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Old 05-30-2011, 08:15 AM   #1
cigarfan
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Does local climate..affect cigar smoking?

We recently took the family to Branson, and I enjoyed a couple of CAO MX2 smokes while there. (outside). Very nice, smooth.
So I get back home to MS, and go outside, but they don't taste as smooth, and had some harsh notes.
Cigars came from the same box.

I'm wondering if local humidity, atmosphere...etc, has a bearing on how the cigars actually taste? Or did I just happen to get 2-3 bad ones out of the box?
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Old 05-30-2011, 08:40 AM   #2
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The humidity in the air will definately change the profile of the cigar. But each cigar will be slightly different as well.

I like my cigars around 65% RH, but that's a problem when the outdoor humidity is 80... because the cigar swells as you draw in moist air...
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Old 05-30-2011, 08:51 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bigjohn View Post
The humidity in the air will definately change the profile of the cigar. But each cigar will be slightly different as well.

I like my cigars around 65% RH, but that's a problem when the outdoor humidity is 80... because the cigar swells as you draw in moist air...
What he said.
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Old 05-30-2011, 09:32 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bigjohn View Post
The humidity in the air will definately change the profile of the cigar. But each cigar will be slightly different as well.

I like my cigars around 65% RH, but that's a problem when the outdoor humidity is 80... because the cigar swells as you draw in moist air...
I also keep mine in storage around 65%....so that's probably the difference. Humidity is higher here in MS, than it was in MO.
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Old 05-30-2011, 09:51 AM   #5
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When we have more than 15% difference in humidity, I have to look for which of my coolers has 70%RH... and grab a stick from there. Then, I'll unwrap it and let it sit on the bookshelf or something for a few hours before taking it outside.

When it's very humid, don't PUNCH, make sure you do a clean cap cut. You want good clean airflow.

Letting the cigar get 'warm' and acclimate helps... but I find I have to PURGE more often in the hot weather too.
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Old 05-30-2011, 10:01 AM   #6
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Lots of good information from the folks who've responded.

To reiterate, many factors can and will influence the impressions you get from a cigar. To start, there will always be at least some variation (maybe slight, maybe significant) among the cigars in any given box. Keep in mind that those cigars likely came off of a number of different rollers' benches, and that final sorting into boxes is done by wrapper color only.

With that as a starting point, things like ambient temperature and humidity, accompanying beverage, if/what you just ate, if you're congested, how many/what cigars you've already smoked, and many other things can all influence what you taste in a cigar.

I am also in the 65%RH camp, though there are some cigars I have that I think show a little better if they're closer to 70%. But here on the Gulf Coast, where high humidity is the norm for much of the year, starting a little on the dry side is rarely a bad idea. Tobacco can and will absorb moisture from the air as you smoke the cigar, which often causes noticeable changes as the cigar burns down.
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Old 05-30-2011, 01:42 PM   #7
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We get hot and wet days in summer here, occasionally. One thing that will utterly ruin a cigar is going out with the weather in the 80's, the air damp after a stormy week or just in the 80% range, and sucking an ounce of airborne water through that thing with every puff. I split a lot of wrappers in summer.

I can't figure out, is it safer to let them get dry, and shrink, then expand the filler in a humid environment, or is it better to leave them a little wet, without the subsequent shrinkage? But, pay attention to the experience of the others on that note, not my idle wonderings.
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Old 05-30-2011, 06:50 PM   #8
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My cigars seem to taste alot better when I'm at the summer house. I wonder why!
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Old 06-01-2011, 09:43 AM   #9
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Yes. My own personal experience convinces me that the climate, especially the humidity, can change the burn rate/characteristics of the very same cigar and blend, thus affecting (sometimes adversely) the tone and overall impression of a cigar.

I've noticed an unpleasant acridity, that I've attributed to an improper burn rate, in overly humid conditions. Whereas the very same cigar might have burned "brighter" in drier weather. These effects might be more pronounced in the overall milder brands that I prefer to smoke, leading me to notice the effect more than say, others who prefer heavier blends.
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Old 06-01-2011, 09:49 AM   #10
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The most common ill effect that I attribute to high ambient humidity is two-fold:

- First, the draw will gradually tighten up as the cigar progresses. That's pretty clearly the tobacco leaf swelling as it absorbs moisture from the atmosphere.

- Second, the foot will start getting wet. This isn't spit, and it's not tar, it's just excess water, first absorbed by the leaf, then vaporized as the leaf burns, and condensing on the cooler end of the cigar.

I experienced both of those things as I smoked a Man O' War Puro Authentico on Monday morning. Too bad, because it started out great and gradually went downhill...
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