Monte No. 2 disappointment...

[Spartan]

I waited all week for the chance to kick back, relax and fire up a beautiful Monte No. 2 The predraw was tight as hell but I kept my fingers crossed and prayed for the best...no such luck :crying:

Getting smoke out of this cigar was like trying to suck a ice cube through a soda straw. After wrestling with this thing for 10 minutes I just chucked it. I was going to fire up another one but buzzkill had already set in

This specimen was acquired with a bunch of singles so it's date of birth is unknown and strangely enough the band on this one was upside down. (a premonition of some sort perhaps?) Nevertheless,

I know ya cant win 'em all but I'm curious to know if plugging/rolled too tight is common with the No. 2's

(edited to add context)

[dmuchow]

I have a box of 10 (7 left) that has been resting for a while, all the cigars seem to be tightly rolled or over packed. They're not plugged, but the draw is tight enough to take away any enjoyment of the cigar.

I believe the box is from late 07.

[chuck1rar]

I found some slight manual intervention will fix a tight draw.

The use of a very fine wooden or metal meat stick to plunge back and forth gently to loosen the pack works but is useless if the cigar is truly plugged.

I have only ever seen this done in Japan and since I changed my RH down to 62% never needed to use this remedy again..

But in Japan most humidors and cigar aficionado’s swear that keeping it at 70% is the only way to go and maybe this is the reason for more cigars having a tight draw..

Maybe a practice that is frowned upon but I see it worth the risk rather than ditching the cigar..

[matthew261]

Sorry to hear it...Monte 2 is emerging as one of my favorite smokes and haven't had a bad one yet. It's very possible that you got a poorly rolled cigar, but the humidity might be a factor (as already mentioned). I once believed that 70% was the only acceptable level of humidity. However, after several tight draws and way too many re-lights, I disovered what Europeans seem to have known all along...60-65% is a better range. 70F/70% is easy to remember for those too dense to remember anything else, but to me there is a world of difference in draw and flavor in the lesser humidified stogies.

Having said all of this, I return to my initial suggestion that you might just have gotten a dud. I've got a Bolivar CE that would have stalled a shop-vac. I couldn't bear to throw it away, so I keep it on an ashtray on my work bench as a reminder that premium cigars are a work of art, not a work of science.

[Colt45]

Along with what's already been mentioned, the draw of a piramide can sometimes be helped

by cutting farther down. I start with a relatively small cut, and adjust as necessary.

You may have already done this, but it's a thought.

Also, how long were these cigars in your possession?

As for the upside down band, that has all the markings of a Smithy pick, in which case all bets are off.

[Spartan]

» Along with what's already been mentioned, the draw of a piramide can

» sometimes be helped

» by cutting farther down. I start with a relatively small cut, and adjust

» as necessary.

» You may have already done this, but it's a thought.

»

» Also, how long were these cigars in your possession?

»

» As for the upside down band, that has all the markings of a Smithy pick,

» in which case all bets are off.

I've had them in my humi for a little over a month.

I should also mention that I do not dry box before smoking.

Plus, I dont know if it would have any adverse effect but I was outside and the weather was humid & misty.

[Colt45]

» I've had them in my humi for a little over a month.

» I should also mention that I do not dry box before smoking.

» Plus, I dont know if it would have any adverse effect but I was outside

» and the weather was humid & misty.

Spartan, as has been mentioned, it may simply have been the luck of the draw (pun absoluteley intended :-) ) -

you may have ended up with a dud. But to broaden the perspective a bit, a month or so should

be enough time to acclimate.

But imagine a cigar that is perhaps a little damp to begin with. You receive it and store it in

a humidor at X% humidity - perhaps it will take longer to come down to a more "smokeable"

humidity. Again, just some thoughts.

And a humid day can certainly have an effect on a cigar - I've been there. I hope you have better luck with the rest.

[sje]

the upside down band for me would be the first and last point of concern.

where did you buy it from ?

[El Presidente]

Spartan if it is one of ours let me know and we will replace. :-)

Plugged Piramides are not overly common these days. However, humid conditions will lead to an increasingly bad burn. If the cigar is left out in overly humid conditions for any significant period of time (couple of hours) it will absorb moisture tightening the draw.

I find dry boxing tight cigars we pull from general stock fixes the problem say 60% of the time. It also vastly improves the flavour.

[Spartan]

» the upside down band for me would be the first and last point of concern. where did you buy it from ?

Absolutely no worries, source is 100% reliable ;-)

I have others in the humi, i'll test drive another one sometime this week. Ireally appreciate all the input guys tnx!

[asmith]

» As for the upside down band, that has all the markings of a Smithy pick, in which case all bets are off.

I regularly take the bands off Cubans and place them on some cheap ass Haiti cigars that we import in bulk. Opps guess our little secret is out now, nothing gets past you Colt. ;-)

[greenpimp]

Wow that looks delicious. I love the new Cohiba LE Maduro Smithys. They taste like ****, only the good kind.

[El Presidente]

» Wow that looks delicious. I love the new Cohiba LE Maduro Smithys. They

» taste like ****, only the good kind.

Ahhhh the Cohiba "Smithy's"

Rolled on the thighs of virgins.

[mkz]

»

» Rolled on the thighs of virgins.

Old dried-out nuns that is... :-P

[El Presidente]

If only there were captions from that photo.

"Where do I put my hands?"

"Don't stand too close!"

"Girl germs! Girl Germs!"

[asmith]

» If only there were captions from that photo.

»

» "Where do I put my hands?"

»

» "Don't stand too close!"

»

» "Girl germs! Girl Germs!"

Thats what you wished I was saying, it was more along the lines of,

"How you doin? Can I show you my Cuban?"

[mkz]

» "How you doin? Can I show you my Cuban?"

"No thanks. We dont fancy Panetelas..." :-D

[Colt45]

For anyone interested in the "Complete Making of The Cohiba Smithsonian", here's a link:

[link=http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/board_entry.php?id=39757&page=0&order=time&category=all.tld/]Link[/link]

[Colt45]

» » As for the upside down band, that has all the markings of a Smithy pick,

» in which case all bets are off.

»

» I regularly take the bands off Cubans and place them on some cheap ass

» Haiti cigars that we import in bulk. Opps guess our little secret is out

» now, nothing gets past you Colt. ;-)

The Haitian cigars would be an improvement over some of the stuff you've sent me:

»

»

[asmith]

» The Haitian cigars would be an improvement over some of the stuff you've

» sent me:

» »

» »

»

Look at how well that wrapper is applied, unmistakalby Cuban to the untrained eye.

[asmith]

» »

» » Rolled on the thighs of virgins.

»

» Old dried-out nuns that is... :-P

They don't look too old or dried up from what I can remember.

[SmokinAl]

» » »

» » » Rolled on the thighs of virgins.

» »

» » Old dried-out nuns that is... :-P

»

» They don't look too old or dried up from what I can remember.

»

For Gods sake. There hasn't been a virgin in this town since 1976.