Fixing a Cigar That Burns Badly

Most burn problems aren't the cigar's fault, and most of them can be fixed in a minute without ruining the smoke. Here's what's usually going on and what to do about it.

Canoeing (one side burns faster)

You look down and one side of the cigar has burned an inch ahead of the other. That's canoeing, sometimes called running. It usually starts with an uneven light or a breeze on the patio.

Catch it early. Turn the cigar so the slow side faces down, since heat rises and the low side will burn faster. If it's already well off, touch the flame gently to the edge of the wrapper on the slow side until it catches up. Don't scorch the whole foot. You're only evening out the edge.

Tunneling (the center burns down, the wrapper doesn't)

Tunneling is when the filler burns into a hollow and the wrapper stays unlit around it, like a little chimney. It's common with cigars that are a bit too humid and with cigars that sat too long between puffs.

If it's shallow, toast the wrapper edge until it burns even with the filler. If it's deep, the cleanest fix is to cut off the tunneled part with your cutter and relight the cigar from the new foot. If tunneling keeps happening with cigars from your humidor, your humidity is probably running high. Try a lower humidity pack.

A tight or plugged draw

You pull and almost nothing comes through. Sometimes the cut was too shallow, so check that first and take a little more off the cap. If that doesn't help, roll the cigar gently between your fingers to find a hard spot, then massage it softly to loosen the filler. Go easy, because you can crack the wrapper.

A draw tool, a thin metal poker sold at most shops, can open a cigar that's truly plugged. Push it in through the head, give it a slight twist, and pull it out. Sometimes the plug can't be fixed. It happens to every brand now and then, and a good shop will usually make it right if you bring it back.

A loose, hot draw

The opposite problem is a cigar that draws like a straw and burns hot. Slow down. Wait longer between puffs, take gentler draws, and give the ash a chance to build. An inch of ash helps keep the burn cool, so don't tap it off early.

A cracked or peeling wrapper

Cracks usually mean the cigar was too dry or went from a cold car into a warm room too fast. A small crack near the foot will often burn right past. A small crack near the head can be held down with a dab of pectin glue, which some shops sell, or simply smoked with a little care. If the wrapper is unraveling in your mouth, you probably cut below the cap line. Next time, cut less.

When to relight

Cigars go out. It doesn't mean you did anything wrong. If it's been a few minutes, knock off the loose ash, blow gently back through the cigar to push out stale smoke, then toast the foot and relight it the same way you did the first time.

A cigar relit within half an hour or so usually tastes fine. After a few hours it starts to taste stale and bitter, though some people don't mind it. Relighting tomorrow's leftover half is your call, but it's rarely as good as you remember.

New to all this? Start with how to cut and light a cigar, since a good cut and an even light prevent most of these problems in the first place.