Need help spotting the bad ones at the B&M

[imangelo]

Hey everyone,

Bought a Partagas D4 at my local B&M here in Canada for a whopping $33 CAD and the damn thing was a wind tunnel. Would have put it out and brought it back but it wasn't enough to justify the hassle (it was quite the trek).

My question is how can I easily discern the bad ones when looking in the box if they appear okay? What are some of the less obvious signs to look for?

Apparently I only know a good cigar when I smoke one but would love to be able to spot them too!

[Skyfall]

Without cutting it and sticking it in your mouth lol, each marca has some specific characteristics you can look for, but go ahead and pick up a few sticks, smell the wrapper, smell the foot, roll some in your fingers, try to detect a loose roll or tight roll, feel for possible hard spots, or plugs, look at the sheen of the wrapper and its oils. If a B&M doesn't want you touching the cigars before you buy.......well, I'd say find a new B&M or just get some stuff shipped to your door from here. No trek needed!

[santela]

Usually I massage them to tell if they are under filled or rolled too tight to avoid wind tunnels and plugged ones, and by looking at the wrapper and smelling them too, but I did have cigars that smell like dog piss turn out to be awesome cigars, so...

[CigarEnthusiast]

Usually I massage them to tell if they are under filled or rolled too tight to avoid wind tunnels and plugged ones, and by looking at the wrapper and smelling them too, but I did have cigars that smell like dog piss turn out to be awesome cigars, so...

It just came to my attention ligero can smell like urine.

I had a JLP Crema that smelled like pee, but it was awfully tasty.

[Smallclub]

To avoid wind tunnels (and tight draws) you must learn to "feel" if the cigar weighs the right weight.

Give me a robusto or a gorda or a canoñazo, I can tell immediately if it will draw correctly. It took me several years to be sure of myself in this exercice, but the last time I purchased a an incorrectly rolled cigar in a B&M was about 15 years ago.

[imangelo]

To avoid wind tunnels (and tight draws) you must learn to "feel" if the cigar weighs the right weight.

Give me a robusto or a gorda or a canoñazo, I can tell immediately if it will draw correctly. It took me several years to be sure of myself in this exercice, but the last time I purchased a an incorrectly rolled cigar in a B&M was about 15 years ago.

Those are some cigar Jedi tricks! It seems like this will be a long term skill to develop unless there is an easier way to learn quickly. The combined loss of time and money on crappy cigars is such an utter disappointment.

[Habana Mike]

It's a learning process for sure.

Perhaps take a gram scale, ruler/ring gauge device, and a cigar specificationss guide with you. May get some odd looks but you'll know if a cigar is dead on or not

[El Presidente]

• Good wrapper
• Check for soft spots or knots (hard spots)
• Check the bunching at the foot. Not too open or too closed.
• Feel the weight in the hand. This takes a little more experience. A tight heavy cigar (heavy for that vitola) is more than likely to cause problems. To get a handle on this aspect, get in the habit of before you smoke a cigar, put it in the palm of your hand and "feel" the weight. Associate that with the smoking experience. You will eventually get a "feel" for what is right and what feels "off".

[canadianbeaver]

Not sure about where you guys buy your smokes, and perhaps Simon Strada can chime in here, but no store I would like to shop in would let me assault a cigar like you describe here. In fact, my major complaint about the LCDH in Toronto is most cigars on the top levels have been handled and damaged.

In Europe, the cigars are either behind glass doors or on rows and rows of shelves. The service is usually so wonderful you can count on great product.

My two cents, take or leave.

[El Presidente]

Not sure about where you guys buy your smokes, and perhaps Simon Strada can chime in here, but no store I would like to shop in would let me assault a cigar like you describe here. In fact, my major complaint about the LCDH in Toronto is most cigars on the top levels have been handled and damaged.

In Europe, the cigars are either behind glass doors or on rows and rows of shelves. The service is usually so wonderful you can count on great product.

My two cents, take or leave.

Agreed. In our B&M here we don't allow the manhandling of cigars. When someone is shopping for singles then they are selected by myself, Di or Alastair and then handed to the client for final approval.

I have seen too many cigars destroyed in a B&M through rough handling. While most people would be fine, there is always a couple who will crack 5 cigars to find the one they are happy with.

[ogus]

It just came to my attention ligero can smell like urine.

I had a JLP Crema that smelled like pee, but it was awfully tasty.

now barnyard and pee are olfactory criteria.

long quote:

Reminds me of a very funny scene in Mel Brooks' film, High Anxiety. Brooks' character, Dr. Richard H. Thorndyke, the new administrator of The Psycho-Neurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous is the principal speaker at a meeting of the American Psychiatric Convention. He is addressing an audience of psychiatrists when a late arrival shows up with his two young children -- a boy and a girl. Conscious of the children's presence, the high-level medical professionals revert to using childish euphemisms.

DR. COLBURN: Dr. Thorndyke, you mentioned in your address that penis envy should be deemed an antiquated psychiatric concept. Could you expand on that?

THORNDYKE: Of course. Let's remember that the term "penis envy" was created in a predominantly male atmosphere …

MAN: Excuse me. Sorry I'm late. Forgive me for bringing the kids. I couldn't get a sitter.

THORNDYKE: Please, have a seat. … As I was saying, in a world of predominantly male-oriented psychology, it was only natural to arrive at the term, pee … [hesitates, looking at the children] … pee… [hesitates again] … Peepee envy. "

COLBURN: Are you saying there's absolutely no validity to … peepee envy?

THORNDYKE: It has no more validity than if a man envied a woman's … balloons.

[Another Doctor asks a question]: Dr. Thorndyke, do you feel that the trauma of toilet training has a bearing on the sexual future of the adolescent?

THORNDYKE: Toilet training. That's a vast area. Let's be more specific. Are we talking about … number one or cocky-doody?

[OTHER DOCTOR]: For argument's sake, let's say cocky-doody.

THORNDYKE: I'd say professionally, cocky-doody has very little to do with the future sexual development of the adolescent.

- Thank you.

- You're welcome.

THORNDYKE: Let me backtrack for a second. The female erogenous zone.

- You mean the balloons?

- No. Lower, much lower. Where the babies come out. The woowoo.

- The woowoo?

THORNDYKE: Yes. The woowoo. Perhaps the most significant psychological feminine component known to mankind.

[Cheers and whistles]

[bradbrennan]

now barnyard and pee are olfactory criteria.

Barnyard...in a good way!

But as to loose cigars...I've found squeezing the head while dragging helps

[Pedro2486]

I usually insist on checking my own prospective cigars on the rare occasion I shop locally. I don't manhandle them but I do inspect the wrapper, head and foot and as I do I gently give the top half of the cigar a subtle squeezing to check for knots/voids. The people there are lovely but at the price they're charging I'm not happy getting anything I haven't checked myself - gotten too many cigars with cracked feet