 |
The Cigar Adviser
Published in: March 1, 1994
Published Spring 1994
The Cigar Adviser
Q: How much of the end should be clipped? Some cigars have an almost flat end, while others have an almost pointed end, and they both seem to be begging to be treated differently. A friend of mine says that it should not be clipped at all, but instead you should poke a small hole about one-eighth-inch in diameter, just big enough to draw through. Third, how long should the ash get before tapping it off? Should you wait as long as possible, or just tap it off every inch or so?
John Stoneham
Silsbee, Texas
A: Don't cut off very much. If you look closely at a cigar end (the head, as it's called), you'll notice a seam that runs all the way around the end, about one-quarter-inch down the shaft. In many cigars, that is holding the wrapper leaf. Don't cut below that seam. Piercing a hole in a cigar is an acceptable method, but since that concentrates the smoke through a single small hole, you can end up with a cigar that tastes hot and harsh. As for the ash, some people argue that a longer ash keeps the smoke cooler. As far as we know, that's never been proven. In short, there's no ideal length for an ash. If you like to see a longer ash, watch for a small fissure in it near the burning end. That's when a light tap will drop it off in the ashtray.
Q: I was in the local Dunhill shop this week and saw boxes piled high with Cohiba emblazoned boldly in several places. In amazement, I investigated--they are made, I believe, in the Dominican Republic. Are they?
Michael Bowden
Dallas, Texas
A: The General Cigar Co., makers of Partagas and Macanudo, registered the Cohiba brand name in the United States, and they have been test marketing Dominican Republic-made Cohibas in a few markets.
Q: My question concerns dry-cured cigars. I recently bought a box of Zino Panatelas. They are smaller than standard panatelas, about the width of a cigarette but twice as long. I was instructed by the proprietor to keep these cigars outside my humidor because they are completely different from a regular cigars. How are they different? How are they made? What is the drying process?
Kevin C. Sudeith
New York, New York
A: Most dry-cured cigars are manufactured in Holland, Switzerland, Germany or Denmark. They use Brazilian or Sumatra wrappers and a filler of a variety of Indonesian tobaccos. In general, the tobaccos are air dried. The better brands are made with 100 percent natural tobacco. But they are manufactured by machine with cut or "short" filler. However, there's no reason you can't keep those cigars in your humidor. Many smokers find they enjoy the flavor more if they are slightly humidified.
Q: Are the Cigar Aficionado magazine covers available as posters?
Keith C. Rumbo
San Antonio, Texas
A: No. We have not done up posters of our covers. We still have some back issues available, but they're running out fast.
Call: (212) 684-4224 x626
Q: I have been having problems with my humidor. It has been registering humidity levels of 78 to 79 percent. The temperature is at 70 degrees. The unit was filled with distilled water four weeks earlier. How serious is the high humidity? Do you have any idea what the problem is?
Ara Seropian
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
A: Unfortunately, almost all the hygrometers used in small unit humidors today are not very reliable. Some are better than others, but even with the most reliable, and apparently most accurate, you should test your cigars by feel to be sure they are getting enough moisture. No instrument can match your fingertips. The cigars should feel slightly springy to the touch, and when you roll them lightly between your fingers, you shouldn't hear any crunching in the cigar.
I do not use analog gauges in my humidor anymore. I've installed a digital readout hygrometer and thermometer made by AirGuide, model No. 2208, that has proved very accurate.
Q: About 30 years ago, I used to buy cigars occasionally from a small distributor who did a little retail trade from a ground-floor warehouse on Nassau Street in New York's financial district. Having just returned from a business trip to Manila, where I developed a taste for the local handmades, I inquired after some Filipinos. Reluctantly he told me about some cigars he kept in an inaccessible corner. He called it warehouse stock and explained that they were made in the Philippines before the Second World War, and, being 30 years old or so, they were dry as dust. However, he offered me a box of 100 for $2. At the retailer's suggestion, I wrapped the box in a soaked towel for three days. When opened, the box contained 100 cigars that had been completely restored to freshness. While about 10 percent were unsmokable because of worm holes, the others were thoroughly delightful. Why shouldn't this work in every case of dried-out cigars?
