The Tube Effect

[El Presidente]

The effect of the tube was raised in another thread and I think it is worth expanding on. 

Bolivar Royal corona

Cohiba Robust

Punch Punch 

Magnum 46/50

Partagas Serie D Number 4

You can pick from the above or from any other cigar where there is a tubed and non tubed version....and where you have experience with both. 

In your opinion, what is the difference in the tubed and non tubed examples that you have smoked throughout their life cycle (young, with a little age/with extended age). 

let's see if we can detail what  differences/changes a tube brings to the table. 

 

 

 

 

 

[NSXCIGAR]

Don't know why, or if it's just me, but now that I think about it it seems that versions in tubes tend to perform worse for me overall than non-tubed. 

[Cayman17]

I don’t have much experience but I bought a three pack of magnum 46 tubos when I was on vacation in the Caribbean in May of this year, and I have smoked two of them. Compared with the one non-tubed Mag 46 (2018 vintage) I smoked this summer, the tubos seemed stronger and spicier to me, but the draw on both of the tubos was noticeably firmer, almost too tight.  I really wish I had bought more of the tubos to age. I am really looking forward to smoking the last one in about a year. 

 

[Derboesekoenig]

  On 12/18/2018 at 8:21 PM, Cayman17 said:

I don’t have much experience but I bought a three pack of magnum 46 tubos when I was on vacation in the Caribbean in May of this year, and I have smoked two of them. Compared with the one non-tubed Mag 46 (2018 vintage) I smoked this summer, the tubos seemed stronger and spicier to me, but the draw on both of the tubos was noticeably firmer, almost too tight.  I really wish I had bought more of the tubos to age. I am really looking forward to smoking the last one in about a year. 

 

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....2018 vintage? 

 

I don't have much experience in tubos--maybe 2-3 boxes worth or less--but for me overall, non tubos have been better. I've had the best experiences with aged tubos. Meaning more than 5 years

 

[mbflash80]

Siglo 5 and Hoyo EE are the two that I have extensive experience with in both...for the Siglo 5 its not even close...the tubes have been far superior...for the EE its been a good run for the past few years on both...no discernible difference that I can tell. 

[El Presidente]

  On 12/18/2018 at 8:08 PM, NSXCIGAR said:

Don't know why, or if it's just me, but now that I think about it it seems that versions in tubes tend to perform worse for me overall than non-tubed. 

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Perform worse in a specific way? flavour? consistency? construction? overall utility?

[alloy]

Smoked a Boli RC tuba from 2014 and have smoked dress box ones. Both at 65/65 in my wineador. The tubo RC burned well, had a tighter draw and the flavors (leather, dark chocolate) seemed muted compared to the dress box version. The dress box version needed more torch touch ups than the tubo version (construction). I have a three pack of tubo siglo media's (2018 vintage) that I have taken the caps off to see if they will improve in flavor ( I've smoked one already and flavors of hay and vanilla were present, but muted.

[Hutch]

Most of my experience in this comparison have been RyJ Churchill’s. Over a period of almost 20 years:

*Cosmetically blemished cigars were almost exclusively in tubes.

*Years 1-5 no noticeable difference.

*Years 5-10, DB aged (smoother, more balanced)...AT much less so.

*Years 10-15, DB slowed down in any changes....AT really started to develop.

Years 15-20, DB virtually stopped aging...AT hit their stride and passed the DB version, ultimately becoming a different cigar than they started as, quite full flavored and medium bodied...the DB version are now just a toned down version of the original.

 

[joeypots]

Do Monte Christo Petit Tubos and #4s qualify as tubed and dress box versions of the same cigar? If they do I can offer this. A five pack of Petit Tubos fron ‘06 were out of this world Around 2015. Monte #4s can be fantastic, the Tubos were a cut above.

[Mossome]

  On 12/18/2018 at 8:25 PM, Derboesekoenig said:

....2018 vintage? 

 

I don't have much experience in tubos--maybe 2-3 boxes worth or less--but for me overall, non tubos have been better. I've had the best experiences with aged tubos. Meaning more than 5 years

 

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The word vintage came from wine making and literally just means the year something was made. Way to laugh at a guy for using the word correctly. 

[BrightonCorgi]

I am big tubo fan.  I'd buy a lot more of them if I had the room.  The initial whiff of cedar I like.  I don't normally consider them as "serious" in that I don't buy the high end stuff in tubos; just the normal Monte, Punch, or RJ.  The larger sizes it's been a while on.

[Guest Nekhyludov]

I've bought and smoked a roughly equal amount of Punch Punch in tubes, dress boxes, and cabs (RIP) over the years and never noticed any significant difference between them in appearance or performance through youth to intermediate age (3 - 5 years). I would expect differences to emerge after long-term aging though. 

[houdini]

I was just talking about this today. Ive found tubos to be more disappointing smokes....almost all the time when compared to their boxed counterparts. Not sure why but its definately the case for me. I dont buy them anymore. A Trinidad Vigioa 3 pack are the last ones I have. 

