Depending on the lighter, you can hold it as far as 6 or 7 inches from the foot and still get the tobacco to glow. You don’t need to get so close when toasting and lighting. You want even heat, like you would use when cooking. Therefore, I suggest lowering the flame a bit. Not only can you keep it a little closer to the foot when toasting, you’ll also have more control.
One of the first rules of toasting and lighting premium cigars is to prevent the flame from touching the tobacco. That’s one of the advantages to using a torch lighter in the first place. However, since you’re dealing with extreme heat, a more measured approach will get you better results.
Executive Editor
Gary Korb has been writing and editing content for CigarAdvisor.com since its debut in 2008. An avid cigar smoker for over 30 years, he has worked on the marketing side of the premium cigar business as a Sr. Copywriter, blogger, and Executive Editor of Cigar Advisor. A graduate of the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, prior to his career in the cigar business, Gary worked in the music and video industry as a marketer and a publicist.
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