WHAT THE HELL IS THIS ON MY CIGAR???

[Dude]

OK...here's a head scratcher! I've only seen this twice. The first time it was on a Bolivar CG a few weeks ago. I found it odd but didn't think much of it. Tonight I lit up an RA SCC, and it happened again. Figured I'd share. Here's the lowdown:

Cut the cigar very slightly...just kind of shave off the top of the cap. I usually try to get it close to the top so as not to unravel the cap and wrapper. Light it, draw is fine. A couple of puffs in, it tastes very bitter, I mean like pure nicotine bitter. There is a dark spot:

It is wet, dark, and tastes ugly. Wipe it with a paper towel and get this:

So I cut it a little deeper, most would say a normal cut I guess, and all is well:

 

Anybody know what the hell this is?

[skalls]

Looks like Tar

[Dude]

Think you are right Skalls...
 

From Stogie Review: This grotesque syrup is somewhat of an enigma. We assume that it is sap left inside the stem of the leaf which doesn’t evaporate during fermentation. It is extremely rare, but by far one of the most pungent and foul substances of the world. It has been my experience that cutting below the ooze usually ends the matter.

Sap? Tar? I dunno...I think it is tar. Whatever it is, hope it doesn't find you. I also saw in the same post from SR that it can collect if there is not enough airflow. I may just be shaving my stogies to close. But for it to form immediately from the first couple of puffs seems unlikely. 

[shlomo]

Agreed. Looks like tar. Not sure ive ever seen that much, and certainly never so much so soon! Interesting.

[oliverdst]

I would love to have cigars like that. I do like the tar experience.

[SloppyJ]

Had several Ligas do this to me in my NC day. Just clip it off and roll. Don't get that crap on your lips or tongue. 

[Sean3]

I've seen it on several NC's and just assumed it was tar or nicotine...either way, it's nasty.

[busdriver]

Whats it taste like!?

[Cmelle]

Pretty sure it's tar balls. I find it happens more with small cuts like a punch cut. Taste bitter and ugly if it gets on your lips. I usually just clip it off and it's all good.

[Blazer]

Had it happen once and that was enough, nasty.

[Fugu]

Actually, I can't spot a "cut" in your first pic. If you try to 'suck' smoke through some 1-mm hole this is what you get. I wonder, how you manage to get an even burn with that. The apparent clustering of this in your smokes should get you thinking. Do a proper cut and you'll be fine. Accumulation of condensate only happens in too small a cut or punch and too moist a cigar.

[raymond5737]

It looks like the spit from a grasshopper. As kids, we used to call that spit; tobacco

[subport]

55 minutes ago, Fugu said:

Actually, I can't spot a "cut" in your first pic. If you try to 'suck' smoke through some 1-mm hole this is what you get. I wonder, how you manage to get an even burn with that. The apparent clustering of this in your smokes should get you thinking. Do a proper cut and you'll be fine. Accumulation of condensate only happens in too small a cut or punch and too moist a cigar.

Well said Fugu. Spot on!

looks like he cut only one layer of the caps

[PigFish]

... spin in a laboratory centrifuge, foot side away from the axis for 30 minutes and smoke as usual. Could have been the oils migrated as the box was transported head down on a bumpy Cuban road on the way to the freezer!

OR,

Reverse the cigar on the centrifuge, collect oils, sell on eBay as Cuban Cigar Essential Oils, $300.00 per gram!

Best of luck enter way!!! -the Pig

[vinnyvega]

Opium

You got lucky!

[Mattb82]

Looks like Bill Clinton used it 

[vladdraq]

3 hours ago, Fugu said:

Actually, I can't spot a "cut" in your first pic. If you try to 'suck' smoke through some 1-mm hole this is what you get. I wonder, how you manage to get an even burn with that. The apparent clustering of this in your smokes should get you thinking. Do a proper cut and you'll be fine. Accumulation of condensate only happens in too small a cut or punch and too moist a cigar.

Now im confused, i thought he did not light up the cigar. 

 

[vladdraq]

ah i misread it.  ok. Young cigars d sometimes that. Happened to me too. It's tar.

[Akela3rd]

Looks like Bill Clinton used it 

Nasty boy.

[LGC]

Tar. Happens on any cigar, not just young ones. Had it happen on an old RyJ Clemenceau. I snipped the cap very close as usual, and there was a small restricted passage off to the side. The right amount of smoke funneling through a wet, restricted orifice will do it. This is why I generally don't use punches, and try to keep the head extremely dry.

[Dude]

Thanks for the info...as I suspected it's more to do with the cut (ahem...me) than the cigar itself. i just have to cut a little more off and i should be able to avoid this in the future.

What does it taste like? Strong and bitter and hot and toxic....really gross.

Piggy...you kill me :-)

Have a good one and enjoy those smokes everybody!

 

[skalls]

I've had tar on 1 diplo 2 and Cuaba Divinos.  The Dip 2 tar was disgusting.  The Cuaba Divinos has been decent tasting in the past.  I'd rather it never show up though.,

[jwr0201]

glad to hear it was only tar.  Looked like the south end of some kind of bug!

[David88]

I believe it is tar. Luckily I've only ever had this once on an upmann half corona. I had punched it and after looking around on the internet I saw other people claiming that this had only happened to them when using a punch cut. I don't know if there is any science to this but I've used a punch since then and never had any issues. 

[dowjr1]

Not uncommon to get tar like that when cutting tobacco...especially in the fields. Let it get on your hands and you're in for one heck of a contact buzz...skin permeable...make you sick as a dog.