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CAO Brazilia fella part on me

I punched it and it was hard to punch. Then there was some crackling of the wrapper near the draw site after I lit it. "No big deal", I thought. I've been enjoying nice cigars for more than a year now so I've gathered enough knowledge to know not all wrappers are the same, steady consistency. Well I get about a half inch in and the cigar really opens up. Both flavor wise and wrapper wise lol. It started coming apart where the band was (I typically remove my bands as long as they come off easy, and this one came off super easy before I even lit it). After about another couple of inches the thing was crackling in my hand like a autumn leaf so I left it in my outdoor ashtray and quit early on it. Is this a thing with the brand you think or a humi issue? I keep my desktop humis around 65% and they almost never go below that. I have a hygrometer that records highs and lows. I don't think my humi's too dry as I've had a cigar just about every day this week and haven't had a problem. I mean it's chilly outside but not THAT cold that it dries up my stogie in 20 minutes. Any ideas?

Comments

  • Lee.mcglynnLee.mcglynn Posts: 5,960 ✭✭✭✭
    First is cao IMO needs to rest for a while till it peaks!! Second high humidity and fluctuations have always cracked my sticks...try too let them rest at a good humidity and check your hygro again
    Money can't buy taste
  • kaspera79kaspera79 Posts: 7,257 ✭✭✭
    My thought is this cigar was too Dry. The storage condition of the cigar store or your humidor is too low. Or the cigar needed to be rested long enough for it to reach the 65 percent you believe your humidor is at. I actually feel more comfortable with humidors at between 68 and 70. You say you punched it, but another cause could be a generous cut, if you cut back too far this will cause your wrappers to come undone. And lastly draw a little lighter or less frequently, to much heat causes swelling and cracked wrappers. I don't thing it's the manufactorers fault
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    did you wet the cap before you punched?
    if you didnt that could be the cause.
    make sure you lick that cap. this does a few things:
    - you get an idea of how oily the tobacco is and what maybe how strong the cigar will be.
    - you will wet down the cap a bit and that will keep the cigar from cracking on the punch.

    make sure that you get it wet enough to not crack it but not so wet that it is a sloppy mess.
  • jeep edsonjeep edson Posts: 826
    thanks kuzi. i have had problems with punches i think because i didn't wet the cigar before hand. they would always crack from haveing to push so hard.
  • Big T smokesBig T smokes Posts: 211
    Yea I def punched it. Ive had a few unravel on me when I was just starting out and I cut too deep, so that wasn't the case. MY issue with the rest time would be that it's been sitting in this humi for a year. I havent had a problem with any other cigars from this humi. I'll take the hygrometer out and recalibrate it, make sure it's on point with a boveda pack or something.

    I wouldn't be so concerned if it wasn't such a reputable stick. I acutally have another in the same humi so I will wet the tip like suggested and see how that works.

    Thanks for the tips, guys!
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    jeep edson:
    thanks kuzi. i have had problems with punches i think because i didn't wet the cigar before hand. they would always crack from haveing to push so hard.
    dont push as hard but make sure to twist as well when you punch.
  • RhamlinRhamlin Posts: 8,908 ✭✭✭✭✭
    If your punch is getting dull you may be pushing it to hard. You can sharpen them by taking a piece of emery cloth fold it into a cone and twisting it in your punch.
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