Plugged H. Upmann Noella advice

[Trinitysmoke]

I am having awful luck with a jar of noellas.

This is only maybe my tenth box/cab of Cubans.  I am 3 cigars in and they are the 3 most plugged cigars I have encountered.   I battled and massaged my way through half of the first.   The second was not smokable.  I am currently working on the third.  It's a shame because the flavors I can sample are amazing. 

An OCT 20 stamp.   Delivered about 60 days ago.   I had a 65 boveda in the jar, now removed.  

I thought the LCDH red bands were aged several years.   Is that wrong?   Do these need to sit for a few months?   Years?   In the jar or out? 

[MrBirdman]

LCDH are just exclusive distribution cigars. They don’t get a special aging regime. 

Boxes (jars) like this do happen, and sometimes I’ll go on random plug runs across multiple boxes (ie bad luck). If they’ve been at 65 for 60 days it’s probably not humidity. 

If you’re worried I would suggest taking out the remaining cigars and gently rolling them in your fingers to search for plugs. 

Age can loosen tight draws on very young cigars, but usually won’t solve total plugs. 

Lastly, I strongly recommend getting a Perfect Draw. Just finished a box of Monte 4 that would’ve been 80% unsmokeable without one. 

[NSXCIGAR]

If it's that plugged rH isn't the issue. It's a bad roll. 

Best advice I can give you is try and massage out the firm spots, and if no luck get a Perfecdraw. Everyone should have one anyway.

HU Noellas are excellent cigars. Shame you got some tight ones.

And no, LCDH releases don't use any special or aged leaf. Essentially regular production.

.

 

[Trinitysmoke]

They seem tightest under the bands, but I can't massage it all out.   

I had a perfect draw which I have misplaced.   Will need to order another. 

Definitely not giving up on these.   

[MrBirdman]

1 minute ago, Trinitysmoke said:

They seem tightest under the bands, but I can't massage it all out.   

Very common and a phenomenon I have yet to hear an explanation for. 

[Trinitysmoke]

I'm not sure why I thought the LCDH releases were aged.   Is there another red-band type release that I am getting confused with? 

[LordAnubis]

perfecdraw... best 30 bucks you'll ever spend... Again... in your case

[Nevrknow]

Look for a stem on either end. Then hemastats (spelling?) 😁

[MrBirdman]

3 minutes ago, Nevrknow said:

hemastats (spelling?) 😁

I’m not even sure what you mean - sounds like a blood test (“Get me a hemastat count…stat!”) 🙃😂

[Nevrknow]

This! 😂😂

[Nevrknow]

HemOstats. Our Dr friends may be at work right now. 👍🏻

[MrBirdman]

9 minutes ago, Nevrknow said:

This! 😂😂

Ooooooh, a hemostat. I need one actually I’m tired of trying to fish out stems with tweezers or my fingernails 

[Nevrknow]

Had a Lusi plugged to no end and had a thought ( scary I know ) I’m not trashing a Lusi. Remembered I had these when tweezers wouldn’t work. 2 stems later and it smoked like a dream. 
 

I bought 6 more that night. 😬

[griller]

I just had a PerfecDraw + hemostat come to the rescue on a Por Larranaga Panatella this past weekend. I was amazed at the length & thickness of the TWO stems that were pulled from the cigar.  

[CigarZen]

2 hours ago, LordAnubis said:

perfecdraw... best 30 bucks you'll ever spend... Again... in your case

Add another vote for perfect draw!

[Digi]

I must have the same jar you do!  Mine is GEM OCT 20 (got it back in the spring) and every damn cigar in the jar is completely plugged.  Under the band, just like yours - mine are rock hard in that spot and most of them are so tight, the perfecdraw can't even rescue them.  The few that I'm able to suck a bit of air through don't smoke that well anyways...straight up junk construction.  Been a while since I pulled the plugged box (jar) lottery.  Sort of glad to hear I'm not alone? 🤷‍♂️

[BrightonCorgi]

Sorry to read this.  I am on 2nd jar and never had a dud.  Cigars are maybe 4 years older.  

[NSXCIGAR]

1 hour ago, Digi said:

I must have the same jar you do!  Mine is GEM OCT 20

Well, I'm glad this came up. Not a huge buyer of Noellas unless on the island but if and when I do go I'll pay attention to the code.

[La_Tigre]

10 hours ago, Nevrknow said:

This! 😂😂

Merchenaries Stem-O-Stat®? 🤣 

[Trinitysmoke]

Not sure if the perfecdraw worked too well or removing the boveda was too much.   

[MrBirdman]

2 minutes ago, Trinitysmoke said:

Not sure if the perfecdraw worked too well or removing the boveda was too much.   

You have to be careful and gentle with the PD since it can crack wrappers. 

[Trinitysmoke]

This is the 4th from the jar.   The least plugged so far, but still too tight.   It lit up evenly.  I removed the bands, massaged a little bit,  then used perfecdraw from the HEAD to about the first band.  Draw got much better.   Splitting as the heat gets to it. 

[patrickamory]

Something looks weird about that wrapper.

[Trinitysmoke]

I'm not sure if you can tell in this picture, but there is almost like a stretch-mark in the wrapper where the split stops.  Where the band was.