Why are so many Cubans badly rolled / blocked?

[Big Al]

I am finding that about 40% (or even more) Cuban cigars are crap rolled. Why is this? And no, it is not because my humidor is faulty. My cigars are kept at 65 degrees temp and just about bang 70% (maybe slightly less). But I light them up and go blue in the face trying to draw anything from them let alone smoke.

However, Cubans are expensive. I expect better than that. I expect much better than that. How is it that Don Kiki of Cuban Crafters or cigar.com "in house" are rolled perfectly? How is it that so many NC cigars are rolled perfectly?

My Cohiba are rolled to perfection, so are my Hoyo de Monterray and my Partagas. My Bolivar are disgusting. So are Monte Cristo and Peidra of the ones I have tried recently. Not good enough.

What say you?

[kamaangir]

I agree with you on the bolivars I had one last night and it was like trying to suck a footbal through a straw!! and some of the other popular brands are not that better.
I smoke charatans and find them pretty good usually.

[Simon-JG-hr]

I've been quite lucky. Out of the 30-40 cigars that I must have smoked now, I've only had one that I would have called plugged, a Diplomaticos No4.

I just hope that my rich vein of luck continues. Hope you pick up some better ones soon Big Al.

[skyhigh]

i found that with the fonseca cosacos when straight out of the humi they were really tight. As suggested by someone on here , i now dry box them for a couple of days before i want to smoke them and it makes alot of difference. Seems that with the tight rolled cigars the added moisture makes them even tighter, so just releasing some of that moisture prior to smoking them helps.

[Big Al]

i found that with the fonseca cosacos when straight out of the humi they were really tight. As suggested by someone on here , i now dry box them for a couple of days before i want to smoke them and it makes alot of difference. Seems that with the tight rolled cigars the added moisture makes them even tighter, so just releasing some of that moisture prior to smoking them helps.

You may well be right there mate and I'll give that ruse a go.

However, it does get my goat that after shelling out for pricey sticks they are unsmokable especially when all has been done "right and proper like" to maintain them. My take on it is that if other people can do it right we should expect that the supposed "best in the world" do it right.

[daverave999]

A few things that might help. Some from experience, some I've read:

Test draw before lighting them. If you can't draw through it unlit I'd recommend not lighting it.

Try running your humidor at 65% RH. Similar to dry boxing but often gives better burn, draw and a slightly stronger taste.

Dry boxing-already mentioned.

Draw Poker

How long have they been in your humidor? They do seem to relax over time. Might not have been in there long enough?

Just ideas...

[G-man]

I for the life of me can't understand why We pay so much for a fuckin cigar then we have to resort to draw Pokers ,dry boxing. rollin them between our fingers and thumb just to achieve a draw. Quality control is all it comes down to. In all the years (countless) I have had and can count on 1 hand how many NC that I've tossed. If I were to smoke CC on a regular basis I be in the poor house or on my way to Cuba to shoot the pricks rollin my cigars.

[Pantomimehorse]

Ive been lucky I guess, i did have a few plugged sticks when I first started getting serious in this game but I put that down to bad humi conditions, since I knew what I was doing its been perfect

[Big Al]

I for the life of me can't understand why We pay so much for a fuckin cigar then we have to resort to draw Pokers ,dry boxing. rollin them between our fingers and thumb just to achieve a draw. Quality control is all it comes down to. In all the years (countless) I have had and can count on 1 hand how many NC that I've tossed. If I were to smoke CC on a regular basis I be in the poor house or on my way to Cuba to shoot the pricks rollin my cigars.

That my fellow Brother sums up what I feel albeit rather more expressively!

It is a matter of expectation. I am a cigar smoker and when I buy a cigar I expect to be able to smoke it there and then and without hassle or hardship (except for hole in my pocket!). I do not buy cigars to nurse them over a long lay up period. That'd be nice maybe but I'm not in that ball park.

So what is it with these so-called "best in the world" mob who can't roll a cigar to save their life?

[misterbulgarin]

I'd imagine it to be annoying, well..it is, but my past few have been ok, to super. I remember my first D4 was plugged like hell, NOT a great introduction to partagas, picked another up from 1001 , UKCF have given me confidence to try them out again.

It really annoys me when a cigar doesnt behave, coning, caneoing, tunneling, shit draw, but when I get a good one, its superb, I spose its like anything in life? swings n roundabouts (Except you pay each time!)

where can I get some Charatans btw? Reall good cigars, I havent found any American sites which sell them. Ive only found UK sites stock them; dont really fancy splashing out for TAX , rather get something from 1001 for the same price..

[spacemonkey_no9]

I am finding that about 40% (or even more) Cuban cigars are crap rolled...

...What say you?

Change your supplier, the odd plugged stick when buying singles happens but even then a good supplier will do the band squeeze before packaging up. If you're talking about 30-40% plugged per box then they gotta be going back and getting replaced.

[Big Al]

Change your supplier, the odd plugged stick when buying singles happens but even then a good supplier will do the band squeeze before packaging up. If you're talking about 30-40% plugged per box then they gotta be going back and getting replaced.

No, not per box (well, I hope not as I have only my recently arrived box of Bolivars to test on that one). But no, these are individuals and small sets I have purchased. Getting on for half of them have been really hard on the draw or worse.

Maybe they are just like that. Maybe they are supposed to be like that. I don't know. I do know that my list of Cubans I am willing to smoke is reducing almost by the day.

[snooky]

I expect they need to be aged, or maybe dry boxed for a short while, i think you can tell a good smoke before its clipped, by the weightless feel you get especially once it has aged. [ recommend you give it another ten seconds in the humi]

[daverave999]

[ recommend you give it another ten seconds in the humi]

Typo?

So how long have they been in your humidor Big Al?

[TJCoro]

It's a problem.

No, not per box (well, I hope not as I have only my recently arrived box of Bolivars to test on that one). But no, these are individuals and small sets I have purchased. Getting on for half of them have been really hard on the draw or worse.

Maybe they are just like that. Maybe they are supposed to be like that. I don't know. I do know that my list of Cubans I am willing to smoke is reducing almost by the day.

Sorry to hear about your lousy experience with Habanos, senor Big!

I guess I include myself among the lucky that only on the rare occasion experience a plugged puro. But I buy boxes only, so that may have something to do with it.

I did, however, buy a few boxes of Bolivar Gold Medals from a reliable vendor a year ago that were so plugged they couldn't be smoked. In fact, I had to buy back a box from an amigo.

It turned out to be my good fortune!!! After several month of quite time in my cavernous humidor, they are smokin' like champs now!!!

BTW, what puros are you finding to be plugged?

BJ

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