Wet Toothpick + Dry Cigar = Winning?
The other night I was at a cigar dinner when the conversation got around to dry cigars. One of the guys who was sitting at the same table I was seated at had a cigar wrapper basically explode on him; which always sucks. It’s never any fun trying to smoke a cigar that is falling apart on you and that is especially the case when it is a quality cigar that was, most likely, improperly cared for.
He asked me what I thought was the problem with the cigar and I said it was most likely a result of being too dry. That’s a problem that becomes more likely in the summer out here in Southern California because the humidity level is usually pretty low and the temperature, while relatively mild this summer, trends towards being hot. Shelling out a little bit of money to take proper care of your cigar (humidor, humidification device – Boveda is best – and a hygrometer/thermometer) is a must if you are planning on storing any cigars. Evidently, this cigar was not properly stored.
After my diagnosis the poor chap with the dry cigar inquired about what can be done for a dry cigar. The short answer is to put the dry stick in a humidified environment and gradually increase that humidity level to about 67-70% RH (long answer here).
And then there was the toothpick solution.
Evidently, a fellow at an adjacent table, it was a small event so the capacity for accidentally overhearing others’ conversations was pretty easy, boldly proclaimed that there was another solution: the wet toothpick. I must confess, from the outset I was extremely dubious – in fact, I still am because I have not tried this procedure as of yet. But I listened anyway and here’s what he had to say:
“I have this friend [already I'm thinking "Uh-oh"] from Cuba ["So this must be good because we all know cigar smoking is something all Cubans are universally good at"] who, when faced with a dry cigar, will wet a toothpick and stick it in through the foot of the cigar. This way the humidity gets to expand from the inside out and evenly humidifies the cigar. He still puts the cigar in his humidor but the toothpick is the key. I’ve tried it and it works in a couple of days.”
Even though I was dubious we all thanked him for his advice and went on with our meal. The thing is that even though the meal was delicious and I was smoking some properly humidified cigars I just could not get the stranger’s advice out of my mind. On the face of it the whole idea of a wet toothpick just does not make sense to me: the toothpick will make the filler tobacco too wet, the toothpick might somehow screw up the bunching of the tobacco, the toothpick is too short to evenly humidify the filler tobaccos from cap to foot and what happens if you forget about the toothpick and smoke the cigar? “Damn, this cigar has a cheap woody flavor that is ruining the delicate balance between the spice and sweetness” – yeah, that would suck.
Then the self recriminating began. Really, is it so far fetched that a wet toothpick could save a dry cigar? Maybe not. People use those draw enhancing things whenever they get a poor draw from their cigar and they seem to like the results. Maybe the toothpick cannot get so wet that it gets the filler tobacco damp. Maybe this guy’s Cuban friend is licensed and bonded as a cigar doctor. It could work!
Or maybe not.
Personally, I’m going to stick with properly humidifying my cigars and if some get too dry I’ll just plop them into the deep recesses of one of my humidors so that they don’t have to suffer the indignity of getting a stick shoved up their… foot.
Hey, if you want to try it though, be my guest. And if it works come back to this post and share your experience with all of us.
Urbano Corojo Cigar Review
Full disclosure: I received two of these cigars for the purposes of this review from Urbano Cigars.
It’s a gnarly looking wrapper. There are some raised veins, black colorations in both the line and spotted variety and a couple of small holes on the wrapper. As I have said before, I don’t care so much about the look of a cigar as long as it tastes good.
The feel of the cigar is oily, a little spongy to the touch but evenly packed. The band reminds me of a coat of arms with the fleur-de-lis, which I thought was a big no-no nowadays (maybe not). Let’s do this.
Cigar Stats
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Dominican Republic Corojo
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $115.00/Box of 24
Weaver Torch!
The first one I had started out well – this one is starting out really well. It has that spiciness that I like, pretty strong but well balanced, and the texture feels powdery. The spiciness is pretty close to black pepper and it sticks around on your palate, the back of your throat and in your nostrils for a long time.
Black pepper is good but there needs to be more to a cigar than that and, thankfully, there is some evolution during the second third. The spice takes on a softer presence and there is also a floral note that is not very sweet, but good nonetheless.
The final third is much like the second third, which is fine. The spice is soft and has a bit of sweetness to it and the floral presence is still there. This cigar has a good draw and burn and I would put it in the medium-full bodied range. It’s a really tasty cigar that you should consider if you like black pepper and spice in general.
91 points
CAO La Traviata Maduro Cigar Review
I sit here wearing my CAO La Traviata Maduro hat given to me by Keith from Tiki Bar Online. Even though you might not think that is pertinent information I recall some English teacher I once had preaching about the importance of setting the scene. So there; the scene is set.
