Bad Gurkha, need advice

Lastnight I decided to have a Gurkha Rare Breed Maduro and it was nothing like I expected. The cigar looked great and smelled awesome so I had high expectations. I cut the cigar about 2mm into it and it started to unravel. 2mm??? That shouldn't have happened.

Then I tried to light it with a match, right as the cigar lit the end puffed and cracked. Similar to a cartoon cigar exploding. I have never had this happen before and I have no idea why this would happen.

The flavor started out aweful, very sulfurious or rotten egg. After about 1/2 inch the flavor picked up and became slightly spicy, not pepper spice but just a warming spice.

The burn was irregular and died out completly when there were about 2 1/2 inches left. I was done and frustrated.

So, does anyone know why it unravled, exploded, tasted funny or died out? This was kept in my humi for about a month and none of my other sticks were like this.

Thanks,
Brian

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Comments

madurofan

SOunds like it was overhumidified. WHat do you keep the RH in your humi at? Are you using a digital hygrometer? If not, you should be.

rwheelwright

My first two guesses are either a bad stick or to moist. Too moist can cause it to die out and taste funny. Not sure it will cause the unraveling part. Plus, if it is too moist and you light it it may split.

Goldy

I have an analog one and a digital one, both say 62% however, I don't know if thats RH or just humidity.

gmill880

I have had 2 of the Rare Breed's - the 1st one was absolutely awsome-the 2nd one had some issues, kept going out, burned uneven and flavor was not as pronounced ....both were maduros...I think I may burn another in the man-cave tonight as it has been a beetchin' week....that and some Buffalo Trace should do nicely

kuzi16

ever so slightly off topic...
when i saw the title of this thread my initial reaction was: pick up a camacho.

madurofan

Goldy:
I have an analog one and a digital one, both say 62% however, I don't know if thats RH or just humidity.

Thats RH .. rh stands for Relative Humidity. Heh 62% is on the low side. Have you ever calibrated the digital?

Goldy

I have not calibrated it... I saw something about a bag and some salt and 75% but I'll have to dig a little deeper to get the instructions.

madurofan

Yep its the salt test. Search it.

j0z3r

madurofan:
Goldy:
I have an analog one and a digital one, both say 62% however, I don't know if thats RH or just humidity.
Thats RH .. rh stands for Relative Humidity. Heh 62% is on the low side. Have you ever calibrated the digital?

IMO, 62%, while a bit lower than preferred, is well within an acceptable range concerning smokability. I've maintained as low as 60% with no problems as far as the cigars go or how they smoke.

My thoughts on the cigar: The expanding and exploding wrapper make me think it was on the over-humidified end, the heat causes the moist filler to expand more than the wrapper can accommodate, thus it splits. Though I will say this has usually happened not at the foot, but near the middle in my limited experiences with this problem. The hygro reading makes me wonder if maybe the cigar was not just flawed, might explain the foul taste as well.

phobicsquirrel

I'm just throwing this out there, maybe it was a goof cigar, you know the ones in the old comedy films....

phobicsquirrel

madurofan:
Yep its the salt test. Search it.

::slap::: lol.. the salt test is okay but I love the boveda packs. just depends on which way you wanna go. I've never really had a lot of luck with the salt test. but others seem to be just dandy with it...

madurofan

phobicsquirrel:
madurofan:
Yep its the salt test. Search it.
::slap::: lol.. the salt test is okay but I love the boveda packs. just depends on which way you wanna go. I've never really had a lot of luck with the salt test. but others seem to be just dandy with it...

I do my salt test in tupperware I've never had any luck with it in a baggie either. Boveda is the way to go though is you can get your hands on it.

phobicsquirrel

hmm, I may try that.

sspl01

Hi,
The amell of the cigar is really good. It is tasty to have a cigar.

Joe

dutyje

sspl01:
Hi,
The amell of the cigar is really good. It is tasty to have a cigar.

Joe

Just note that cigars are not compatible with Microsoft Access