A torch produces a focused jet flame, usually from butane. Its advantage is control: you toast the foot, then hold the cigar in the flame just long enough to light the filler without scorching the wrapper along the side. Soft-flame lighters also work, and so does a wooden match, once the match head has burned off. What matters is a clean fuel and a little patience.
Torches became popular because they work in the wind, outdoors or on the golf course. Lighters with three jets are a product type in shops; they do not affect the flavor.
Avoid lighters that smell of gasoline if you can, because the cigar will pick up the smell. Shop: lighters. Comparison: torch vs soft flame.