. Do not press the foot of the cigar down against the strip of cedar or hold it too high above the flame.
Then, draw evenly into your mouth, pulling the flame into the foot of the cigar. You may rotate the cigar as you do so to help establish an even light. After only a few draws, you should have a very well, evenly lit cigar.
You probably didn’t use all of your cedar strips to establish the light, which is fine. Allow the flame to go out by holding the strip vertically or blow it out gently. What remains of the cedar can be used to light other cigars.
Using Wooden Matches
One rung down the ladder of purism is people who prefer to use matches to light their cigars. Matches are reliable, cheap, easy to use, and don’t require refueling. They also take a bit of skill to use, but for some smokers, it’s well worth the effort.
One note here: don’t waste your time using anything but wooden matches. Paper matches are flimsy, hard to light, burn too fast, and are, overall, ineffective for lighting cigars. What’s worse about paper matches is that they contain wax, which will damage the flavor of the cigar. The solution is easy, just avoid them.
That leaves wooden matches, which burn longer, more evenly, and impart no flavor - or at worst, a light, pleasant one. You just need to be sure you light the cigar properly.
Once the cigar is prepared, strike a match and allow the sulfur on the head to burn off fully. Then, hold the match horizontally, or with the head end on a slight incline to prevent it from burning too quickly. Then, the process is similar as it is with a strip of cedar.
Apply the yellow flame to the foot of the cigar, not too close to the match shaft and not too high on the flame column. Draw in even puffs through your mouth and release the vapors, rotating the cigar as you do so. Within a few puffs, you should have a well-lit cigar.
With a bit of practice, you can even accomplish a strong, even light with only one wooden match. However, needing more than one is not uncommon.
Using a Torch Lighter
Next, we have torch lighters, which burn butane as fuel and emit a crisp, hot blue flame. These are probably the most popular styles of cigar lighters used by cigar smokers today.
Part of their draw lies in the fact that they burn butane as a fuel, which imparts no flavor to the tobacco. They also burn with a directional flame, which means the “point” of the flame can be used to “touch up” areas of the cigar that are not burning evenly. In addition, torch lighters are fairly windproof.
This combination of factors makes these lighters very attractive to a wide range of cigar smokers. To light a cigar using a torch lighter, a good practice is to apply the tip of the torch flame to the foot of the cigar while drawing in. You don’t want to get too close with the flame or else you can actually scorch the wrapper, binder, and fillers.
Lighting a cigar with a torch lighter requires care and attention to prevent scorching the foot. It’s also worth noting that, despite the convenience of torch lighters, they guzzle fuel.
Using a Soft Flame Lighter
Another class of butane lighters is lighters that emit a soft flame, or a flame that looks like a Bic lighter or a candle torch. These lights are not effective in the cold and are not windproof, but otherwise, they carry the same benefits of torch lighters, without burning the fuel wastefully.
Lighting a cigar with a soft flame lighter is similar to lighting one with a piece of cedar or with a wooden match, except you don’t need to let anything burn off. Light the lighter, then apply the end of the flame to the foot of the cigar, drawing in. As you do so, the flame will be taken into the foot of the cigar and will flare up as you release the draw.
Rotate the cigar, repeating the process until you have a nice, even light at the foot.
A Note on Lighter Fluid
Finally, you have lighters that take liquid lighter fluid, such as Zippos. These classic lighters are common enough that they merit a note.
Generally, it is not a good idea to light a cigar with one of these as the lighter fluid will adversely flavor the tobacco and can ruin the smoke. However, if it’s all you have, light the lighter, and allow the flame to stabilize for two to three seconds, to burn off the build-up fuel.
Then, apply the tip of the flame to the foot of the cigar and draw in lightly. Do not suck the flame fully into the foot of the cigar or you risk tainting the tobacco with the residue of the lighter fluid. Done carefully, you can actually achieve a light that is largely free of adverse flavor.
Call Us for Help!
There you have it - well-lit Romeo Y Julieta cigars, every time, no matter what you’re using to light them.
Whether you’re here for Romeo Y Julieta cigars or other cigars and tobacco products (such as cigar accessories), our team is ready to help you. Whatever your preferences are; whether you prefer the references to mellow, medium-bodied blends that are commonly made to RYJ cigars or you desire something much more powerful, like a Reserve Maduro, we have what you need. You just need to find it.
Check out our collection of cigar brands, and if you have any questions about your cigars, or how to light them, call us at 800-887-7877.