What makes the classy cigar the new-age smoker's equivalent of French wine

Retailers even hold special events to showcase the cigar as a symbol of the high life, and guide new smokers on selecting, cutting, lighting up and smoking with panache

“The culture of tobacco connoisseurship has long been exemplified in the cigar. A symbol of wealth and power, its smokers have always been criticised for their extravagance, with the most expensive and prized cigars being Cuban.” This is how historian Jarrett Rudy traced the origins of cigar smoking. From Cuban dictator Fidel Castro to Indian cigar czar Chetan Seth, there is a growing breed of cigar aficionados across the world despite the strong campaign against tobacco.

Marketers talk of premium cigar (essentially a hand-rolled large filler) as a symbol of the good life, of style and affluence. A single stick