Lighting a cigar is a two-stage process: toast first, then light.
To toast, hold the cigar at a forty-five degree angle above the flame, with the foot just above the flame rather than touching it. Rotate the cigar slowly so the heat reaches every part of the foot evenly. After ten to fifteen seconds, the foot will glow uniformly orange around its perimeter; this is the toast complete.
Then bring the cigar to your mouth, place the foot just into the flame, and puff gently while continuing to rotate. The first few puffs draw the burn into the body of the cigar. Three or four light puffs is usually enough; do not draw heavily as if on a cigarette.
Once the foot is glowing evenly, blow gently on it to confirm the burn is uniform. If one side is darker than the other, hold that side over the flame for a few extra seconds to even it out before you start smoking properly. An uneven start tends to mean an uneven burn for the first third of the cigar.
Use a butane torch lighter or a wooden match. Avoid soft-flame petrol lighters (Zippos), which can leave a fuel taste in the smoke. Cedar spills (thin strips of Spanish cedar lit from a match and then used to light the cigar) are the connoisseur’s choice because the cedar is neutral.
For more on cigar fundamentals, see The Anatomy of a Cigar.