Norman Brust
New York, New York
A: Not everyone has been as lucky with old, dried-out cigars. In general, it is very difficult to quickly revive cigars that have lost all their moisture. You run the risk of cracked wrapper because the filler will expand faster than the binder and the wrapper as it begins to absorb moisture. And, even if you slowly remoisten, you may have wasted your effort to revive a cigar that has lost all its oils and, as a result, most of its flavor.
Q: I would be interested in knowing the method that your reviewers use for clipping the cigars included in your comparisons. I have found that the same cigar tastes and smokes differently depending upon how it is clipped.
J. Eric Slone
Alexandria, Virgina
A: All our tasters use a double-bladed, guillotine-style cutter. You're right to note that different cuts can affect a cigar's taste. A wedge cut will still give a large surface of tobacco, but it will concentrate tars and nicotines at the bottom of the V. The same thing applies to a piercer. However, there is no right way except to be sure the cut does not loosen the cap and allow the wrapper to unravel.
Q: I buy only quality handmade cigars from the Dominican Republic and Honduras. They all are stored properly in two high-quality humidors using the Credo humidification system monitored by accurate digital hygrometers consistently showing 68 to 71 percent humidity. Since the beginning of the colder season this year, I have been experiencing a sudden cracking and consequent unwinding of the wrapper after initial lighting, even though they've just come out of the humidor. It usually occurs in less expensive cigars. The weather characteristics during which this happens are temperatures between 55 to 70 degrees and 45 to 60 percent humidity.
My questions are these: (1) Are manufacturers not using enough glue under the wrapper on their less expensive cigars for this to happen? (2) Should I make my smoking environment more ideal for the cigars? (3) Does this really happen to lesser expensive cigars or is it just a coincidence?
Viken Bedrossian
Anaheim, California
A: The glue used to finish off a cigar shouldn't have anything to do with the cracking you notice because it's only applied at the closed end of the cigar. But smoking environment is everything. We'd have to assume that the room you are smoking in isn't as humidified as you think it is. If you smoke a cigar in a drier environment than the one in which it was stored, the heat can actually "shock" the wrapper and cause it to split. Cold can also create this shock; many smokers in the Northeast, forced outdoors in the winter, have noted the same phenomenon. This is particularly true of Cameroon and Sumatra wrappers, which are more fragile than Connecticut seed wrappers.
Q: Several years ago my wife and I dined in a very expensive and elegant French restaurant in Dallas. At the end of the meal, I ordered a B&B and clipped the head off a Zino No. 1 to complement the occasion. To my amazement, the waiter took my cigar and dipped the head into the B&B and proceeded to ignite the tip by rolling it in the flame of a candle. The taste of the tobacco as it drew across the liquor-saturated tobacco was truly unique. Needless to say, I was very impressed by this ritual and have frequently repeated it at home (substituting a match for the candle, however).
What is your opinion regarding this rather unorthodox but stimulating method of enjoying a fine cigar? Is this considered "proper" cigar etiquette?
Barry N. Neeland
Conroe, Texas
A: If you like it, you shouldn't necessarily stop. However, it is not "proper" cigar etiquette. Any strong liqueur or alcohol will mask the taste of the tobacco. If you're smoking a great cigar, why cover up its taste? Drink the B&B and smoke the cigar.
Q: I'm an avid cigar smoker and a novice wine collector. Recently a friend told me that cigar smoke can affect some of my older Bordeaux. We argued about it for a while, but never solved anything. Is this true?
Jeffrey R. Koperniak
Blue Island, Illinois
A: No. While it is theoretically possible that in a closed wine cellar with a cigar burning constantly, you might get some long-term penetration of smoke, it is highly unlikely. Good corks keep the vacuum intact in a bottle and keep outside odors and smells out--that includes cigar smoke.
Q: It would be helpful if we completely understood the elements that constitute the 100-point scale. Do you have a more specific description of the 100-point scale that would help me to understand the numeric rating assigned to each cigar?
Michael Jenkins
Park Ridge, Illinois
A: Our 100-point system is based on four basic components: construction and wrapper qualities, smoking performance (such as draw), flavor and overall impression. The blind tastings are conducted by four senior editors. The band is removed from each cigar and replaced with a numbered white band. Each editor receives a humidor with the cigars being tested. The tasting period runs from six to eight weeks, so that no more than three to four cigars are smoked on any given day. If a cigar is plugged or is defective, it is replaced.
RSS