What does lifting a cigar to the ear....and rolling it around tell you

[El Presidente]

Quick question

What does lifting a cigar to the ear....and rolling it around tell you? Use the poll. 

[Lotusguy]

My own cigars are all stored properly, so no need to do it, but it is an indication of proper humidity level (for me anyway).

[El Presidente]

Just now, Lotusguy said:

My own cigars are all stored properly, so no need to do it, but it is an indication of proper humidity level (for me anyway).

Really?

Interesting. Take one at 65RH, 80RH and 55RH. 

On a small trial here, all bar one picked the 80RH as the correctly humidified cigar using solely the ear loll technique. 

[Chef]

 Between those two options, I chose the second. I’m certainly not a goose. However, this particular test isn’t going to tell you if the whole cigar is properly humidified. It’s probably just limited to whether the wrapper is in good smokable condition.  The filler and/or binder can still be very wet, resulting in a stupid smoking experience.

[SCgarman]

Nothing. And it is something I never do. 

[Lotusguy]

35 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

Really?

Interesting. Take one at 65RH, 80RH and 55RH. 

On a small trial here, all bar one picked the 80RH as the correctly humidified cigar using solely the ear loll technique. 

Interesting. I look (listen?) for a slight crackling sound and obviously, you feel the firmness while you're doing it. Now where to get a 80% humidified cigar to repeat this test - probably in Paris

 

[UB83]

How close to the ocean it was rolled.

[SCgarman]

43 minutes ago, Lotusguy said:

Interesting. I look (listen?) for a slight crackling sound and obviously, you feel the firmness while you're doing it. Now where to get a 80% humidified cigar to repeat this test - probably in Paris

 

What do you think of Kostritzer Schwarzbier? From your home land? It is Heaven in a glass IMO.?

[La_Tigre]

How many licks it takes to reach the center...

[Lotusguy]

What do you think of Kostritzer Schwarzbier? From your home land? It is Heaven in a glass IMO.

My home town is near Stuttgart so I am very partial to wheat beers

[Habana Mike]

If I hear a crackling sound and get dust in my ear it is probably a tad underhumified.....

[Islandboy]

Haven’t employed this enough to form any correlation between the sound and a certain smoking experience. Not really planning to either. I can generally feel and smell all I need to know. 

[SenorPerfecto]

When I do that, my cigars always whisper in a breathy, Scarlett-Johannseneque tone, "Put me in your mouth...."

[Fuzz]

It tells you that you are rolling a cigar close to your ear... but if you listen really carefully, it will tell you the super secret plan of the underpants gnomes.

[BoliDan]

I say not much here. I think any of us that keep it 58-62%/66-70F will hear a tad of crinkle, but also have that firm yet humidified feel in the middle. If anything, I like to hear a very tiny bit of a crackling in the wrapper and binder. Signals that it will not be fireproof, with a fast burning filler, to me anyway...

[Edward7]

Don’t really need to place so much pressure to be able to tell if something is dry. I don’t mind gently checking the length of it for soft spots from underfilling, but with the wrapper being the first part to dry out, you would crack it anyway by rolling it around not near your ear. 

 

This practice reminds me of how some people hold a glass of red wine up into the light to look at the color and how opaque it is. 

[Thirds]

2 hours ago, SenorPerfecto said:

When I do that, my cigars always whisper in a breathy, Scarlett-Johannseneque tone, "Put me in your mouth...."

That was incredible.  ????

Actually laughed out loud. 

[Nino]

Not much - unless the cigar is connected to the internet.

[99call]

17 minutes ago, nino said:

Not much - unless the cigar is connected to the internet.

all we need now is someone to make a mini USB cigar punch

[Colt45]

10 hours ago, El Presidente said:

What does lifting a cigar to the ear....and rolling it around tell you?

That I ran out of Q-tips

[SirVantes]

That my ear is very loose.