Dud Box ... what to do?

[gweilgi]

 

So there is this dress box of Sancho Panza Molinos (code ABR JUN11) that has been haunting my humidor.  Only five of the entire 25 have proved smokeable.  The others are dud -- about as much of a draw as a wooden tent peg.  I get better suction off an asthmatic tree frog selling BJs at Kings X.  

I've tried everything I can think of:

• storing the box in different humidors;
• storing it at different RH, from 60 up to 72, for months at a time;
• tried using a Drawpoker on a couple of them;
• vacuum-packing the box;

Nothing has worked.  I purchased them through a LCDH in Germany, so it's definitely not counterfeit.  I am definitely getting sick and tired of this box...

So does anyone have any good suggestions what to do with them?  Any possible treatments, remedies, magic cures?

Or do I pass them on to a friend of mine who likes to turn tobacco into a "tea" to spray his garden with, as a sort of Weapon of Mass Aphid Destruction?  

Any hints and tips gratefully received...

[sactochris]

Some days it's all about the struggle, and some days it's all about the joy.

[Akela3rd]

Your healthcare system needs a serious overhaul if those are the lengths a poor sick tree frog has to go to. But good on yer for helping out, very public spirited of you.

[El Presidente]

Clip the end/cap of the one you wish to smoke. You must clip the cap

Put it in the refrigerator on a shelf uncovered for two - three hours. 

Test the draw. If still too tight...leave it in there until the next day. 

You will likely be amazed. 

[Cep]

I always keep chopping off more and more until I can get a draw.  Probably not the best solution.   Will have to try the fridge method.

 

[LukeC]

I honestly use a drill bit and drill a few holes through the cap. Then as I smoke I'll massage it to work out any residual knots and whatnot

[planetary]

I have little patience for cigars which aren't working for me.  Life's too short.  Mentally, I amortize the cost of these unsmoked cigars across the board, and just move on.

Two possibilities arise:

1) If it's a dud box, e.g. the cigars have construction problems or are blended horribly, and I've gone to whatever lengths I can, I'll just dump the box and make space in the humidor.  I would not pass on duds to anyone.

2) If the cigars are fine but not to my taste (or maybe I have a box that's not quite to the level of quality to which I am now accustomed!), I may hold onto them for a while to see if age helps.  But the track for these cigars is generally to give them away to those who are likely to really enjoy them.

[Miller1985]

16 minutes ago, planetary said:

I have little patience for cigars which aren't working for me.  Life's too short.  Mentally, I amortize the cost of these unsmoked cigars across the board, and just move on.

Two possibilities arise:

1) If it's a dud box, e.g. the cigars have construction problems or are blended horribly, and I've gone to whatever lengths I can, I'll just dump the box and make space in the humidor.  I would not pass on duds to anyone.

2) If the cigars are fine but not to my taste (or maybe I have a box that's not quite to the level of quality to which I am now accustomed!), I may hold onto them for a while to see if age helps.  But the track for these cigars is generally to give them away to those who are likely to really enjoy them.

This is my method exactly. 

[soutso]

I suspect that plugged cigars are more often caused by wet storage as opposed to poor construction. I too used to encounter plugged cigars too regularly for my liking (then again one is too much)

 

It was this very site that introduced me to the idea of storing at 60RH. Once I did that I can honestly say that I very rarely encounter plugged cigars. I genuinely don't remember the last time.

 

That said, temp is just as important as RH so try storing the box for a few months at 60RH and 21 degrees Celsius. I know that you've already stored at 60RH but try to do it with with that consistent temp too if possible 

 

[TheGipper]

Refrigerator/freezer method never worked for me for some reason.  Must be a southern hemisphere thing.  I could try flipping my freezer upside down to see if it helps.

I all seriousness, I suggest you clip the cap of all of them (sounds like you already did that).  Then let them sit for as long as it takes.

I have a 2001 box of H. Upmann Monarchs that is only just now starting to loosen up on the draw.  After 15 years!  (Always stored at 62%, and 5 years since I cut them all at the cap end.)  And they are amazing.  I'm so glad I didn't throw them out.

[gweilgi]

16 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Clip the end/cap of the one you wish to smoke. You must clip the cap

Put it in the refrigerator on a shelf uncovered for two - three hours. 

Test the draw. If still too tight...leave it in there until the next day. 

You will likely be amazed. 

Thanks!

Got one in the fridge right now for a test run....

[Ethernut]

What @El Presidentesaid and if no love then, pitch it. Life is too short. 

[TheGipper]

Just now, Bster said:

2001 Monarchs SLA AGO01

Indeed!  My problem box is SLA JUL 01.

[stogieluver]

1 hour ago, gweilgi said:

Thanks!

Got one in the fridge right now for a test run....

Let us know how it works out.

[Cubatabaco]

Mine is a box of 2001 Party 898's. The wrappers are gorgeous, but you can't get one to stay lit or smoke one without a hole all the way through it. So disappointing!

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[El Presidente]

Just now, Cubatabaco said:

Mine is a box of 2001 Party 898's. The wrappers are gorgeous, but you can't get one to stay lit or smoke one without a hole all the way through it. So disappointing!

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

God I hate that syndrome. There is absolutley nothing you can do about an out of control canoe in a cigar. 

[Cubatabaco]

God I hate that syndrome. There is absolutley nothing you can do about an out of control canoe in a cigar. 

