my first plugged cigar?

[cgarner]

I will admit it, I'm a bit of a newbie when it comes to cigars. I believe I am currently experiencing my first plugged cigar. You would think that was bad enough, but it just so happens to be my beloved Sir Winston. The burn seems really good but I can't get much smoke through the cigar. It is getting better as the cigar burns and warms up. Is this a plugged cigar or are the mighty Robusto Gods playing a cruel trick on me?

[cgarner]

Cigar keeping going out after the first third so I gave up on it.

[matthew261]

Could be plugged. However, when I first started out with cigars I was keeping my humi too high (70%). I found when I lowered the humi to between 60-65% the cigars smoked and tasted much better.

[anacostiakat]

Could be plugged. However, when I first started out with cigars I was keeping my humi too high (70%). I found when I lowered the humi to between 60-65% the cigars smoked and tasted much better.

That is true and definitely is a factor. Sometimes you are just not able to salvage one. No massaging or clipping or poking will fix it and you just have to pitch it.

Just grab something else and curse the culprit.

[Tony12]

You might want to try not smoking the lit end. Just kidding. I hate a plugged cigar, but it does happen. You can try to roll the cigar in your fingers to get it to burn better. Feel around for spots that seem hard and give them a gentle pinch. Good luck with rest of your smoke. Just my cents...

[Colt45]

How is the actual draw? Aside from not getting much smoke volume, do you feel that you are pulling air through the cigar, or does it feel like

you are trying to pull a three millimeter pea through a two millimeter straw?

I ask because I've had cigars with good draws but little smoke volume. In this case, there has been a "channel" that runs the length of the cigar,

visible at the foot after lighting. If on the other hand you feel like Louis Armstrong playing the trumpet, I'd say you more than likely have a plug.

Unfortunately, I too have had Sir Winstons ('00) which were unsmokably plugged.

[cgarner]

How is the actual draw? Aside from not getting much smoke volume, do you feel that you are pulling air through the cigar, or does it feel like

you are trying to pull a three millimeter pea through a two millimeter straw?

I ask because I've had cigars with good draws but little smoke volume. In this case, there has been a "channel" that runs the length of the cigar,

visible at the foot after lighting. If on the other hand you feel like Louis Armstrong playing the trumpet, I'd say you more than likely have a plug.

Unfortunately, I too have had Sir Winstons ('00) which were unsmokably plugged.

It felt like trying to pull a three millimeter pea through a two millimeter straw. I was getting light headed.

[Colt45]

It felt like trying to pull a three millimeter pea through a two millimeter straw. I was getting light headed.

Barring an overly humidified cigar, as the guys have mentioned, it sounds like a plug. I usually don't try to fight with them - trash them and grab another.

Not a great feeling, especially with a cigar such as the Sir Winston.

[kafreeman]

Ive got a box of Diplo 4's that suffer from this condition.

[CanuckSARTech]

Barring an overly humidified cigar, as the guys have mentioned, it sounds like a plug. I usually don't try to fight with them - trash them and grab another.

Not a great feeling, especially with a cigar such as the Sir Winston.

Agreed.

Now, on this note, have any of you guys bothered with a "draw-poker"-type of tool? I've seriously looked at picking up something like this. But, the recent years' production of CCs just seems so that this is an unneeded item anymore - compared to stuff earlier in the decade, it's a shocking thing when I get more than one or two sticks max in a box that's plugged to the point that it's unsmokable.

I've looked at getting one of these draw enhancers before, but I just wasn't sure if they were gimicky or not. Any that have them and can speak to their effectiveness?

[WayneH]

I will admit it, I'm a bit of a newbie when it comes to cigars. I believe I am currently experiencing my first plugged cigar. You would think that was bad enough, but it just so happens to be my beloved Sir Winston. The burn seems really good but I can't get much smoke through the cigar. It is getting better as the cigar burns and warms up. Is this a plugged cigar or are the mighty Robusto Gods playing a cruel trick on me?

[WayneH]

The same thing happened to me! My first Sir Winston given to me as a fathers day gift from my wife I was so excited until I tried to smoke it, almost had a stroke trying to smoke it because it was so plugged. I will take the partagas shorts anyday over this one never had a bad p.s.

[Wicky]

I will admit it, I'm a bit of a newbie when it comes to cigars. I believe I am currently experiencing my first plugged cigar. You would think that was bad enough, but it just so happens to be my beloved Sir Winston. The burn seems really good but I can't get much smoke through the cigar. It is getting better as the cigar burns and warms up. Is this a plugged cigar or are the mighty Robusto Gods playing a cruel trick on me?

cgarner, what is the box code on your winnies? I smoked one last night from box TUG MAY 09 and it was very tight. Not totally plugged but a little uncomfortable. Good thing the tobaccos flavor made up for it. I've been finding this box all very fully rolled.

[CanuckSARTech]

That sounds very effective. Do you have a pic of what you're describing? I haven't had much trouble with plugged cigars, but I know it's an inevitablility. If I get a problem cigar, I've used a mtel kebab skewer, seems to help, if a bit thick.

