Bad burn, bad burn, what’cha gonna do?

Q. How do I stop my cigars from burning unevenly?
– Terry Van Den Boom

A. Depending on circumstances, ranging from the actual quality of the cigar to the conditions under which you’re smoking it, sometimes there’s nothing you can do. That said, here’s what you can do in general to help your cigars burn better.

1. Keep your cigars at a relative humidity of 68% and a temperature of about 70 degrees.
2. Clip the cap evenly, exposing as much of the head as possible without cutting too deep. If you use a double-blade cutter, try to actually “pop” the cap off when you clip it. (Leftover cap leaf covering the head can also affect the draw and the burn.)
3. Make sure you evenly toast the foot of the cigar and blow on it to get the entire foot glowing before you starting puffing.
4. As you smoke the cigar, rotate it a little. I usually do this while the cigar’s in my mouth as I puff it. That will help it burn more evenly, especially if there is a breeze.
5. Don’t puff too often or too hard on the cigar.