Your Plug Rate per box of 25 2010 + Stock?

[jedipastor]

It's not that Cubans can't do construction, they have some of the best rollers in the world. Right now, I'm smoking a La Palina Goldie Laguito No. 2, an NC rolled by Maria Sierra (one of Castro's rollers). This is essentially a perfect cigar in every way. It's not just that it uses Medio Tiempo leaf and tastes phenomenal, it's the construction ... the draw is perfect, the smoke output is insane, and even though it's a Laguito No. 2 this thing doesn't get too hot, even at the nub. This cigar beats the crap out of 90% of the Cohibas I've had, an I'm a Cohiba fan!

If Cuba could try to focus on better training for rollers, and not letting the low-level people work on anything but the crappy cigars, I think the product would improve tremendously and sales would increase.

[petey]

Inconsistency as far as I'm concerned, plugged/overfilled PSDN4's (dark wrappers; 2012) to light, under filled and dry wrappers (2012). Another reason I'm not a big fan of young cigars.

[dangolf18]

Per 25 box, maybe 1 out of 25. Usually none though. . Last plugged cigar I had was about a year ago and it was a Punch RS11 from 2005. No real problems with post-2006 production.

[CanuckSARTech]

I can't remember the last plugged cigar I've had from 2010 onwards. A few underfilled cigars though...

Agreed fully with this.

Funny also - the same year, I bought an Aeolus cigar spear from Mark at Cigarmony.com. While a beautiful item (great wood grain and quality finish), I've only had to use it once on a single cigar so far. A good circumstance all considered though.

[Habana Mike]

Straight up...light them and go. i did this with some very very tight Mag 46 this week. kept them for myself. They have gone from "very tight" to good and glorious.

For those with plugged cigars.

I implore you that if the draw is too tight for your liking, put them in a fridge for an hour or two. Works miracles

I'll definitely have to give this a go. I've got a collection of around a hundred plugged/tight cigars from over the years - try them from time to time and find some loosen up over time but others never seem to do.

[finecigar]

That pre-smoking refrigeration really works well! Used it for both a Ramonitas and a CoLa today that had very tight draws and after 3 hours in each they were perfect draw- smoked wonderfully I will say. Thank you for that great tip Rob!

[Ophidion]

I've seen way more wind tunnels than plugged cigars from 2010-2012 but that amount is very low. Maybe 1/30 or so.

[Hugomarink]

I should clarify that it's been quite a while since I've had a totally plugged cigar. Those are very few and far between. But cigars that are too tight to enjoy are still far more prevalent with CCs than non-CCs in my experience.

[sw15825]

I vote that it is improving, but honestly feel there is more problems with underfilling in some boxes. Maybe in an effort to create fewer plugged cigars they er toward looser cigars. ? ?

[dangolf18]

Funny I just opened a box of QDO Corona and the first one is plugged. Had to cut off 2 inches to get it to draw even a little bit. Flavor was bomb though.

[ramon_cojones]

which ones homie

[kuma]

Bought a box of Cohiba Siglo II's Box date 2011, 1/3 of the 25 count were plugged. Could be my hygro needs to be recalibrated.

But that does not explain why the other brand (CC's) in the same box were ok (HDM du Prince) dark wrapper 25 count, not one

tight draw or plug with them. Boxes were not bought from Rob, two other vendors. For some reason the cohiba's were all

packed really tight and thick for better lack of a word(s).

[Nedule]

I have a box of Siglo 1 from 2010, they're a little tight on the draw but smoke OK until just before the band & then they put themselves out & die, within seconds. It's like there's a wad of asbestos in there. I'll have to try the fridge, see if that counteracts the asbestos.

[EZ1]

I mainly alternate between Montes, Cohiba and partagas, and as of late the box of D4s I'm on (2010) is a mix of plugged, tight drawed, underfilled smokes, i havent experienced such a dismaying experience for quite a while.

[Habana Mike]

I had a couple of box's of either 2010 or 2011 Luci's... can't quite recall but i do remeber they had the same codes. I got 3 or 4 excellent cigars out of each box.. construction, looks, flavour etc.. some of the best.

BUT the rest of the each box had issues.. some seemed to be very tight around the band area.. almost to the point of been plugged but not quite, others seemed to be great but suffered the same issues as the tight ones when smoked.. maybe with these some of the filler had got twisted during the rolling process and cut off the cigar internally, sort of "strangulating" the cigar slightly.. whoknows.

Smoking these cigars was abit of a chore, struggling to get a decent mouthfull of smoke, the flavour became "strained" wrappers bust open on the tight ones etc.. you get the picture.

The strange thing was though.. i was still left thinking IF the construction was like the good ones in the box they all would have just been as good....

Similar experience with a recent Lusi 10 pack. 5-6 are airtight at the moment. Leaving them to sit awhile hoping they'll open up.

[TM-US]

Very rarely do I have issues with plugged cigars, but I did have a plugged Cohiba 1966 last year. If it makes a difference, I keep my sticks at 65% rh and do not dry box them. I've had issues when they're kept at 70% rh

[TheGipper]

This is going backwards for me lately. Significantly. Just yesterday I went through six sticks in a row that I clipped and tested the draw and had close to none. And not a humidity issue (these all came from my usually stable tower @62%).

All recent production, 2011-13. Many just rolled too tight, as could be easily seen by looking at the cut end. Others just had 1-2 tight spots. Everything else I have in the same humidor (a lot of 2003-09) is just fine.

Given how full the 3 ziplock bags I keep for "give 'em time to open up" storage are now, I'd say I'm getting about 25%-35% of everything is too tight to smoke right away.

[ramon_cojones]

would help if you mention what cigars these were