No, no off hand picture, but a simple google search will show tons of variants.

I just wasn't sure if these were gimicky tools (kind of like the old "smokeless ashtrays"), or even if there's a real need for them anymore, the way the quality of the rolling has been in recent years.

[Dbone]

My condolences, brother.

[buster]

Agreed.

Now, on this note, have any of you guys bothered with a "draw-poker"-type of tool? I've seriously looked at picking up something like this.

I've looked at getting one of these draw enhancers before, but I just wasn't sure if they were gimicky or not. Any that have them and can speak to their effectiveness?

Considering the number of times you would use such a tool, and the possibility that it wouldn't always fix the plug anyway, I would simply opt for finding something similar around the house like a bbq skewer (maybe a wooden one if the metal ones are too thick) or something similar from your tool box.

Rick

[Hugomarink]

Agreed.

Now, on this note, have any of you guys bothered with a "draw-poker"-type of tool? I've seriously looked at picking up something like this. But, the recent years' production of CCs just seems so that this is an unneeded item anymore - compared to stuff earlier in the decade, it's a shocking thing when I get more than one or two sticks max in a box that's plugged to the point that it's unsmokable.

I've looked at getting one of these draw enhancers before, but I just wasn't sure if they were gimicky or not. Any that have them and can speak to their effectiveness?

The Draw Poker does not work. If you have a truly plugged, or even a tight cigar, there is really nothing you can do to fix it. It sucks and, unfortunately, I think plugged/tight cigars are still somewhat of a problem with Cuban cigars. It's nothing like 2000 or 2001 where you had whole boxes that were fence posts, but I still find about 2 out of every 10 smokes to be plugged these days. Yes, my humidor is a tad wet (around 69%) but I dry box these things for a good 5-7 days to make sure they have a chance to dry out and I'm still encountering more plugged/tight cigars than I'd like.

[Leopolis Semper Fidelis]

I bought a draw tool, but only used it a couple of times. Maybe it was me, but it wasn't a successful experiment. In one case, it bored a hole sideways right through the cigar; on the other occasion, despite my careful efforts, the cigar still remained plugged. These gizmos aren't recommended. If you have a tightly bunched cigar, you have no option but to toss it.

[redlir]

The Draw Poker can help an unsmokeable cigar become smokeable. I have used mine quite a bit on plugged cigars to avoid throwing them away. However, there are a few caveats to remember:

1) Since the poker opens up a single channel, you will rarely experience the same taste as when you draw through the entire cigar. Most flavour will be picked up from the tobacco around the poked channel, contrary to normal when air flows more evenly through the cigar. Also, sometimes the poker creates a windtunnel leaving you just drawing air (though this is quite rare).

2) The poked channel will usually close quite quickly. The longer you can leave the poker in the longer the channel will last. If you sense the cigar is plugged before you light it (absolutely no prelight draw), leave the poker in for an hour, or even overnight . Some tools claim to make a more permanent channel by drilling a hole rather than pushing tobacco aside. I have not tried them so I don't know.

3) If your cigar is on the dry side or has a delicate wrapper, the cigar may crack when you push the poker through, especially if the poker isn't exactly lined up through the centre. The thinner the cigar the higher risk of cracking.

I see the poker as the last resort when everything else fails (dryboxing, massaging the cigar, cutting more from the head, etc). If its the only cigar of a type it can be worth it to get some feel what the cigar is like. If I have a box where 80-90% are plugged and I find that they smoke and taste quite ok if I poke them then, IMO, it can be worth doing to get some value from the investment. But I agree that it's often not worth the fight.

This product at Mark's claims that the channel won't close back up as there is a serrated portion of the poker that actually clears tobacco out. I've never tried one though.

http://www.cigarmony.com/new-aeoluscigarspear.aspx

[CanuckSARTech]

This product at Mark's claims that the channel won't close back up as there is a serrated portion of the poker that actually clears tobacco out. I've never tried one though.

http://www.cigarmony.com/new-aeoluscigarspear.aspx

Ooooh, I like the cocobolo one shown in the picture - a beautiful wood. Too bad it's not available any more, it looks like.

[lemmycaution]

I haven't had a plugged cigar in such a long time until I a few months ago. It was actually a Sir Winnie, very frustrating. Since then I have sampled three more from the box. The first one was amazing and the last two were very tight but not plugged. Like Wicky said, even though they were a pain to smoke, at least the flavor was there. I'm not gonna touch the rest of the box for a while and we'll see...

[Wicky]

I haven't had a plugged cigar in such a long time until I a few months ago. It was actually a Sir Winnie, very frustrating. Since then I have sampled three more from the box. The first one was amazing and the last two were very tight but not plugged. Like Wicky said, even though they were a pain to smoke, at least the flavor was there. I'm not gonna touch the rest of the box for a while and we'll see...

"not gonna touch the rest of the box for a while" whatever you say Jim!