What went wrong?

[Carduus]

I need some help.

I like Onyx cigars but I had a problem with one two nights ago. First of all the cigar smelled horrible. I won't go into much detail because I don't want to offend anyone. Second, after I clipped the end and put it in my mouth it had a very tart/sour flavor that almost seemed like it was eating my lip off. Then when I lit it, it tasted like an old sweaty sock (not that I personally know what an old sweaty sock tastes like but if I have to guess this would be it). I took two draws off of it and I had to put it out.

What could have caused this? My humidor is at 65% RH and 70 degrees. Did I just get a bad one? Do they need to age a bit more? Has anyone else had this happen to them?

 

[kuzi16]

the only thing i can think of that would cause this is highly unlikely.

in the initial aging proscess there is a stage where a bunch of amonia is present. If they took a leaf the was too young that could cause this. I remember reading that this would happen during the cigar boom because they were trying to pump out maduros faster.
I dont htink this would happen now especially with a brand like onyx . I would venture to say that this one was a dud for some reason. it happens.


if you smell your next one and it has the same smell, put a date on it and dont smoke it for a few years.

 

[phisherman]

Is this a new box or recently delivered batch? If so it may be the amonia issues.

As cigars age their flavour profile changes. With some cuban they can go through what is refered to as the sick phase or sleeeping phase as they will not taste quite right. A that point poeple just try to foget about them and let them rest for a year or more (2 would be good) so that as they age their flavour profile changes for the better. This may be happening to your cigars. Or you could have just got a dud that was rolled with a little bad tobacco. It happnes from time to time.

 

[Carduus]

I work around ammonia and I can tell you this was not an ammonia smell. It was more like what a dog would do. If you get my point. (Yes, I still lit it and took a few drags off of it even though it smelled like...).


HEY! I gave it a fighting chance!


I took the wrapper off of another that I got at the same time and it too smells like ....

I guess I will let it age...


But should a cigar smell that bad EVER!?!?!?!?!

 

[Carduus]

These things stink!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Bloofington]

No, they should not ever smell that bad. Something is definitely wrong. Take a knife and slit two or three of them neatly lengthwise, and find out what's inside them. There should be a binder leaf inside the wrapper leaf, and nothing but long filler tobacco inside that, with the possibility of some stems, but they should not be prevalent. If I found anything foreign in there, I'd save it, and send it all back to the manufacturer with a letter expressing your dissatisfaction.

 

[zandor]

The pre-light aroma on an Onyx reserve should be a little foul. If I remember right it's a slightly sweet rotten smell, like rotting veggies or over-ripe fruit. That should go away once you light one. It shouldn't be strong enough to make you gag though, and the cigar shouldn't have a nasty flavor when you put it in your mouth. My impression is more like "hmm, that smells a little ripe", rather than "dear god *puke*".
Still, you certainly got a bad one.

 

[Cloudy]

My first question would be this: have you isolated these cigars from everything else in your humi?

Second question: are you sure these are not ACID? :lol:

 

[Muerte]

The pre-light aroma on an Onyx reserve should be a little foul. If I remember right it's a slightly sweet rotten smell, like rotting veggies or over-ripe fruit. That should go away once you light one. It shouldn't be strong enough to make you gag though, and the cigar shouldn't have a nasty flavor when you put it in your mouth. My impression is more like "hmm, that smells a little ripe", rather than "dear god *puke*".
Still, you certainly got a bad one.

I have to agree with Zandor. I have a sensitive sense of smell and thought the Onyx smelled like manure when I first took a whiff. But they taste great!!!

 

[Carduus]

My first question would be this: have you isolated these cigars from everything else in your humi?

Second question: are you sure these are not ACID? :lol:

Q1: Yes I have.

Q2: Yes I am.

I have smoked many Onyx and NEVER have they smelled like this.

I guess I will stick with Punch, Montes, and CAOs

Thanks for the input.

 

[Bloofington]

Did you cut any open?

 

[Carduus]

NO...

I only have one left...


I thought about it!

I am going to order a few more of these (from c.com of course!) and see what they are like.

The thing that bothers me the most about these is that I have smoked many of these and NONE have smelled like $&!% before. I think I got in on a bad batch.

 

[Bikeman]

You know what, I would send that bad one back to CAO. Not that they will care, but you never know what might happen, and it will give you some satisfaction that you no longer have that thing corrupting the rest of your cigars.


Good luck brother!!

 

[iminaquagmire]

I'm not one for the theory that only Cuban cigars go through sick periods. I've had many cigars that have tasted just awful and not necessarily like ammonia. But after resting them some more, they turn out Ok. I've also had others where there is simply no saving them for whatever reason. Chalk it up to a fluke until proven otherwise later.

 

[golfcigarjunkie]

I have a book on Cigars that says we should never smoke a cigar that is between one month and four months old. The book said there is a sour period of development in the second, third and four month of maturing. I do not know if this is true but that is what the book says.

 

[kuzi16]

I have a book on Cigars that says we should never smoke a cigar that is between one month and four months old. The book said there is a sour period of development in the second, third and four month of maturing. I do not know if this is true but that is what the book says.

i though most cigars are rolled and then aged 4-6 months before shipping to get them past the amonia stage. unless the guy is rolling themin front of you im not sure this would be an issue.