Question about wrapper oils.

youngryan216

Hey guys. Have you ever noticed some sticks arrive with wrappers that are not as oily as perhaps your last order was? 

I'm talking about the same brand and vitola, but the variance occuring between boxes or 5ers. 

For example, I order a 5er of My Father robos and the wrappers have a slightly shiny oil sheen when I unpack them into my humi. BUT THEN, my next order comes and the wrappers are not oily at all and actually matte in appearance and feel.

Is this just something to be chalked up to natural variations in yearly tobacco crops, or is my brand being shady and maybe using a lower priming wrapper?

How does it affect taste, if at all?


Thanks in advance homies.
-Ryan

ExpendableYouth

Maybe someone licked them before you got them? Actually I was talking to Alan Fonseca when he unveiled a new line he had why his cigars looked so wildly different. He explained to me that normally sticks are separated and boxed by color variations and overall look to give a nice uniform appearance, but the ones in question were prereleases and they didn't. So if I had to quests that is what happened, those sticks matched and were just less oily then the last ones you bought.

onestrangeone

youngryan216 said:

Hey guys. Have you ever noticed some sticks arrive with wrappers that are not as oily as perhaps your last order was? 

I'm talking about the same brand and vitola, but the variance occuring between boxes or 5ers. 

For example, I order a 5er of My Father robos and the wrappers have a slightly shiny oil sheen when I unpack them into my humi. BUT THEN, my next order comes and the wrappers are not oily at all and actually matte in appearance and feel.

Is this just something to be chalked up to natural variations in yearly tobacco crops, or is my brand being shady and maybe using a lower priming wrapper?

How does it affect taste, if at all?


Thanks in advance homies.
-Ryan

Just a shot in the dark here, but I think it may have something to do with how much rest they have, the box that is extra oily may have been sitting in a warehouse for a while.

Gray4lines

I've noticed this a lot with CC's. The ugly ones taste just as good as nice looking ones.  I think it's just box to box variation in wrapper.

Lee.mcglynn

Way to many factores in this! But in a short answer it's a plant that has been handled by man and then made by man. Nothing will ever be the same! Plus age and storage conditions can also have a impact...if you get a nice oily wrapper I say tuck that sucker away for a while!

bigharpoon

Lee.mcglynn said:

Way to many factores in this! But in a short answer it's a plant that has been handled by man and then made by man. Nothing will ever be the same! Plus age and storage conditions can also have a impact...if you get a nice oily wrapper I say tuck that sucker away for a while!

Absolutely, it could be so many different things. In my opinion it does make a difference in taste, some cigar lines not so much and others it's huge. I had more or less sworn off Party Shorts until I finally had a dark oily one and OMG it was such a different experience it blew my mind. Now I love them.

youngryan216

bigharpoon said:

Lee.mcglynn said:

Way to many factores in this! But in a short answer it's a plant that has been handled by man and then made by man. Nothing will ever be the same! Plus age and storage conditions can also have a impact...if you get a nice oily wrapper I say tuck that sucker away for a while!

Absolutely, it could be so many different things. In my opinion it does make a difference in taste, some cigar lines not so much and others it's huge. I had more or less sworn off Party Shorts until I finally had a dark oily one and OMG it was such a different experience it blew my mind. Now I love them.

Yes, the Partagas thing is exactly what I mean. It's happened with a few nc brands for me and it's just odd. 

I understand there can be variances, but I wish there was a way to draw oil out of dumpy looking cigars. I find that oily sticks give off more volume of smoke imo and not necessarily a better / worse taste.

Thanks for the opinions / knowledge fellas.

edelrionyc

Lee.mcglynn said:

Way to many factores in this! But in a short answer it's a plant that has been handled by man and then made by man. Nothing will ever be the same! Plus age and storage conditions can also have a impact...if you get a nice oily wrapper I say tuck that sucker away for a while!

I completely agree with this.... 

bigharpoon

Unfortunately you can't draw oil out of a dry leaf, it's either oily or it isn't. Some boxes of cigars are excellent, some average, some bad. It's a crap shoot buying blind which is why some people pay a premium to purchase through vendors who will hand pick the box(es) for them.

CAcigarguy007

Some argue that boxed cigars and bundled (bulk) cigars are the same but I digress. Boxes are more rigorously sorted and the quality control is higher due to box uniformity. Boxed cigars are likely to be closest in uniformity due to these extra QC steps. I have noticed a difference many times when buying sealed boxes vs. buying lose 5/10 packs and bundles. I suspect that the bulk cigars may be a slightly lower grade that may not be box worthy presentation/construction wise. This dose not mean a "bad" stick, just not box worthy during sorting for various reasons. Boxed cigars are the companies final official product and what they are staking their brand on.  

That is not to say that every cigar that is un-boxed didn't come from a box originally. Many stores/retailers do open boxes as it is economically advantageous do to high costs coupled with taxes on the end user. 

Personally, I like the oily wrappers and that is something I look for. The volatile organic compounds equate to more flavor and complexity in the end (usually). A cigar that is oily and smells of barnyard/dung = yes please!

The Mrs. thinks my humidor smells like back end of a cow when I open it. Little dose she know this is joyous smell; for my taste buds and olfactory senses as are soon to be in yummyville!