Expert: James Yee - 8/31/2009

Question
Hi James,
Thanks a lot for your interesting and valuable comments.
Here is another question I would like to ask. Couple of weeks ago I bought H.Upmann Magnum 50, the idea was to try these famous Cubans in large format. The construction was great, the body of the cigar was elastic and firm and perfectly even through the entire length. So I was sure I bought a great smoke. I let the cigar to rest in my humidor for 3 weeks and then lit the match.
The cigar turned out to be a disaster.  Uneven burn and very tight draw were the main problems. Tobacco itself was great though I had almost no chance to enjoy the taste struggling with defects from the beginning till the end.
The cigar was bought at respectable specialized cigar store, I had no doubt that it was a real thing, not a fake.
I have experienced similar problems with Cubans before but not to such a tremendous extent.
So my questions are:
- what are your recommendations on cigar check in the store to avoid such a disaster
- is there any way to improve the imperfect smoke "on the fly" once it is clear that the cigar does not meet expectations.
Thanks a lot in advance.
All the best
Vladimir.  

Answer
Hi Vladimir,

When choosing a cigar, you did everything right.  You selected a cigar that had a nice construction and was firm to the touch.  However, sometimes a nice-looking cigar may still have burn and draw problems.  A tight draw can be common with handrolled cigars but it is possible to save a cigar on the fly when smoking them.  If you're smoking a cigar and the cigar has a tight draw, simply use your thumb and index finger and very gently pinch the entire body of the cigar.  The purpose of this is to find a hard spot in the cigar as this is most likely the cause of a tight draw.  With handrolled cigars, a cigar roller may sometimes bunch the filler tobacco in a way that it causes a plug or knot in the tobacco and this will obstruct airflow and cause a tight draw.

The good news is that a tight draw can sometimes be fixed when smoking.  When you find the hard spot(s) on a tight cigar, continue to gently pinch that hard spot as you smoke and rotate the cigar in your hand.  By doing this, the heat from the lit cigar will soften the hard tobacco.  By gently pinching the cigar, you are also "massaging" and smoothing out the tobacco knot/plug and this will improve the draw.  IMPORTANT: Not all tight cigars can be saved with this method but it does help.  

Many fine cigar lounges will also offer free cigar replacement if a cigar you just bought is plugged and cannot be fixed.  Ask the store staff what their policy is on extremely tight/plugged or damaged cigars.  In most cases, replacement is only available for cigars you just bought and lit while at the store/lounge.

For cigars with a uneven burn, the cause is most likely from the tight draw/plugged tobacco but an uneven burn can also be caused by lighting the cigar improperly, smoking the cigar too fast or smoking the cigar in a windy environment.  The good news is that most premium cigars are capable of evening the burn out automatically if lit improperly.  Simply smoke your cigar in a slow, relaxed manner and an uneven burn should even out within 1-2 inches.  If the cigar burn does not even itself out automatically, you can use a torch lighter to delicately even the crooked burn.  A jet torch lighter is a valuable tool for cigar smokers because the sharp flame is much more precise than a traditional flame lighter.  It's perfect for lighting your cigar evenly before and during smoking.

Other steps you can take to improve a crooked burn is to smoke slowly and away from a windy environment such as a room fan or outdoor breeze as wind can cause one side of the cigar to burn faster than the other.

Hopes this helps.  If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James