Hey guys. Sorry I haven't been around much. We've had a lot of things going on besides the construction we're doing here. I have a question. Twice now I've had a H Upmann Vintage Cameroon Belicoso and both times I would have to draw on it 3-4 times before getting any decent amount of smoke and if I let it sit more than a minute or two it would almost go out. It also did not burn very evenly and kept canoeing. I store my sticks at 65 % RH so I don't think they're overly humidified. What do you think is causing it? I bought these in a 5'er. Is it possible I just got some not so great sticks.
I come across sticks like that now and then, always chalked it up to the construction in my mind but I don't know necessarily so curious to hear what others say...
Thanks Gary. It's reallly strange.
I had a box of H. Upmann Vintage Cameroon toros that I gave up on due to construction/burn issues. Donated half of the box - hoping that someone with more tolerance or patience than me would enjoy them.
Have had similar issues with H. Upmann Media Noche sticks. In addition to the tight draw, they don't taste very good. So far, this situation has removed any temptation to try any of their other offerings...
Quotetuck0411 - 4/29/2019 9:13 PM
Have had similar issues with H. Upmann Media Noche sticks. In addition to the tight draw, they don't taste very good. So far, this situation has removed any temptation to try any of their other offerings...
I avoid Upmann completely nowadays...
I have had pretty good luck with h.upmann aj Fernandez sticks and the Diablo series.
John, have you tried cutting a little further down? I know sometimes I get worried about getting too far on a belicoso or torpedo, but I can't remember ever cutting so far that the wrapper unraveled. That said, I'm with some of the others that have replied, in that most non-ISOM H. Upmanns aren't my cup of tea.
Quotegitfiddl - 4/30/2019 8:15 PM
John, have you tried cutting a little further down? I know sometimes I get worried about getting too far on a belicoso or torpedo, but I can't remember ever cutting so far that the wrapper unraveled. That said, I'm with some of the others that have replied. in that most non-ISOM H. Upmanns are my cup of tea.
No I haven't tried that David. I'll give it a try the next time I have one of them. Thanks.
I had construction issues with this blend in the past. When they first came out I liked them and then a few years later bought them again and had all kinds of problems: too tightly rolled, tunneling issues, and some with the same issue as you have described. I gave up on them years ago. But now that you have mentioned it, I will go back to my first review and adjust it to include my other experiences with the blend.
Sounds to me like they are wound too tight. Not enough air flowing through will cause the burn issues as well as the low smoke output. Like David mentioned cut it up higher, closer to where the taper in the head starts and if you have something to ream it with do that too. It might loosen it up a little.
I hate when a cigar is more work than enjoyment, but they are paid for so might as well keep trying.
Quoteninfiction - 5/1/2019 4:12 PM
Sounds to me like they are wound too tight. Not enough air flowing through will cause the burn issues as well as the low smoke output. Like David mentioned cut it up higher, closer to where the taper in the head starts and if you have something to ream it with do that too. It might loosen it up a little.
I hate when a cigar is more work than enjoyment, but they are paid for so might as well keep trying.
I did use my Perfect Draw on it and it opened it up a little but not much.
It's a long shot, but look for intermediate air leaks. Sometimes I'll have a cigar that draws well, looks like it's lit well, but for some reason, good healthy draws yield very little smoke and the cigar just goes out. And overall the cigar just feels off. I've found the culprit is often a very small air leak somewhere in the middle. Not so much that smokes comes out of it and you notice it, but enough to drop the pressure of your draws under the threshold for keeping the foot lit. Very weird, but the next time it happens, check carefully for air leaks and maybe you can find one that's easily fixed and then all is right with the world.
Quotec9belayer - 5/4/2019 2:36 PM
It's a long shot, but look for intermediate air leaks. Sometimes I'll have a cigar that draws well, looks like it's lit well, but for some reason, good healthy draws yield very little smoke and the cigar just goes out. And overall the cigar just feels off. I've found the culprit is often a very small air leak somewhere in the middle. Not so much that smokes comes out of it and you notice it, but enough to drop the pressure of your draws under the threshold for keeping the foot lit. Very weird, but the next time it happens, check carefully for air leaks and maybe you can find one that's easily fixed and then all is right with the world.
That's pretty insightful. I just smoked a Mi Querida that had the same issue, had to stoke it to get anything and it was wanting to extinguish. I remember when I was blowing through it to try and stoke/purge I heard a hissing. I didn't think of it at the time but a leak may have been the reason it was doing all this. The draw was great, didn't seem too wet or anything. I dumped it half way and pulled a Tatuaje just a few sticks away from where the other was stored and it performed great, so I know it wasn't the storage conditions. Next time this happens I'm gonna look for leaks, thanks.
Quotec9belayer - 5/4/2019 2:36 PM
It's a long shot, but look for intermediate air leaks. Sometimes I'll have a cigar that draws well, looks like it's lit well, but for some reason, good healthy draws yield very little smoke and the cigar just goes out. And overall the cigar just feels off. I've found the culprit is often a very small air leak somewhere in the middle. Not so much that smokes comes out of it and you notice it, but enough to drop the pressure of your draws under the threshold for keeping the foot lit. Very weird, but the next time it happens, check carefully for air leaks and maybe you can find one that's easily fixed and then all is right with the world.
That is very interesting. I'll have to give that a try. Thank you.