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Picking the right kind of cigar can be highly subjective, as different smokers have different tastes and will look for different things.

The rating, size and price of a cigar always come into play. But if you’re a cigar novice, the Cigars Magazine website offers a few other helpful tips to help you choose a decent stogie.

First, try the “pinch” test, by gingerly squeezing the cigar. A good one will offer some give, but won’t be too mushy. “Squeeze gently up and down the body,” the site says, “to look for lumps or soft spots. A good cigar should have neither.”

Cigars Magazine also says cigar ring gauges offer a measuring stick; in general, the larger the ring gauge, the fuller the flavor you can expect. Cigars with larger ring gauges “also tend to be better made than the smaller ones,” according to the site.

And like wine, cigars derive much of their taste from “terroir,” or the weather and environment where the tobacco is grown. Chances are that if you already like a cigar from one country, you’ll probably enjoy others from that region, Cigars Magazine says.

Other factors involved in finding an enjoyable cigar include age, wrapper color and even time of day, the site says. But your best bet is to get to a cigar shop and talk to a tobacconist.

That’s where Lite Um Up Cigars comes in. Lite Um Up Cigars offers Columbia’s “premier cigar experience,” with a walk-in humidifier and a lounge that also offers beer and wine! Lite Um Up’s mission: “To provide you with the finest cigars and cigar products available.”

Call Lite Um Up Cigars at (803) 708-4877, or visit http://liteumupcigars.com.

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