My Vegas Mishap

[Markspring1978]

Had a great weekend in Vegas for a friend’s bachelor party. Saturday was a great cigar day, excellent ‘16 Connie A, an ‘09 Choix, and a ‘15 Mag 56. All were remarkable cigars. 

Sunday was officially my worst cigar day ever. Started with a ‘15 Punch DC, intending to do a review for the weekend comp. 

Was really looking forward to this smoke, unfortunately it was plugged and after 30 minutes I had a terrible headache and gave up. 

After an hour or so, the banging subsided in my head, I lit up a ‘17 CoRo. Couldn’t believe the same result. Plugged. I tried to hang in there, but the cigar was a disaster. Completely blew apart, terrible burn. 

That night I lit up a ‘15 Party E2, hoping to end on a positive note. Couldn’t believe it, third plugged in a row. Not as bad as the DC and CoRo, but still not good. 

I guess it was bad luck. Fortunately, the previous day was awesome, and my bad luck was only with cigars, and didn’t extend to the craps table! 

[Brian24]

Wonder if the desert climate caught up to the cigars on day 2? I’ve had bad luck out there from a flavor standpoint, but not from a draw or construction standpoint.

[Colt45]

Just out of curiosity, how were they stored during your trip? I've had similar results using a hard caddy style case in a hot climate, without any kind of desiccant.

[...]

Based on visual of the Cohiba, looks too wet which would explain the difficult draw. Colt45 might be on to something...

1 hour ago, Colt45 said:

Just out of curiosity, how were they stored during your trip? I've had similar results using a hard caddy style case in a hot climate, without any kind of desiccant.

 

[Buck14]

I was in Vegas in Mid-March and took 10 cigars in a cigar caddy and tossed in a Credit Card-sized 65F Boveda -  every cigar was in perfect shape. Also threw a 50-60 count portable Tupperdor in my bag with 3 of the same-sized 65F Bovedas and they were good all trip.

Some advice - if you have a cigar caddy throw that POS big button-sized, useless humidification device that it comes with in the trash and use a Boveda.

 

[WABOOM]

Were they in checked luggage or carry on?

[MD Puffer]

bummer.  hope the whole trip wasn't a wash.  vegas is a blast for me

[Cazador]

Any Vegas mishap that doesn’t end in an STD isn’t that bad. 

[Frozen North]

We’re in Vegas right now. Wife just won $5400.00 on the slot machines, WooHoo 

[Markspring1978]

3 hours ago, Colt45 said:

Just out of curiosity, how were they stored during your trip? I've had similar results using a hard caddy style case in a hot climate, without any kind of desiccant.

I stored the cigars in a small Pelican hard case with a 65% Boveda. Interesting comments, I suppose that it is possible that the higher temps in Vegas caused more moisture to be released and that may have resulted in higher MC in the cigars. As there were no issues the day before, I didn’t consider that, but possible. Hindsight, I would have dryboxed and then traveled with no Boveda. 

1 hour ago, MD Puffer said:

bummer.  hope the whole trip wasn't a wash.  vegas is a blast for me

Had an awesome trip, except for day 2 with the cigars. I bet on Texas Tech straight up, and that worked out well. Took Auburn with the points, so that worked out as well, even though everyone is sure to remind me of what a wus I am. Also took a trip to Top Golf, we don’t have those in Montana. What a blast! 

 

 

[Markspring1978]

 

1 hour ago, WABOOM said:

Were they in checked luggage or carry on?

Carry on. 

[BoliDan]

As someone that lives in a volatile climate and can be 55F one day, 90F the next with large ambient humidity changes, I can confirm that fragile wrappers will easily unravel and crack, also plugs if I dont dry box when ambient rh is low. It sucks. Makes me want to move to Florida just for cigars

[Derboesekoenig]

Please get a PerfecDraw! It has paid for itself for me many times over so far. Well worth it!

[Colt45]

23 hours ago, Markspring1978 said:

I stored the cigars in a small Pelican hard case with a 65% Boveda. Interesting comments, I suppose that it is possible that the higher temps in Vegas caused more moisture to be released and that may have resulted in higher MC in the cigars. As there were no issues the day before, I didn’t consider that, but possible. Hindsight, I would have dryboxed and then traveled with no Boveda.

My thought is that your cigars were over-humidified (as were mine). The hard cases are pretty airtight, and require no humidification. If I'm traveling with this type of case, I actually use a cigar tube filled with unmoistened desiccant, which I've drilled with small holes. Bovedas, or anything that adds moisture, simply can't counteract an overly humid environment.

[Corylax18]

Heat? I guess I missed the part where he told us he left them outside the whole trip? 

Every Vegas Casino/Hotel Ive been in is kept at about 40f, its obnoxious. Its dry in Vegas to start and the A/C sucks even more moisture out of the air. Your cigars didnt pick up the extra moisture from the air in vegas, thats for sure. 

They may have been overhumidified to start or you may have just had an unlucky run. On trips under 4 or 5 days, I usually dont use a boveda or any other humidification device. Regardless of weather im going to New Orleans or Las Vegas. I've never noticed an elevated rate of smokability issues doing it this way. I may be an outlier though. Cigars are tough and I think we end up causing more problems than we solve by constantly trying to tweak their environment to some "perfect parameters." I leave cigars out, or in a ziploc for a week or two weeks at a time in Cuba, most smoke great there and most have smoked great since acclimitizing to my home setup. Dont over think it. 

[Markspring1978]

On 4/11/2019 at 12:37 AM, Derboesekoenig said:

Please get a PerfecDraw! It has paid for itself for me many times over so far. Well worth it!

Picked one up, have been meaning to for some time. Perhaps because I live in Montana where it’s pretty dry, I rarely experience draw issues. 

18 hours ago, Corylax18 said:

They may have been overhumidified to start or you may have just had an unlucky run.  

I keep my humidor at 65/65. My thought was unlucky run. 

[Derboesekoenig]

Most people overthink cigar storage, and for good reason. However, I'm of the opinion (and take this with a grain of salt) that cigars are not as susceptible to environmental changes as most people think, short term. I think with travelling it's unnecessary, especially for a trip shorter than 10-12 days. If stored in the proper environment for months at a time before you take them out of that controlled environment, in my experience they will still smoke great for the next couple weeks regardless.

[Ethernut]

8 hours ago, Derboesekoenig said:

Most people overthink cigar storage, and for good reason. However, I'm of the opinion (and take this with a grain of salt) that cigars are not as susceptible to environmental changes as most people think, short term. I think with travelling it's unnecessary, especially for a trip shorter than 10-12 days. If stored in the proper environment for months at a time before you take them out of that controlled environment, in my experience they will still smoke great for the next couple weeks regardless.

Point well made. I agree 100%. I left a cigar on my counter at home for 2 weeks. The wrapper was on the dry side after that but not too dry. I smoked it early this week and enjoyed it immensely. I’m in the crowd that we probably collectively over humidify cigars with our storage hand wringing. I keep mine at 60ish year around and just don’t worry about it. 

I remember a post by @El Presidente years and years ago where he shared he’d unintentionally left a cigar dry boxing in the heat in back of a truck during one of his legendary outdoor adventures. He said it beat around for days and he tried to smoke it. Said it was brilliant.