Expert: James Yee - 1/23/2008

Question
hello again, mister James Yee,

thank you for your previous answer about cigar investment. I told you I was
getting a box of vegueros especiales n°1, and they've come through. Now, as
I feared, even though the box and cigars look splendid, almost perfect, but I
think when I light one or most of them up I will have a problem with the draw.
They seem very thigthly rolled... Now, with thick gauge cigars I don't really
mind, well not that much, because there's room enough for error to pierce
them with a long thin needle to make airholes and squeeze them a little. I
also know it's a lot better to try them at a lower humidity, say 65%. Now I'm
not so sure... its a laguito, and that's the same reason why I don't buy a box
of monty especiales ((or better, why I don't let someone bring them for me
from cuba ;-), better with robusto's on the draw part)) althoug I rate them
amongst the top 10 cubans. Any extra tips except not buying without
checking them myself ;-)?

Answer
Hi Bart,

Even those your Vegueros may seem tightly rolled, it's possible that they might actually be OK so light one up and give it a try.  If the cigars are indeed tight, do not worry as there are always ways of improving a cigar's draw.  You're right, a cigar auger/spike is not always the best choice for thinner cigars but what you can do instead of piercing a tight cigar is to smoke the cigar as you normally would and then gently pinch the body of the cigar with your thumb and index finger.  Work your way around and along the length of the cigar and try to feel for any tight spots or knots in the tobacco.  As you smoke, the heat of the cigar will soften the filler tobacco and gently pinching a tight spot on the cigar can loosen and shift some of the filler tobacco; providing more gaps and pockets in the filler tobacco for a better draw.  

Though this method may not instantly make the draw "absolutely perfect", it can certainly improve it.

Of course, if you have a sharp eye and a steady hand, you can still use a cigar spike to loosen the filler tobacco.  Just be sure that the needle is perfectly straight when you insert it into the cigar.

Regards,
James