我的第一支雪茄

Step 1: Choose the Shop (the Most Important Step)

Do not start with 7-11 or an ordinary tobacco shop--what they sell is a "convenience" cigar, not a cultural experience.

Look for a professional cigar lounge, with three essential conditions:

• ✅ Has a walk-in humidor--this means the owner takes humidity seriously
• ✅ Has trained service staff--they can recommend based on your needs, rather than telling you to "just pick anything"
• ✅ Has procurement through the four official channels (古巴 cigars)--to ensure they are genuine Habanos

台北大安區: W Cigar Bar 紳士雪茄館 (PCC authorized dealer). There are other choices as well, but procurement through official channels is the most secure--you do not want your first cigar to be a counterfeit.

Step 2: State Your Needs After Entering

After entering, do not pretend you know.

Tell the service staff directly: "I have never smoked one before. Please recommend one."

The service staff will ask you three key questions. Prepare your answers:

Question A: What strength do you want?

Beginners have only one answer: mild. Do not try to be tough and choose medium-full or full--there is a high chance you will feel dizzy, cough, and develop a negative impression of cigars.

Question B: How much time do you have?

• 60 minutes: choose robusto size (5×50)
• 90 minutes: choose toro size (6×50)
• 120 minutes: choose churchill size (7×47)

Beginner: choose robusto first. A shorter duration will not make you feel fatigued.

Question C: What is your budget?

• NT$800-1,500: entry level (Macanudo / Davidoff Signature)
• NT$1,500-3,000: classic (Cohiba Siglo / Padrón 1964)
• NT$3,000-8,000: top tier (Cohiba Behike / Padrón Anniversary)

For the first time, choosing the middle range is the best value--too cheap may affect the experience, while too expensive may offer differences you cannot yet appreciate.

Step 3: The Service Staff Will Recommend One of These 3

As the person in charge of W Cigar Bar, these are my standard recommendations for beginners:

Recommendation #1: Macanudo Café Hyde Park (NT$800-1,000)

• 多明尼加共和國 / the world's best-selling mild cigar
• Connecticut Shade wrapper, creamy floral aroma, zero harshness
• Suitable for: people who have never smoked anything at all

Recommendation #2: Davidoff Signature 2000 (NT$1,200-1,500)

• 多明尼加 / 瑞士 brand, top-tier craftsmanship
• Delicate creaminess + a little toasted nut
• Suitable for: people who have smoked a few cigars but are still exploring

Recommendation #3: Cohiba Siglo I (NT$1,400-1,800)

• 古巴 classic, procured through the four official channels
• The choice that lets you proudly say, "My first cigar was a Cohiba"
• Suitable for: people who want to experience 古巴 lineage directly

Step 4: The First Cut With the Cutter

The service staff will teach you--do not try to force it and cut it yourself.

Key actions:

1. Place the cigar vertically inside the LUBINSKI double-blade guillotine cutter
2. Cutting position: 1-2 mm above the cap (the cap is the covering layer at the head)
3. Press down firmly with both hands
4. After cutting, look at the cut: intact wrapper edge = correct cut

Do not cut below the cap--this will cause the entire wrapper to peel away and the cigar to fall apart.

Step 5: The Lighting Ritual (This Is the Soul of the Cigar)

At W Cigar Bar, we insist on using a cedar spill--this is the most refined lighting method.

The complete ritual takes 1-2 minutes:

1. The service staff takes a cedar spill and lights it with a lighter
2. Wait for the flame to stabilize (5-10 seconds)
3. Hold the foot of the cigar 1-2 cm away from the flame and toast it for 30-60 seconds--do not let it directly touch the flame
4. You will see the foot of the cigar begin to glow red evenly
5. Put the cigar in your mouth, slowly and gently draw 5-8 times, while rotating the cigar
6. The foot of the cigar glows red evenly all the way around = it is fully lit

Do not rush, and do not inhale directly--slowness is elegance.

Step 6: The First Draw

The correct posture for the first draw:

1. Slowly draw into the mouth (3-5 seconds)
2. Let it stay in your mouth for 2-3 seconds
3. Exhale through the nose--this is the core of cigars; "nasal finish" is the essence of appreciation

Do not exhale through the mouth--you will miss 70% of the layers. Do not inhale into the lungs--you will cough, feel dizzy, and ruin the experience.

The first draw may make you cough--that is normal. From the second draw onward, you will start to understand.