I don't know why I continue to put myself through the suffering. I guess I hope they'll turn around magically.

Such is life...

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[El Presidente]

Fireproof wrapper combined with a volado fill doesn't give it much of a chance unfortunately 

[Fugu]

Learn to live with it.

As I always say, this is inherent in this format. You can get balky Cervantes from '11 production as much as from '00 or '01 production. They have a tighter draw, doesn't always mean they are plugged, they are just a little less forgiving than others (which is what I like so much about them).

[El Presidente]

6 minutes ago, Fugu said:

Learn to live with it.

As I always say, this is inherent in this format. You can get balky Cervantes from '11 production as much as from '00 or '01 production. They have a tighter draw, doesn't always mean they are plugged, they are just a little less forgiving than others (which is what I like so much about them).

 

Crap. 

Don't live with it. 

It shouldn't be inherent in the format. 

Don't let the people responsible off the hook.  Make sure they know they have screwed up another skinny because of incompetence. 

 

 

[Fugu]

You did get me wrong Rob. I am not saying they are crap. Learn to live with it should rather be read learn to handle it. A Cervantes has never been a cigar for the "easy-draw" lover. That's why we have variety and choice. If you don't like it, don't buy it. Simple as that.

[Fugu]

I feel I might need to expand on this a little further for clarification in order to meet a potential QC-bashing here:

As a lover of the Lonsdale and the (box-pressed) Cervantes in particular, what I have learned in many years of smoking them and can say with some certainty, is that they are not worse quality-wise than any other format. But they simply are on the heavy-draw side, and consequently this format comes with a certain higher risk of a tighter roll. Not many people are understanding the Cervantes. They can be tricky, they can be touchy.

Most reports of problems, however (not all, mind you), rather derive from smokers coming from the NC side, being unexperienced with smoking it, or who are just not used to a tighter draw (I am not implying this to be the case with gweilgy). The chances of a more 'difficult' draw are higher in this format, yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a quality defect. As I said, it is a matter of choice. And quite often, it is also a matter of storage or/and smoking technique. Furthermore, a heavily box-pressed Cervantes should preferably not be smoked ROTB(ox). My humble and very personal 2cts.

Only 5 out of 25 Molinos smokeable certainly is not the fault of QC or the rollers. In such a case the flaw has to be looked for at the post-production end. Would be a huge coincidence if 20 plugged sticks would all make it into a single box. I for one haven't come across such a box so far (or I am too tolerant perhaps).

To be very clear: I am not at all defending poor construction or poor quality, which happens and is a nuisance, but is - unfortunately - potentially there in all formats and all marcas. People might have seen my posts in other recent threads being very critical with regard to QC or construction issues - when I come across it I'll point to it, regardless of status of marca, edition or cigar. It's a no-go, and I concur, no excuses! But in this case, it seems too easy to blame it to Cuban incompetence. I simply wish to make sure that the Cervantes is being done justice.

All I'd advise on is, don't get them if you don't like a snug or can't handle the occasional tight draw. Or - do get used to it, learn to smoke and handle it if you like the profile of an excellent Cervantes, which still is one of the great experiences in smoking CCs.

 

[planetary]

1 hour ago, Fugu said:

Most reports of problems, however (not all, mind you), rather derive from smokers coming from the NC side, being unexperienced with smoking it, or who are just not used to a tighter draw (I am not implying this to be the case with gweilgy). The chances of a more 'difficult' draw are higher in this format, yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a quality defect. As I said, it is a matter of choice. And quite often, it is also a matter of storage or/and smoking technique. Furthermore, a heavily box-pressed Cervantes should preferably not be smoked ROTB(ox). My humble and very personal 2cts.

I'm not sure I buy the "a tough draw isn't a defect" principle.  Hmm.  Perhaps you're right and it's somehow traditional for this one particular cigar, but that seems odd to me.

One other point: I'll definitely agree that NC smokers are accustomed to a looser draw.  But on the other hand, the lancero is a somewhat popular NC vitola, especially among your more enthusiastic smokers / internet forum members.  And that vitola is both thinner (38 rg vs 42) and longer (about 7 inches compared to 6) than the lonsdale!  So if the NC world can get construction right with a much more challenging vitola for a market with more demanding draw standards, then Habanos should be able to get the lonsdale at least to a point where it has a "standard Cuban draw", which has that extra touch of resistance, without being tight.  It's either a sign that they aren't training their rollers properly, or an indication of woeful QC.  I'm not sure which is worse... 

[gweilgi]

On 14 July 2016 at 11:19 AM, stogieluver said:

Let us know how it works out.

Popped four Molinos in the fridge, together with a RA 898.  After 24 hours, the results are mixed.  

There has been no improvement at all in one stick.  It's still hard enough to plug a hole in Noah's ark.  

Two others have seen some slight improvement, and I am keeping them cool for another day to see if that helps.

The last one has, happily, loosened up and is entirely smokeable.  AAMOF, it is burning right now and I am one happy little bunny.

So this is a technique with potential -- I am most chuffed!  Mochas gracias to el presidente!

[earthson]

I'm a degenerate. I had a box of aged stock I got recently that had obviously passed what little prime it had. Half the box of RGCE had almost candela wrappers that tasted dry, papery, and an awful lot like old decaf coffee. I hollowed out the wrapper and some of the binder and used something much more entertaining for filler. Immaculate!