There is nothing quite as frustrating as lighting up a $15 premium cigar, getting halfway through the first third, and watching it start to burn completely sideways. It ruins the flavor, messes with the draw, and turns a relaxing hour into a chore.
But an uneven burn doesn’t mean your cigar is ruined. In most cases, you can save it. You just need to know what you’re looking at and how to correct it before it gets out of hand.
Here are the three most common burn issues—canoeing, tunneling, and coning—and how to fix them on the fly.
1. Canoeing
What it is
Canoeing is exactly what it sounds like: one side of the cigar burns significantly faster than the other, creating a shape that looks like a hollowed-out canoe.
Why it happens
Usually, it’s a lighting issue. If you didn’t get an even toast on the foot before puffing, the lit side will run away. It can also happen if there’s a stiff breeze, or if one side of the cigar was closer to the humidifier in your humidor and is slightly more moist than the other.
How to fix it
- The Touch-Up: Your torch lighter is your best friend here. Gently toast the unburned side (the slower-burning wrapper) until it catches up to the faster side. Do not scorch it; just give it enough heat to ignite.
- The Saliva Trick: Dab a tiny bit of moisture (yes, spit on your finger) right below the fast-burning edge. This slows down the burn on that side, allowing the slower side to catch up.
- Rotate the Cigar: Heat rises. Turn the cigar so the slower-burning side faces up. The heat from the faster-burning side will rise and help the slow side catch up.
2. Tunneling
What it is
Tunneling happens when the filler tobaccos in the center of the cigar burn faster than the binder and wrapper on the outside. You’re left with a hollow “tunnel” in the middle of your cigar, while the wrapper remains unburnt. Your cigar will likely produce very little smoke and eventually go out.
Why it happens
This is almost always a pacing or humidity issue. If you’re smoking too slowly, the wrapper might stop burning, but the core (which retains heat longer) keeps smoldering. Alternatively, if your humidor is running too high (over 70% RH), the wrapper might be too damp to burn properly, while the drier filler burns away.
How to fix it
- Knock and Relight: Knock off the ash, then take your torch lighter and aggressively toast the wrapper around the edges until it’s evenly lit with the core.
- Check Your Pacing: Once it’s relit, take a puff every 45 to 60 seconds. If you let it rest too long, the wrapper will go out again.
3. Coning
What it is
The exact opposite of tunneling. The wrapper and binder burn faster than the filler, leaving a sharp, unburnt cone of filler tobacco sticking out of the ash.
Why it happens
You are smoking too fast. When you puff too frequently or too aggressively, the heat is drawn intensely along the outside of the cigar, burning up the wrapper while the dense core struggles to keep up. This will also make your cigar taste harsh, bitter, and hot.
How to fix it
- Slow Down: The fix here is simple. Stop puffing. Let the cigar rest for a minute or two to cool down.
- Reassess: When you resume, take slower, more deliberate draws, spacing them out by at least a minute. The burn will usually correct itself once the heat normalizes.
Prevention is the Best Cure
While these fixes work, the best way to deal with an uneven burn is to prevent it from happening in the first place.
- Perfect Your Light: Take your time toasting the foot evenly before taking your first puff. An even light is the foundation of a good burn.
- Rotate While You Smoke: Give your cigar a quarter-turn after every few puffs. This ensures that the heat from the cherry is evenly distributed and prevents one side from burning faster than the other.
- Dial In Your Humidity: A humidor sitting at 65% to 67% RH will generally produce a much better, more even burn than one sitting at 70% or 72%.
A bad burn is annoying, but it’s rarely a death sentence for your cigar. Keep your lighter handy, pay attention to the ash, and correct the issues early.