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mityahicks

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 18, 2018
616
3,310
I just had the second Punch Classico churchhil of a 5 pack bundle and it was really pleasurable start to finish.
I was tempted not to smoke the other 4 because the first one was rather terrible and piquant. Is this something that can occur with cigars? I'm a casual cigar smoker, only smoking a few per month typically. Just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience.

 

jvnshr

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 4, 2015
4,616
3,868
Baku, Azerbaijan
Is this something that can occur with cigars?
Yes and no. It really depends on the cigar (price-wise). For example, every single Alec Bradley Prensado I have tried tasted the same to me. When I tried Alec Bradley American Sun Grown for the first time I couldn't believe that Alec Bradley would produce something as bad as that one. Then I smoked another one after two weeks and voila, I enjoyed it. I said price-wise because a $12 cigar is obviously more labor intensive than a $3 cigar. They may use the same amount of fillers, the same binder and wrapper but when it comes to quality control a $12 cigar with obvious defects won't pass it, a $3 cigar may. I don't say that a $12 cigar will always be better than a $3 cigar, I have smoked so many good cigars for $3 or less. But if you buy a box of 20 $3 cigars you have a chance of not getting the same consistency in every single one. You will be playing Russian roulette with 3 bullets. Let's say 3 or 4 might taste bitter or better. On the other hand, if you buy a box of 20 $12 cigars, all will taste almost the same. 1 or 2 might not taste well or might. You will be playing Russian roulette with a single bullet. In the end, smoking a cigar is just like playing Russian roulette and it is all about probability and that probability is decided by the price.
Edit: I didn't take independent variables such as food, drink paired with cigar, humidity, etc. into account. Those all might affect the taste which is a dependent variable in this case.

 
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Civil War

Lifer
Mar 6, 2018
1,552
396
Historically I have found that if you have found one skunk cigar you are likely to find another.
I ask myself, what is the likelihood that, if you have already found one skunk cigar in a box/bundle, that you have found the only one. It has been my overwhelming experience that I haven't.

 

briarbuck

Lifer
Nov 24, 2015
2,287
5,492
If it's blocked, or rolled too tight, and you buy a box, then you may have an issue because the same roller tends to fill the box. Singles, it's a crap shoot.

 

Civil War

Lifer
Mar 6, 2018
1,552
396
For me, it's any bad cigar. Plugged - hard draw; bad burn - uneven, tunneling, canoe; bad taste. I have found that anytime there is a bad cigar in a box/bundle it isn't the only one, and if it is the first one that I smoke, it is likely very common for the rest of the box/bundle.
I have also found, if it's a reputable brand (i.e. not a cheaply made cigar) letting them age for several months to stabilize, can return a bad tasting/bland tasting cigar to an enjoyable smoke.

 

briarbuck

Lifer
Nov 24, 2015
2,287
5,492
I have a half a box left of some Coheba Lonesdales. Almost every one was blocked. About broke my heart.

 

instymp

Lifer
Jul 30, 2012
2,420
1,029
If it's blocked, or rolled too tight, and you buy a box, then you may have an issue because the same roller tends to fill the box. Singles, it's a crap shoot.
And that.. tics me off more than anything.
I have a half a box left of some Coheba Lonesdales. Almost every one was blocked. About broke my heart.
I have caught it early enough in the box to where I could return it for refund.

But only once, but look for it now.

 

unadoptedlamp

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 19, 2014
742
1,368
I don't smoke cigars much anymore, but when I did, I had no problem returning them. It only happened once.
I bought a box of Bolivar Royal Coronas and when the second one came out with a draw so tight it was like trying to suck a golf ball through a hose, I brought them back and demanded a refund.
I was polite, but there was no way I was going to spend a few hundred dollars for that experience. They agreed.
Maybe they tried to pawn them off on tourists passing through or something else, I don't know, but I think if you buy a box of high end cigars and they don't meet the expectation of the brand, you are entitled to a refund.
At least, if the store is legit and knows what they are doing, I'd expect a refund. Shit happens, and I think most good shops know this and will treat a customer properly. Stiffing a guy for several hundred bucks on bad cigars that everyone expects to be good would be pretty horrible business.

 

5star

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 17, 2017
727
2,018
PacNW USA
Many factors can impact the taste of a cigar. This includes storage conditions. Personally, (in general), I rarely smoke a cigar if it has less than 4-6 months time in my humidor. And with Cuban cigars, I don’t smoke those with less than 3 years time since the box date. - - One brand of non-Cuban cigar that I bought wasn’t decent till they had 2 years in my humidor. And even after that much time they were just o.k. - nothing worth buying again.

 

badbriar

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 17, 2012
675
1,196
Suncoast Florida by the Beach
Typically, non-Cubans are very consistent, unless they are 'aged'. With Cuban cigars - ANY Cuban cigars, it's a toss-up. I love good CC's, but have had dog-rockets in almost all brands. With NC's, aging can do good or can ruin an otherwise decent stick. Some are great and others will get muted and taste flat.
 

pitchfork

Lifer
May 25, 2012
4,030
605
That's interesting. This summer I had a Punch Classico (Elite EMS) that was really "green" and vegetal. It's an inexpensive cigar, but it wasn't enjoyable at all.
 
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