This is a perfect looking cigar. Black-brown wrapper with two very minor veins visible. Oily feel to the wrapper, it’s also slightly fuzzy. The cigar feels well packed, hard even. Can’t wait to smoke this cigar after resting it in my humidor for many months.
Cigar Stats
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Nicaragua & Dominican Republic
Price: $115.00/Box of 24
Canton Tower Flame!
If you are wondering whether or not I have smoked the CAO La Traviata with the Ecuadorian Habano wrapper you can take a look at this. If you don’t want to go through the bother of clicking on another link and reading another review then you should know that I liked that cigar, giving it 91 points. Leather, oak and spice were some of the flavors that I noticed and it was pleasantly full bodied.
The CAO La Traviata Maduro starts out with a dark and powerful flavor profile. Beef jerky is the center of the flavor profile surrounded by mahogany, salt and bitter chocolate. While the draw is a little tight in the early goings of this cigar it has not become much of a problem.
Smokiness along with dark flavors are pervasive coming into the second third. Beef jerky and smoky mesquite are the big flavors that I’m picking up now. It’s fine.
The somewhat tight draw becomes somewhat bothersome in the final third, but not in terms of flavor. That jerky flavor has receded into the background while the smoky mesquite has gotten stronger. Heavy cigar.
Without the tight draw, which I got over and over again with each of these cigars that I tried, this would be a 90+ point cigar in my estimation. Even with the tight draw it was an enjoyable cigar but, I have to say, the original La Traviata is my favorite. Medium bodied with a burn that does require some touch ups along the way, this is a cigar that maduro fans might want to give a try.
88 points
Smoking and Gambling
Smoking and gambling, it use to go together like love and marriage, but probably not for much longer. In order to smoke one of your favorite cigars and go to a casino you will probably have to go to a casino online. Now, if you are like me, that actually might be preferable. You sit comfortably at home with a drink that is much cheaper than it would be at a blackjack table and you can smoke a cigar.
Another benefit of gambling at home is that you do not have all those other pesky distractions. There isn’t that guy sitting next to you at the slot machines cursing God for his misfortune, which is ironic because I don’t think God is all that accommodating when it comes to gambling. Maybe things would be different if God saw that you were playing something cooler than slots: maybe roulette. Could God curse you for playing a game that James Bond played?
Ah, but that doesn’t really matter anymore. The thrill of gambling is the gambling part and not all the chaff that Las Vegas casinos throw at you whenever you darken their doorstep – “Oh, I know you are here to gamble but wouldn’t you just love to see a Cher concert?” Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just not for me.
Playing cards is fun, I use to do it all the time with my friends before I started smoking cigars. Then I started smoking cigars and they didn’t, which led to an illicit gaming impasse. If I’m going to sit around for three hours at night playing a game I’m going to want to smoke a cigar. Even if that game is slots, I’m going to want to smoke a cigar.
If you are like me and you like your gambling to be about gambling and not about superfluous crap then you might as well stay at home and strike up a cigar. At least that is will still be legal, for a while at least.
Patel Brothers Short Cigar Review
0/3: It looks like a fairly well made cigar. A little hard to the touch but it is still a visually appealing cigar. Not a lot of oils on the wrapper.
On a separate issue, is the point of the name – Patel Brothers – supposed to evoke longing memories of Mario Bros? Maybe whilst lighting the cigar you will be brought back to that time you ate the mushroom and squashed the spiked turtle – digitally, of course.
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf | Binder: Nicaraguan | Filler: Nicaraguan | Box of 20: $80.00 | Torpedo | 6″ x 52
1/3: Starts out enjoyable even though the flavors are borderline harsh. By that I mean there is a separation between the flavors, which are earth, smokiness, and bitter cocoa; and the overall smoking experience, which is bitter.
2/3: A mild sweetness has started to come through during the second third. Strong and dark is the name of the game here but, so far, I am enjoying this cigar more than I thought I would. An extremely earthy cigar.
3/3: The sweetness is still a background flavor but it has grown in prominence and it is providing a decent counterbalance to the robust earthiness that is evident in this cigar’s flavor profile. The sweetness is a little odd: it’s closer to straight, natural sugar than to anything else I can think of.
4/3: Unless you want an extremely earthy experience this probably is not a cigar for you. It also at times harsh and, because of that, the flavors can come off as being overbearing and not good. Personally, I would smoke this cigar again but I will not be seeking this cigar out. If it’s part of a deal I wouldn’t balk at it though.
3 points
