15 Year Absence.

[Ivan]

Welcome aboard!

[Cigar_Addict]

Welcome aboard!

Thanks

[Cigar_Addict]

Hi all, I used to smoke the odd cigar but haven't lit one up in over a decade (the last one I had was in a golf course & turned me green). I have a 50 count humidor (which probably needs re-seasoning) & a handful of cicars left. They are (in no particular order)....

Partagas Black Series
Partagas Maduro Naturale (I think)
Partagas Serie D No2 LE
Partagas Serie D No1 LE

Would be great to hear where you guys get your smokes from

Having read and watched various articles/posts regarding the dates on boxes, I dug out the box for the Partagas Black Series I still have...

IMG_20240305_223211.jpg


From my understanding, 8DF I was from 2003 I think? (so over 20 years old)

[Cigar_Addict]

From my understanding, 8DF I was from 2003 I think? (so over 20 years old)

Correction, Oct 2002

[liles]

Some nicely aged tobacco you have yourself there! Hopefully still smoking good. Did you keep them well?

[Cigar_Addict]

Some nicely aged tobacco you have yourself there! Hopefully still smoking good. Did you keep them well?

They have sat in my unattended humidor with some 65% HF beads for about 8-10 years. I think I left them so long as I figured they'd be mouldy or something whenever I got round to opening them.

Bit of a kicker (but not) is that I gave half a dozen Black Series to a guy I play basketball with after finding out he smoked. The 'but not' bit is that he's a stocks guy who has a well equipped humidor and has already given me an open invite to smoke when the weather gets a bit warmer.

I'm actually interested to see how they smoke after so long. The two Serie D's were wedding presents from my wife from 2009, but the bigger of the two has a damaged foot so trying to figure out how I work around that

[liles]

They have sat in my unattended humidor with some 65% HF beads for about 8-10 years. I think I left them so long as I figured they'd be mouldy or something whenever I got round to opening them.

Bit of a kicker (but not) is that I gave half a dozen Black Series to a guy I play basketball with after finding out he smoked. The 'but not' bit is that he's a stocks guy who has a well equipped humidor and has already given me an open invite to smoke when the weather gets a bit warmer.

I'm actually interested to see how they smoke after so long. The two Serie D's were wedding presents from my wife from 2009, but the bigger of the two has a damaged foot so trying to figure out how I work around that

Well that's good! Nice to have friends with the right supplies

You'll probably want to stick a hygrometer in your humidor and see what it's reading currently. Definitely be careful modifying the humidity in the attempts to make those sticks smokeable again, as big swings can either cause swelling, and cracking, or just plain cracking. Probably wanna just edge is slowly over time into the smoking range (62-69, depending on pref)

Post a pic of the foot? Usually I've found damage that is in the first inch or so isn't too bad, as you'll just smoke past it before it can get worse. Cracks that appear towards the smoking end can become quite horrible, as they have a tendency to swell as the heat and moisture gets pulled down with the smoke. Kinda get a banana peel vibe going on

[Cigar_Addict]

You'll probably want to stick a hygrometer in your humidor and see what it's reading currently. Definitely be careful modifying the humidity in the attempts to make those sticks smokeable again, as big swings can either cause swelling, and cracking, or just plain cracking. Probably wanna just edge is slowly over time into the smoking range (62-69, depending on pref)

Thanks for the info... good to know

I have this one, which I switch between the tupperware box (currently housing my sticks) and the humidor

[Joncon]

Welcome welcome

[Cigar_Addict]

Welcome welcome

Thank you

[Cigar_Addict]

As I am an inexperienced cicar smoker, I am unaware of the signs of what a well sored/humidified cigar should be like, and after the 10 years or so these have sat unattended it's anyone's guess as to their condition. I probably added some distilled water maybe once a year (if that)

I recently started (New Year time) adding distilled water a bit more regularly to the HF beads I have in the humidor & tupperware box and the humidity seems to have stabilised.

Ive seen a device called a cigar medic that tells you the condition of your cigars. Has anyone had any experience with one of these?

[Cigar_Addict]

So a small update, as I thought you should all have a chuckle at my expense..

I've never used Boveda packs, however I found a couple of unused calibration kits from (many) years ago when I got my orders from abroad. When I started trying to rescue my humidor & remaining cigars I thought what better way to know the humidity for sure than to have a accurate hygrometer in there. I ordered batteries for it & used the calibration kit with my hygrometer and duly adjusted it to the 75%RH on the pack.

Recently I was looking into these packs again & discovered they could be rehydrated. On re-inspecting the calibration kit the small sachet was flat as a pancake & rock hard. Clearly I had no idea what I was doing (& still don't), but finally realised that I had adjusted it using a dead pack.

Oh well

They are now in distilled water hoping they can be salvaged, and I will go through the process again

[ha_banos]

Lol. Some might say use the salt test. Bit of course boveda say no https://bovedainc.com/question/can-y...-a-hygrometer/

[Cigar_Addict]

Small update, I've managed to rehydrate the calibration kits, ordered some 65% Boveda packs, ordered a Boveda seasoning kit and smoked 3 cigars from the sampler I bought.

None of the 3 have been particularly nice (despite the good reviews on CGars), but have the Alec Bradley Project 40 Maduro left which I'm REALLY hoping is a nicer tasting stick. Should I have left them in to mature for a few months? Would that make them taste any better?

When my friend returns from visiting his parents in the States I'll have 10 Mr Brownstone cigars to try out too.