Cuban tight draw issues

[akyprianou]

I have been away from the forum for a little while, still smoking of cause, however this year has been frustrating in regards to smoking........im yet to smoke a cuban thats actually had a good draw. Im feeling very cheated write now, with the amount of money and years spent ageing to just smoke cigars with terrible draws, is not what i consider to be a quality product. A lot of these cigars have had flawless burns with a lovely aroma but just unable to taste due to the lack of airflow in the bunching of the tobaccos. Which has proved to me you can have a very well constructed cigar with a bad draw.............this is the primary reason i haven't been buying this year. I'm really not believing these people that are saying the draw quality has got better in recent years either, i had a fresh Cohiba Siglo II last week, i couldn't even make it to the second third. Very upsetting, draw issues also dont improve with age, this is a big myth and what i have learnt in the last 7 years of smoking cigars, a bad drawing cigar will always be from Day 1 to 20 years age, no matter what.

As some of you may know im not big on LE's & RE's, but i would like to here from some of you guys who do smoke them, to get some insight on how they are performing..........if habanos are focussing there best quality rolls on these lines? or if they just dont care all together?

I have been exploring NC's this year, i have smoked around 10 and whilst i admit they weren't all great in flavour, but were spot on in construction and excellent draws. I will definitely be drawing my attention to more NC's for now, i will still buy cuban also of cause..............maby i am just having an unlucky year, im just fed up of playing cuban roulette haha

Let me know how your smokes have been this year

sorry for the rant

Cheers

[gojira]

A lot of recent production is underfilled now. I have seen that many underfilled cigars, especially with the limited releases. Even the Sir Winston GRs are badly underfilled.

Didn't purchase too many 2017 and 2018 regular production sticks but I got some Monte Especial with the same problem.

[mcdee]

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F223081722632

Get yourself a PerfecDraw. Great for unplugging most tight cigars.

[Kickback]

Seems like you'd benefit from getting one of those perfect draw things.

[Hookmaker]

From about 120+ cigars smoked since last summer I’ve had less than a handful with tight draw problems and only one which I had to stop smoking I believe. But almost all have been post 2015 stock.

[ValeTudoGuy]

Cuban heels and tight Drawers..... I will get my coat.

[Shaun]

If all cigars are tight draws, it suggests to me your humidity may be high.

[Budgie Smuggler]

I?m with Shaun on this, I have exclusively Cuban cigar ranging in age from 1999 to 2018 and have 2-3 cigars a year that I?d consider to be ?plugged?, and maybe a dozen that have a tighter draw than I?d like.

What RH are they stored at and when did you last calibrate your hygrometer?

[ha_banos]

I prefer the draw on Cubans. For me the NCs I've smoked the draw is too loose. It's not a problem I notice very often on this here forum.

I do wonder what you consider too tight a draw.

I have had two CC this year I would consider too tight or plugged. One I fixed with a fork, the other I exchanged. So I've yet to throw anything away.

Sorry youve been so unlucky! Get a PD!!

[akyprianou]

A lot of recent production is underfilled now. I have seen that many underfilled cigars, especially with the limited releases. Even the Sir Winston GRs are badly underfilled.

Didn't purchase too many 2017 and 2018 regular production sticks but I got some Monte Especial with the same problem.

I had a very underfilled, D4 on holiday which took me buy surprise, it was nice however the D4 has been a very consistent cigar for me

[akyprianou]

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F223081722632

Get yourself a PerfecDraw. Great for unplugging most tight cigars.

These have been around for a while now will look into it

[gojira]

I had a very underfilled, D4 on holiday which took me buy surprise, it was nice however the D4 has been a very consistent cigar for me

I hate it when cigars are underfilled. It's bloody robbery!

[akyprianou]

From about 120+ cigars smoked since last summer I’ve had less than a handful with tight draw problems and only one which I had to stop smoking I believe. But almost all have been post 2015 stock.

Majority of my stock is 2013 - 2015.........so will see if cigars from post 2015 have improved although i have had some bad cigars from 2017 recently but also a lot of good

[akyprianou]

If all cigars are tight draws, it suggests to me your humidity may be high.

I have been keeping my humis at 60 - 62 for last 2 years i have noticed a difference, but this is deffo not a humidity issue as all of these cigars do burn very well, there not 'wet' i like my cigars dry so to speak.

This is a construction issue, a few months ago i smoked a monti 2 from my first beginner humidor, which i forgot even had any cigars in lol i left the Xikar crystal which is at 70% RH........at the moni was flawless excellent draw, open with a little firmness.

A high RH should never prevent a cigar from drawing, granted at lower RH its better, but there should always be some kind of air flow, which you dont get with a lot with cubans they do tend to be very firm pack

[akyprianou]

I prefer the draw on Cubans. For me the NCs I've smoked the draw is too loose. It's not a problem I notice very often on this here forum.

I do wonder what you consider too tight a draw.

I have had two CC this year I would consider too tight or plugged. One I fixed with a fork, the other I exchanged. So I've yet to throw anything away.

Sorry youve been so unlucky! Get a PD!!

A tight draw, is a cigar that requires triple puffing to experience flavour, if your having to even double puff on every draw then its way to tight.

Every other draw its nice to double puff but when your consistently doing this its not a good sign, a tight draw also has a very narrow opening, where a good draw has a wide opening, plenty of air flow but with a little firmness............this is all subjective of cause.

I have had 1 NC which had a tighter draw but was still smokable, as most CC with tight draws may as well be plugged.