What went wrong with this Partagas?

[Sander]

Hi all,

So I'm still very new to all this - doing a lot of reading, smoking a lot of different cigars...

This morning I was looking forward to a Partagas Spanish Rosado (San Agustin) that I bought from the local cigar shop yesterday.

From the very beginning it had a really tight draw and barely any smoke at all. It almost seemed as if it wasn't even lit although it was actually burning pretty evenly.

After only 15-20 minutes, I finally gave up on it. I was actually enjoying the taste (what little of it I could get), so I was pretty disappointed.

I've been opening up my cigars after smoking them, just to get a look at the different fillers and see how they're built. When I opened up this cigar, I noticed that it was very dry and brittle. Usually when I open them up I see long moist leaves. But the Partagas literally crumbled away in my hands.

So, this was actually my first experience with such a tight draw. What could I have done differently so as not to have wasted the cigar?

I realize now that I ought to let all my cigars sit in the humidor for a few weeks. Would that have cured this Partagas? Or maybe they're supposed to be that dry? Not really sure...

thanks!

 

[Macallan]

make sure you really feel your cigar before selecting it. pinch it for dryness of course but also pinch it the full lenght of the cigar. Roller use two hands when rolling and if done properly will actually roll the cigar between their thumb and other 4 fingers, however some rely most on their pointer and thumb only which has more of a tendancy to lead to a knot in the cigar about one inch up from the head typically where the band is. Spend extra time in that area to make sure the constructional consistency is there. If this happens again, before giving up on the cigar all together, take your cutter and cut off the bottom 1.5 inches from the head (just above the band). It is a desperate move but a good last effort. It has salvaged some of the smoke for me in the past.

 

[Bloofington]

Very interesting Macallan. Most of the plugged cigars that I've had were indeed plugged at that very spot. Good overall advice too.

 

[jrinam]

have to agree, always plugged at band. i usually poke several holes threw with a ice pick,grasping firmly so i dont rip. but have had to cut off part of a cigar to finish. i wont give up that easily!