Expert: James Yee - 6/7/2008

Question
Hello,
I have smoked 3 1/2" Vanilla Tatiana Cigars for seven years and I love them.  Recently I purchased a bundle of Tatiana cigars from the local Tobacco Shop in town (I always go there to buy cigars and I purchase these same cigars by mail from a large Florida distributor).
During this last week, I smoked several Tatiana cigars I purchased from the local Tobacco Shop and they sort of "exploded" where my lips meet the cigar, therefore; I was only able to smoke the cigar 2/3rds down because the tobacco started coming unraveled in my mouth.  I had never experienced this before with Tatiana Cigars so I took them back to the Tobacco Shop and they replaced the cigars and said I was "slopping" on them (for lack of a better word) and that is why they were unraveling.  I then received my shipment from the Florida Distributor and all of those Tatianas I have smoked (maybe 12) are like they used to be, good, (I can smoke them down to about 1/4" and they do not unravel tobacco in my mouth.
The Tobacco Shop said there was nothing wrong with the cigars, I know something happened to the last bundle I purchased from them, but what happened? Were they too wet or too dry?  I am perplexed as I mentioned before I also received a shipment of them from Florida and those taste great.  Any suggestions you have I would appreciate.  I am trying to find out what really is wrong with the cigars from the Tobacco Shop.  I think the people at the Tobacco Shop know what's up, but tried to tell me differently which sort of upsets me because they dismissed my complaint and I spend approximately $50 in there shop per month which equates to 50 cigars per month from that shop. Thank you ahead of time for the "heads up" on what is really making the cigars from the Tobacco Shop become mussy at the mouth.

Answer
Hi Ellen,

Not having seen this particular batch, I can't tell you what the definite cause is for your cigars to unravel.  However, there could be several explanations why the cigars unraveled.  First, it's very possible that the particular batch of cigars you purchased at the cigar shop were not properly humidified.  Whenever cigars are too dry, they are more likely to crack and/or unravel before and during smoking.  Cigars that are over-humidified tend to be more pliable but have also been known to unravel during smoking.  Tatiana cigars are advertised as being handmade so another possibility could be that the particular batch that you purchased did not have enough vegetable glue/goma adhesive to secure the cap/wrapper seam at the head of the cigar or the adhesive used on that particular batch is not effective and doesn't hold well.  Also, if the cigars have a closed head (that requires you to use a cigar cutter), it's possible that the cigar caps are too short or applied incorrectly.  As a result, cutting too deep with a cigar cutter could sever the cap completely and cause the wrapper leaf to unravel.

Finally, it's also very possible that saliva from a smoker's mouth can cause a cigar to unravel; especially if the cap seam is loosened or there is a lack of effective adhesive holding the cap/wrapper leaves together.

Again, not having seen these cigars, I can't tell you what the definite cause is but the possibilities that I mentioned are usually the most likely causes.

I hope this answers your question. If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James