[RijkdeGooier]

  On 12/19/2018 at 1:40 AM, Mossome said:

The word vintage came from wine making and literally just means the year something was made. Way to laugh at a guy for using the word correctly. 

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Except that it doesn’t work that way in cigars. 

Two points:

1. The boxcode is just that - the date and factory they were boxed in. 

That is not necessary the time of production. 

2. Each cigar is likely to contain tobacco from different years as the different elements that make up a cigar are stored for different times until used in production. 

As a result we tend to use ‘boxdate’ to refer to the box. 

Vintage within the cigar community is used to indicate cigars that have aged for a number of years. The number of years varies, but has generally been subjected to deflation. 

Whereas 10 years was used in the past, currently cigars with just 5 years are considered vintage. 

[clickbangdoh]

The only point of comparison I have is the Mag 46. I have tubes from 09 that really have only become good-to-great recently, where as some from a cab were good almost ROTT. I had sort of given up on the tubos, but now they're smoking well.

[nKostyan]

Bolivar Royal Coronas - palpably tastier from the tube (the opinion of my cigar community and personal experience)

 

Partagas D4,5,6 &P2 - does not make a difference for score, but the taste is different, may be interesting for a diversities (the opinion of my cigar community)

 

RyJ Churchill’s - palpably tastier from the tube (the opinion of my cigar community)

 

"Tube Magic" for some cigars Afisionado explained the process of short aging with the limited access of oxygen from the moment when the cigar was rolled, passed the way of freezing, distribution, hit the store, was bought and smoked. Whether there will be some advantage if to buy a box of cigars without a tube and to put for aging in a tubes - it is not known ‍

 

[IanMcLean68]

I must admit noticing some extra depth of flavour in cigars out of tubos, however on the other hand, I have also had more construction issues, bad draws, plugs, bad wrappers. Often also this extra depth of flavour can be attributed to a sweet woody cedar coming from the cedar wrap. This works in some cigars, but not so much in others. This experience comes from trying RyJ, Montecristo, Bolivar and Partagas in tubos. I seem to have less issues with Cohiba's in tubos. I have had Siglo VI from tubes that have been some of the best smokes I have ever had. My main experience unfortunately comes from Punch Punch tubos from around '09 (the green ones). The PP was going through a bit of a rough patch before '13. These cigars were super dark, oily, and pungent! In fact the most pungent "honeyed manure" aroma I have ever experienced with cigars. Gorgeous. I still have an old now empty tube from then, and you can still smell the cigar even now on the cedar insert. Unfortunately as good as these cigars looked and smelled, they were as good as unsmokeable - plugged for the most part, and often way too wet - as in dripping horrible black bitter cigar juices from the cut. I realise now in my old(er) age wisdom that they needed dry boxing badly but I was too naive back in those days to realise this.

[Piligrim]

BRC Tubo from 2014 for me much better than dress box ones. and just remember Punch Curchills tubo from early 00s with brown band were amazingly delicious. much more then dressed box form 03.

[shlomo]

  On 12/18/2018 at 8:41 PM, SenorPerfecto said:

I love love love aging Cuban cigars in tubos. As long as you watch for mold (the cedar insert is likely to blame for tubos’ slight inclination to mold), leave them in the tubes with the caps on!

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Why would the cedar be to blame for the mold?

[Oscar300]

  On 12/18/2018 at 8:39 PM, crking3 said:

Oh awesome it seems like my semi-unrelated comment in the other thread sparked a convo!

Punch punch 17 tubos vs dress box 16s for me has been a stark difference with the later being much more subtle (to be kind), but really more dull in flavor ....for me the tubos have been saltier, have had a more pronounced woody/toasts aspect to them and well so sum it up, much more complex........the dress box have been predominantly sweeter, sort of a nutty sweetness.......neither have been harsh at all/young/bitter, or one any more than the other

Anyone else get this with punch punch ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Yes I found this as well.  Tubes concentrate the cigar for longer.  

[Fugu]

  On 12/19/2018 at 4:26 AM, RijkdeGooier said:

Whereas 10 years was used in the past, currently cigars with just 5 years are considered vintage.

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Haha - no generalizations! There is only PCC I know of being so impudent.... 

[Colt45]

RyJ Churchills - I'd found that those in tubes had a bit more richness / density of flavor. All else being equal, would choose tubed vs. dress box.

[joshhooper7]

As someone stated above I do love a round cigar opposed to a slightly box pressed cigar that comes with dress boxes. To that, I give the edge to tubos. One of my favorite cigars from 2018 was a Boli Tubo No. 1 from 2015, just so rich and flavorful. I don't own many tubos but I'd be interested in trying more!

[shlomo]

  On 12/19/2018 at 7:33 PM, SenorPerfecto said:

Holding extra moisture near the cigar. Have you noticed that cedar-wrapped cigars that show mold will usually do so under the cedar?

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Is the cedar acting as a sort of vapour barrier that impedes the cigar from "breathing"?

[KnightsAnole]

Never noticed any benefit of tubes other than protection from getting mashed up in my pocket. I use when traveling and like them for that. Also use them in my pj case instead of the guardian.