AboutJames Yee Expertise My main area of expertise is Cuban cigars but I can also assist you with cigar etiquette, humidor maintenance and troubleshooting. Unsure of a certain cigar brand? Wondering what a certain cigar tastes like? Have any questions about Cuban cigars? Just let me know! I have smoked every brand of Cuban cigars and most reputable non-Cuban cigar brands on a regular basis so I know a fair bit about taste profiles, cigar etiquette and other fine nuances to cigar smoking. (NOTE: My main focus is on premium, hand-rolled cigars and not cheap, machine made, convenience store cigars.) IMPORTANT: PLEASE NOTE THAT I DO NOT PROVIDE CIGAR OR CIGAR-RELATED APPRAISALS. If you have a vintage cigar item and you want to know if it's worth something, please contact an antique dealer that specializes in "TOBACCIANA".
Experience I currently have 15 dedicated years of cigar smoking (an average 4 cigars a day) and counting. I have smoked every brand of Cuban cigars and most reputable non-Cuban cigar brands on a regular basis so I know a fair bit about taste profiles, cigar etiquette and other fine nuances to cigar smoking. For 5 years, I studied with Cuban torcedores (rollers), catadores (taste testers) and revisadores (inspectors) on every aspect involving the production of the Cuban cigar and I am currently writing a book that will help beginners understand everything they need to know about cigars and cigar smoking.
Question I recently received a box of cigars dated sept. 08.The cigars are so wet they wont smoke properly.I was wondering if this is normal and what I can do about it.Also the moisture causes little round sizzleing balls to form on the cherry.It also has a sour and bitter taste.
Answer Hi Dennis,
It sounds like the cigars are over-saturated with moisture. This is a big problem as your cigars are now too wet to smoke and the excess moisture can cause mold to form. Cigars typically require 70% humidity for proper storage (67%-73% is the acceptable humidity range and 70% is considered ideal.) but it sounds like the cigars were stored at 90-100% humidity or inadvertantly came in contact with a large amount of water before you received them.
The first thing you need to do is to let your cigars dry out. Remove the cigars from the box and lay them all flat (and evenly spaced from each other) on a table so that they can all "breathe". This will allow the excess moisture to slowly dissipate from the cigars. You can lay them on top of a piece of plain white paper or thin paper towel but do not use newspaper. Don't rush this drying process by putting them near a heat source or drying the cigars by hand. Just let them sit and dry out on their own. If your cigars are wrapped in cellophane, remove the cellophane wrappers. Let your cigars dry out for at least 3-4 days. Depending on how wet your cigars are, they may need more time to dry out.
After a few days, your cigars should feel less soggy/mushy and be more firm. (If not, let them continue to dry for another few days.) Examine them closely to see if any mold has appeared, if mold has appeared, you can either clean the moldy cigars or dispose of them; depending on how severe the mold outbreak is. (If you need to know how to properly treat cigar mold, check my question archive here on allexperts.com or just ask me and I will be happy to repost the directions for you.) If your cigars appear fine, you can now put them in a humidor that's properly maintained at 70% humidity and let them sit in your humidor for at least 4 weeks. This will allow them time to slowly re-hydrate and return to optimal smoking condition.
Hopes this helps. If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.
