Don't think I've ever seen this discussion?

[mrdiver]

Tar oozing out of a light cigar onto my lips. It is SO bitter
and nasty. Must have been the 4th time it's happened to me this year.
Anyone else? Anyone ever gotten an explanation of WTF?

[Mad Dawg]

http://forums.cigarweekly.com/showthread.php?t=163781

I've had that happen several times, but only with Fuente products.

[spiridon]

Thankfully, no. Geez, that sounds nasty!

[gumby]

Originally Posted by Mad Dawg

http://forums.cigarweekly.com/showthread.php?t=163781

I've had that happen several times, but only with Fuente products.

What?! You didn't age their cigars long enough after buying their amazing product?!



And agreed, Fuente is one of the only cigars where I have experienced this.

[mrdiver]

I don't smoke Fuentes, so mine haven't been. This one was a Diesel Corona.
I've lit another one with no problems.

[mrdiver]

Originally Posted by Mad Dawg

http://forums.cigarweekly.com/showthread.php?t=163781

I've had that happen several times, but only with Fuente products.

Shiite. I was just glad it wasn't me who had posted this. There has to be a
"reason"? Never been able to get one. I smoke mostly "stronger" cigars, so that's a starting point? Must have something to do with ligero? I would say storage but I've smokes a LOT of these Diesels without a problem. Last time was at the cigar shop, but the owner just said "get another" without any reason.

[gui_tarzan]

I just had a Diesel yesterday and didn't have that problem.

[Mad Dawg]

Originally Posted by mrdiver

Shiite. I was just glad it wasn't me who had posted this. There has to be a
"reason"? Never been able to get one. I smoke mostly "stronger" cigars, so that's a starting point? Must have something to do with ligero? I would say storage but I've smokes a LOT of these Diesels without a problem. Last time was at the cigar shop, but the owner just said "get another" without any reason.

It was especially galling to have this happen with a $15 cigar that I got specifically because they were highly recommended by someone whose tastes I respect...and mostly share. Maybe I should have known better, because I've smoked more than a few Opux. Oh well.

As to the why, I don't believe storage has anything to do with it. Tar is NOT a volatile set of compounds, i.e., it won't evaporate with age and humidity should have no direct impact on it. It has to be in the leaf. Ligero is the most logical candidate...it's the "strongest" leaf and Opux have a ton of it.

But see, I smoke a TON of Nicaraguan cigars that are at the stout end of the strength spectrum. They use a lot of ligero...and I can't remember ever having a single one ooze tar like that Opux. So maybe it's Dominican ligero, or maybe it's some aspect of how Fuente grows and processes their tobacco. I can't say for sure, but I know it really sucks to have it happen with a smoke that expensive.

[big ben]

This is from a reply on Cigar Family that I remember from 2008.




Tar is unburned particulates.

There are several factors that can cause buildup, that I am aware of. One of the biggest factors is how fast you smoke.

If you smoke slowly, there is much less tar build-up. Essentially, much of the tar is filtered by the tobacco in the cigar and re-burned. When you draw harder, or smoke faster, the smoke that makes it to your mouth has more unburned particles which are not filtered and re-burned.

How do I know this? From a science fair project in fourth grade. Smoking a cigarette in half the time increased the amount of trapped tar in a beaker by about 50%. Man, this brings back wierd memories.

Certainly there are other factors. If you slober the end of your cigar, more tar will be trapped there instead of passing through. The tapered end of a torpedo will trap some tar too.

[mrdiver]

<looking down as to not make eye contact> I've been told that I DO tend
to smoke a, uh, little fast.
Not just Dominican ligero. I smoke mostly Nic.