Cigar fell apart - what happened?

[AD720]

I just sat down to smoke what is my first "real" cigar since getting into it. I usually smoke little Macanudos, ascots and minis.

I think i know the answer but maybe someone can chime in and tell me what I did wrong here.

Anyway, I picked a cigar that I have had for a while, a Rocky Patel Sun Grown that I have had since a wedding a couple months ago. I had been sitting in a dark drawer, but not properly humidified I guess. Since I got my humi yesterday it had been sitting in there and I thought it would be ok. I guess not. I lit it up and it tasted great but in about 5 minutes it started to completely unravel back to front. It did feel a little bit dryer than my other cigars.

No big deal, since I didn't buy it and if that is worst thing that happens to me today I will be a lucky duck. But it had a $10 price tag on it...I think I new in the back of my mind it was going to be a dud and that is why I picked it instead of one of my nicer, newer ones. I ended up having one of my good old reliable Macanudos and throughly enjoying it!

Really my question is not why did happen (because I think I know the answer), but if I would have left it in the humidor for a while, would it have been smokable or was it doomed to disintegrate?

Did you light the correct end?

Not being mean. It is a mistake many of us have made in the past. I've cut unbanded sticks and forgot which end was the foot and cap before. If you light the cap end, the wrapper WILL peel off like a stripper sliding down a pole!!

Humidity issues usually manifest themselves with the wrappers "exploding", not un-raveling! In any event, it will take several weeks for under-humidified sticks to gain back sufficient humidity to be smokable, and you need to re-humidify dry sticks in increments to avoid the wrappers splitting and cracking.

Better luck with the next cigar

[Rahllin]

Did you cut just the cap? Sometimes if you cut too much off the end the wrapper will start to unravel like you're saying.

[chippewastud79]

The cigar may have been OK if you left it in the humidor. To rehydrate a cigar you need quite a bit of time, atleast a month IMO, and you have to do it slow and move it around in the humi.

In retrospect, leaving it in a drawer for a month was probably not a good idea at all. All cigars will dry out in a matter of days if left in an unhumidified space. Hope you have the humidor up and running efficiently so it doesn't happen to any more of your sticks.

[nozero]

While you're waiting for more replies, why not head over to the New Gorilla Forum and introduce yourself to the other members of this fine forum?

And...

Originally Posted by nozero

While you're waiting for more replies, why not head over to the New Gorilla Forum and introduce yourself to the other members of this fine forum?

And...

You guys have to remember that posts in the NGF DO NOT show up in post counts. He actually introduced himself there yesterday.

[AD720]

Wow - thanks for the fast replies!


I will try to do these in order:

Yes, I am sure I lit the correct end. (no offense taken at all). Thanks for the info, it is good to know in the future that a dry stick can come back to life.

The cap was already cut. I'm guessing at the cigar shop where it was bought. I tried to cut it again, ahead if where it was unraveling and that made matters a whole lot worse.

Thanks for the info, I never would have thought to move it around. Yes, leaving it in a drawer was not so bright, but now I am learning. Won't happen again now that I have a sweet humidor that has been solid at 68-70%.


Yes, already introduced, and thanks for the welcome.

[CigarGal]

Welcome AD! I find this to be a problem as well. When I light my cigar the end starts to turn gray and flake off-sometimes in big chunnks. After a while my entire cigar is gone!! Can some one help???

[AD720]

Originally Posted by CigarGal

Welcome AD! I find this to be a problem as well. When I light my cigar the end starts to turn gray and flake off-sometimes in big chunnks. After a while my entire cigar is gone!! Can some one help???

That sounds pretty serious. You should probably send them all over to me and I will test them out.


Thanks for the welcome.

[bobarian]

Sounds like you may need some reinforcements, please send me a PM with your addy.

[AD720]

Originally Posted by bobarian

Sounds like you may need some reinforcements, please send me a PM with your addy.

PM sent.

Should I be concerned with the structural integrity of my mailbox?

[Texan in Mexico]

Originally Posted by Rahllin

Did you cut just the cap? Sometimes if you cut too much off the end the wrapper will start to unravel like you're saying.

My thoughts exactly - I have had that happen before, I have to fly for work alot and on some of these Islands I cant even pack a cutter so I bite the end off, if you get too much that wrapper will start to unwind just like a well thrown roll of toilet paper from the upper deck! Hahaha

[NCRadioMan]

Originally Posted by AD720

The cap was already cut. I'm guessing at the cigar shop where it was bought. I tried to cut it again, ahead if where it was unraveling and that made matters a whole lot worse.

There is your answer. The store probably cut too much off to begin with and when you cut off a little more it got worse. I have done that more than a few times.

[AD720]

That is interesting that you mention that it might have been cut too much. It looked to me that the cap was cut maybe a little more than 50% of the way to where the cigar gets to it's widest point. (if that makes sense)

[catfish]

Mybe it was depress and comitted suicide.