The Magnums Guide to the Fine Cigar
Everything a Butler Should Know About the Fine Cigar - Forty years of professional training, in a single volume.
There are very few things in the world known almost without question to be the best of their kind. A fine cigar is one of them — and serving one properly is a small art in itself. This is the book that teaches it: how the tobacco is grown, cured and rolled; how to read a wrapper, a shape and an ash; how to present, cut and light a cigar for a guest; and how to store it so that it improves rather than spoils.
Product Description
Drawn from the Magnums Academy professional training program, The Magnums Guide to the Fine Cigar takes you from the tobacco field to the ashtray in thirteen short chapters.
You will learn what actually distinguishes a fine cigar from an ordinary one; why a Cuban tastes different from a Nicaraguan; what the ligero, seco and volado leaves each contribute; how a cigar is rolled by hand and graded by colour; and why the shape and ring gauge change the flavour in your mouth.
You will also learn the practical craft that guests notice: how to offer a cigar from the box, how to judge its condition between finger and thumb, where exactly to cut it, how to light it without tainting it, and what an ash reveals about the roll. There is a chapter on storage and humidity, another on ageing, and a closing chapter on what to serve alongside.
At the back you will find a glossary of some seventy terms — from anilla to zafado — so that you can speak with confidence to a cigar merchant, to a fellow enthusiast, or to the guest in front of you.
The book is illustrated throughout with photographs and with original drawings prepared for this edition: the primings of the tobacco plant, the structure of a cigar, the growing regions of Cuba, the wrapper colours from claro to maduro, and the five burn patterns and what each one tells you.
What you will find inside
● One · The Creation of a Fine Cigar
● Two · Where the Finest Tobacco Grows
● Three · From Seed to Leaf
● Four · Hand-rolling Cigars
● Five · Cigar Shapes and Sizes
● Six · How Cigars Are Presented
● Seven · Offering Fine Cigars
● Eight · Cutting the Cigar
● Nine · Lighting the Cigar
● Ten · A Discussion on Ash
● Eleven · Storing Cigars
● Twelve · Maturing and Ageing Cigars
● Thirteen · What to Serve with Cigars
● A Glossary of Terms — some seventy entries
Who it is for
Butlers and private service professionals who are asked to offer a cigar and want to do it faultlessly. Hotel and restaurant staff — sommeliers, concierges, cigar lounge and club teams. Superyacht and private household crew, where the standard expected is absolute. Anyone who enjoys a good cigar and would like to understand what they are holding.
About the author
Josephine Ive is the founder and Principal Trainer of Magnums Academy, which has trained butlers and
hospitality professionals since 1987 across the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. She is the originator of The
Magnums Method™ and 7 Star Service™, and the founder of International Butlers Day.
She has taught cigar service to household staff, hotel teams and superyacht crew for much of her career.
This book is drawn from that programme.
What you receive
A 48-page illustrated book, delivered in two formats:
EPUB — for phones, tablets and e-readers. The text reflows and you can set your own type size.
PDF — the designed edition, exactly as laid out, for reading on a computer or printing.
Both files are included in the one purchase. Download immediately after payment; no subscription, and
yours to keep.
Questions buyers ask
Which format should I choose?
You receive both, so there is no need to decide. The EPUB suits a phone or e-reader; the PDF preserves the printed layout.
How do I read the EPUB on my phone?
On an iPhone, open the file and choose Apple Books. On Android, any free reader such as Google Play Books will open it.
Can I print it?
Yes. The PDF is laid out for printing at book size.
Is this the same as the online course?
No. The course covers the same ground in far more depth, with filmed demonstrations and assessment leading to certification. The book is the written foundation.
Do I need to know anything about cigars already?
Not at all. The book begins with what a fine cigar actually is, and builds from there.