Step 7: How to Spend the 60 Minutes

This is what beginners most need to learn--pace control.

Pace: One Draw Every 60-90 Seconds

Do not smoke once every 30 seconds--overheating will make the tobacco leaves produce bitterness and harshness, ruining the entire cigar.

In between, you can:

• Take a sip of a drink (water / whisky / coffee)
• Chat with friends
• Look at the shape of the cigar smoke
• Simply zone out

A Cigar Has Three Sections

• First 1/3 (first 20-25 minutes): exploratory stage, light creamy floral aroma
• Middle 1/3 (25-50 minutes): climax, the richest complex layers
• Final 1/3 (50-75 minutes): strength increases, finish, possibly slightly bitter

Pay attention to the middle section--this is the "highest-scoring moment" of a top-tier cigar.

Step 8: Stop When 1-2 cm Remain

Do not smoke it until it burns your hand--the final 1-2 cm is the most concentrated "bottom" of the cigar. It has already lost most of its flavor and only bitterness remains.

Let the cigar extinguish naturally in the ashtray--do not stub it out like a cigarette. That will release an unpleasant odor and shows disrespect for the cigar.

Payment and Tips (Cigar Culture)

The service professionals at a cigar lounge deserve tips.

• Baseline: 5-10% of your spending
• Especially good: if the service staff teaches you how to cut and light, recommends a cigar suitable for you, and chats with you for 90 minutes--give a little more

At W Cigar Bar 紳士雪茄館, we will help you set up what to smoke on your second visit--this is the beginning of a long-term relationship.

⚠️ Warning: Smoking is harmful to health. Smoking cessation hotline: 0800-636363. This site is for adults aged 20 and above only.

Frequently Asked Questions Q&A

Q1: How much does it cost to go to a professional cigar lounge for the first time?

Real experience at W Cigar Bar:

• Cigar: NT$1,500-3,000
• Drink: NT$300-800
• Venue fee: NT$0-500 (charged by some shops)
• Tip: 5-10%
• Total: NT$2,000-4,500 / person

Worth it. Compared with a one-star Michelin meal (NT$5,000+), it is cheaper, but the experience lasts longer.

Q2: If there is no dress code, can I wear shorts and slippers?

W Cigar Bar does not enforce a dress code, but at least smart casual is recommended: long pants + collared polo / shirt. It is a form of respect for yourself and for other guests. Experienced players will judge whether you are "worth getting to know" by looking at how you dress--this is an unspoken rule in the cigar circle.

Q3: Will it be awkward to go to a cigar lounge alone?

Not at all. About 30% of W Cigar Bar guests come alone--what they need is precisely "to quietly smoke a cigar by themselves." Both the bar area and lounge area welcome solitude. A cigar lounge is different from a bar--coming alone is actually more respected, because it represents that you have sovereignty over your own time.

Q4: If I do not know how to smoke, will I be laughed at?

No. At W Cigar Bar, when experienced players see beginners, they usually take the initiative to share and teach--this is a tradition in the cigar circle. 20 years ago, they were also beginners and were guided by senior players. If you encounter someone who laughs at beginners--that is not a cigar player, that is an asshole. Ignore him.

Q5: Can I take photos with my phone?

• ✅ Photograph yourself / photograph the cigar: yes
• ❌ Photograph other people: no--many business guests, political guests, and entertainers choose cigar lounges precisely because of the "private feeling of not being disturbed"

Respect this culture and you will be welcomed. Disrespect it and you will be asked to leave.

Q6: Can I pack up an unfinished cigar?

You can, but it is not recommended. Once a cigar leaves the humidor environment (68% RH), it begins to deteriorate, and after 3 hours the flavor declines noticeably. It is better to come back next time and smoke a new one. At W Cigar Bar, if someone "packs up an unfinished cigar," we will advise them to reassess the size--next time, choose a robusto instead of a churchill.

Q7: Is it better to smoke after a meal or before a meal?

Absolutely after a meal. The problems with smoking before a meal:

• Easy to feel dizzy (empty stomach + nicotine)
• The cigar flavor will cover the layers of the food that follows
• Being hungry for 60-90 minutes is quite difficult

One cigar after a meal with whisky--this has been the gold standard of 法式 / 古巴 aristocracy since the 1900s. There is no better arrangement.

Welcome to W Cigar Bar 紳士雪茄館 in 大安區, where Cigar Prince Wilson Tsai will personally accompany you through your first cigar in life.