Smoking a cigar is a simple pastime — just cut it, light up and enjoy. In fact, this simplicity is part of what makes smoking a premium cigar so relaxing and enjoyable. That being said, there are still ways to improve your experience or, at the very least, avoid some frustrations. Below you’ll find some common mistakes that are made by both newbies and seasoned smokers. Avoid these pitfalls to keep your smoke sessions easygoing and worry-free.

Removing the Band Too Early

Some may think there’s no difference when or if you remove your cigar band. Well, we’re here to clear that up. Cigar bands are affixed to the most delicate and crucial part of a cigar: the wrapper leaf. Obviously, removing your band carelessly can cause a serious tear. But even if you’re careful, the act of peeling off the band can leave behind micro abrasions that you don’t even see. These tiny tears can wind up causing smoke leaks, splitting, or an unraveling wrapper.

The best way to remove a cigar band is to wait until you’ve smoked the cigar to within an inch of the band, then slowly peel it off. This allows the glue of the band to warm up and soften, minimizing the risk of tears.

Smoking Too Fast

This can be a tough habit to break, especially with mellow cigars. It’s easy to get lost in a conversation (or, sadly, a phone screen) while puffing away on your cigar. Before you know it, you look up and your cigar is all but finished. If you smoke premium cigars, this means you likely missed the complex, evolving flavor notes of the blend, and wasted some money to boot!

Avoiding fast smoking is a mental challenge but try making it a point to stop and take note of the cigar’s flavor profile a few times. Flavor notes generally shift while smoking a cigar, and are often divided into the first, second, and final third of the smoke. If you stop to dissect what you’re tasting once during each third, you’ll have a more rewarding experience. Letting the cigar briefly rest in an ashtray is another way to keep constant puffing to a minimum.

Smoking on an Empty Stomach

Another byproduct of smoking too fast is upsetting your stomach, and this is even more likely if you haven’t eaten in a while. Even if you’re a veteran cigar smoker, the right full-strength stogie on an empty stomach can leave you clutching your gut. The solution to this problem is simply to eat before you smoke. However, if you find yourself in a situation where you’ve already lit up on an empty stomach, there are some other actions you can take.

For starters, draw lightly and don’t make a meal out of the cigar itself. You should also drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and even eat something light like crackers or toast if available. Not only will these snacks put something in your stomach, but they also have minimal flavor to affect your cigar.

Torching the Foot

Lighting a cigar sounds simple enough, but there are actually a lot of mistakes you can make when sparking up. Getting a nice, even burn is paramount if you want an enjoyable smoking experience, but some folks can take this too far, repeatedly torching areas of the foot to match another spot that’s burning quicker. If you have a flame that’s burning the wrapper on the body of the stick, you’ve already gone too far. This could even alter the taste of the entire cigar.

When lighting a cigar, your goal should be to get a nice black ring on the wrapper at the cigar’s foot. Try to resist the urge to point the cigar downward into the flame. Ideally, your stogie should be kept level with the floor while the lighter is at a 45-degree angle. Slowly rotate the cigar and you should end up with the perfect burn.

Falling into Habits

Okay, this one is a bit more subjective than the others, but hear us out. You aren’t doing yourself any favors by clinging to the same cigar, or even the same style of cigars. If you’re really trying to get into cigars as a hobby, you should try as many different blends as you can. Of course, certain flavor profiles will still be your favorite, but expanding your horizon will only make you appreciate them more. Foodies don’t eat only steak, movie lovers don’t watch only superhero flicks, and cigar aficionados shouldn’t limit themselves to maduros.

If you’re a cigar smoker looking to branch out, it doesn’t mean you have to drop hundreds of dollars on a box of smokes you may not like. Cigar samplers are the perfect way to try a few different kinds of cigars without breaking the bank, and Best Cigar Prices has tons of them. After all, you won’t know what your next favorite cigar is until you try it!