Half+Half=Corona

[nKostyan]

Hello friends! I have not make full-fledged publications for a long time, because in recent years I have been dragged into another “waterhole” - my work. But I try to read the forum regularly, so I stay up to date with cigar life.

I was embarrassed to publish this stupid experiment, but after the results of the survey about "next day lighting" I don't think I will be ridiculed a lot

 

So!

H.Upmann Half Corona is one of my favorite vitolas in the line of this brand. If this is a successful high-quality, then this is a high strenght and solid, self-sufficient cigar.

 

 

 

Of course, Half Corona is a masterpiece of the Cuban cigar industry.

But the format... the format is not very convenient. I smoked half of it and it becomes difficult to hold a cigar in my hand. A toothpick helps, but smoking is still hard - the smoke gets hot and you need to control yourself to take delicate puffs. What kind of pleasure is it when you don't relax?!

 

Actually, the mischievous idea was prompted by the name - the “half corona”. Give me whole corona!

 

So, I take two cigars, join them according to the factory cut, because the guillotine, no matter how hard I try, still gives some deviation of the cut from 90 degrees. Of course, it would be ideal to rewind the wrapper with an overlap, but I am not strong in rolling of cigars.

It was decided to stick a piece of the wrapper and use the technique attributed to Sir Winston Churchill - to thread cigars on a steel needle for rigidity of the connection. The patch from the wrapper should exclude air suction at the joint.

 

 

 

So, the double cigar is ready, it looks like a lonsdale, the format turned out to be an impressive 7”x44. Cut off both heads with a guillotine.

 

 

 

Smoke!

1/3: pure strong espresso of full dark roasting, with all the characteristic coffee nuances and acidity. It's medium smoke, medium strenght, and compared to smoking a regular half corona, but it's a lite flavor. But the single half coronas turn on powerfully from start. When smoking delicately, got a fried hazelnuts. As a result, I chose the smoking double puffs mode - so both: the body and the strength are enough for me.

It should be noted that the wrapper began to spread as expected, but not critically. A little wet and glued again. The cigar didn't burn very smoothly, it had to be corrected, but with half Coronas it often is.

 

 

 

2/3: the smoke has become quite soft and denser. The taste profile not changed, but it has become more rounded and the sourness has disappeared. The strength and smokiness have grown as expected, but not much. Closer to the joint, the taste of green pepper and earthy were added.

When burning down to the joint, the ashes were removed, the needle was removed and the whole half corona remained. The cigar is soft to the touch and impregnated with resins of the first half smoke. The draw became easier and the cigar reward me with sips of heavy viscous, full of taste smoke. The thick, strong espresso is back. The draw is "Cuban standard", but it allows you to take deep puffs without the risk of overheating.

 

 

 

3/3: no changes, the same espresso with sourness, well, maybe more earthy notes were added.

 

 

 

Conclusion:

of course it was a funny crazy experiment. A kind of "cheap limitada", took two cigars for $ 3 and got a unique format for $ 6 (and not as the new owners of Habanos are now pulling ).

It should be noted that the profile of these halves was not ordinary initially, the cigars are dark Colorado-Maduro and compared to the light half-Corona, they have an almost full body with the taste of strong espresso of strong roasting. The first half smoked unusually - more easily, which is explained by the role of the big filter that the second half performed.

The second half did not have such an aggressive taste, as if half Corona were smoked separately. It smoked for a long time due to saturation with moisture and resins, while burning fairly evenly.

There was no change of tastes, but there was an evolution. But the taste was juicy, the smoke thick and viscous, such as happens when smoking fresh, not yet dried up to the recommended 69% of cigars.

[NSXCIGAR]

Brilliant!

I've always toyed with the idea of turning a bunch of ERDM DT into a robusto or something. Never thought of this though! 

[gormag38]

Pretty awesome idea. I've heard here and there about 'wishing the half coronas were longer'....nice to know that you actually tried to do something about it. 

[dshot]

Great experiment! Next up putting together a Monte Media Corona and a HU Half Corona together.

[nKostyan]

Great experiment! Next up putting together a Monte Media Corona and a HU Half Corona together.

It is better not to mix vodka with beer

[jhalischuk]

This is awesome. 

Did you have to relight at the halfway point?

[Low]

When I was a little younger, my friends and I would roll double wide and double length blunts to take to parties, my guess would be around a DC in size. We would use food gelatin to connect all 4 together and make sure it was sturdy enough, and it was always enough to give the whole party a little buzz. I've actually been kicking around your idea for a few months, but couldn't quite figure out how to go about constructing one. 

Glad to see there's other insane people out there experimenting with this. Now when I glue two petite robustos together to get an 8x50 that will last me an entire day at the golf course, I can reference this post  

[Chibearsv]

FrankenCigar!  Run for you lives! 🤣

[benfica_77]

Love the creativity on this one kudos @nKostyan 

I cut a RyJ churchill once and created two smaller sticks because I only had one cigar and my father in law wanted one...never thought about going in the other direction haha 

[karp]

Bravo! What a great out-of-the-box experiment and interesting to hear how the second half was smoother than if both were smoked separately. 

[nKostyan]

Did you have to relight at the halfway point?

Yes. The ashes fell out, and the second half did not completely catch fire

[RDB]

Very funny. I am surprised the first cigar didn’t completely unravel given that you were smoking it backwards! Also, respect for taking down two of these strong little things in a row.

[nKostyan]

Also, respect for taking down two of these strong little things in a row.

I was expecting a nicotine kick, so I prepared a sweet drink in advance.

[Monteverdi]

 

Hello everyone on February 22 I did the same experiment with the wonderful but short smoking time ERDM DT (to double the enjoyment time) and everything went very well... burning, smoke flow and flavors! the only difference was that I placed the cigars in the same direction.

Detailed photo report on the Greek site for cigars: http://cigarsforum.gr/viewtopic.php?f=229&t=1875

[Popof4]

I have to say, the deviate mind can be a wonderful thing.         I remember some sort of saying or proverb.  Mother is the invention of necessity?  Something like that. LOL

You are one deviate mother!   😇

[Glass Half Full]

THIS is a game changing idea -- all of the sudden, secretos can become fat lanceros

[Lamboinee]

Pretty dam amazing! 

[DaBoot]

👍🏻