The Craft · Step 02
The cedar light.
Why Dolan put the lighter away — and what cedar does that nothing else can.
Most people light a cigar the way they light a candle. Center, flame, done. Dolan watched us reach for the lighter and shook his head.
Cedar isn't just a vessel for fire. It has its own aroma. When it burns alongside the tobacco, the two smokes fold into each other — and what you taste for the rest of the cigar carries that first layer with it. You are not just starting the cigar. You are seasoning it.
The cedar strips you'll find lining most humidor shelves are exactly what you need. Most people throw them away. Don't.
Watch — Havana, 2019
Dolan demonstrates the cedar light
Filmed at the Meliá Cohiba lounge, Vedado, Havana · September 2019 · Starts at 1:28
The technique
A thin cedar strip is all you need — the kind found lining most humidor shelves. Light the cedar first and let it catch properly before you bring it anywhere near the cigar. The cedar needs to be burning cleanly, not just smoldering.
The cedar and the cigar meet at an angle — never head-on. This gives you control over where the heat goes and keeps the cedar's flame from burning too hot or too fast. Patience here pays off for the next hour.
Start at the edge, not the center. Work slowly around the circumference. The center will catch on its own — what you're building toward is an even burn across the whole foot of the cigar. That's Step 03.
You are not just lighting the cigar.
Technique demonstrated by Dolan, Meliá Cohiba lounge, Havana, September 2019.