Skunk Cigar?

[mityahicks]

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]

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.

 

[Civil War]

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.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Maybe my lack of experience with cigars, but what exactly is a skunk cigar? Is it a cigar that actually smells similar to a skunk? Or just a bad smelling cigar? Is this caused by a bad leaf, or is it an intentional flavor?

 

[briarbuck]

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]

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]

I have a half a box left of some Coheba Lonesdales. Almost every one was blocked. About broke my heart.

 

[instymp]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

 

[mityahicks]

The other Punch cigars I bought of the same kind were tasty.

 

[odobenus]

My experience with Punch has been, like yours, very hit or miss.
Now I just avoid them.

 

[magicpiper]

My experience with Punch has been, like yours, very hit or miss.
Now I just avoid them.

Mine has been mostly miss.