While looking through another cigar forum I found a very curious post by MRN the author of the famous cigar encyclopedia. I enjoy the book and its' great photos, but the following statement really disturbed me. "I always wet the wrappers of young cigars before smoking. The wrapper burns and tastes better. As the cigar burns. The wrapper becomes warm. Moisture evaporates from the wrapper, makes it extremely dry, and ruins the burning. Wetting the wrapper beforehand rectifies this. I just run some tap water onto the cigar before I smoke it. Don’t worry if the wrapper gets 100% soaked with water. Once the cigar burns you’ll be amazed to find the wrapper returns to perfect moisture content. You have to try this to believe it. Old cigars burn very well at lower RH. I don’t do this to very old cigars (over 20 years). For cigars less than 10 years old I always do this. For cigars 10 to 20 years, it depends on the particular cigar. Some cigars burn better than others, depending on the particular vitola."
Has this man lost it or is there something here that is meaningful. I personally have never even thought of doing this, nor would I ever try it. What are your thoughts???
I find it amusing that this is so uproarious to people. It's a little unorthodox, according to what we've all been taught, but that makes it even more interesting to me. Just because it's different doesn't make it astounding, grievous or particularly notable. From my observation, the wrapper leaf of a cigar doesn't readily absorb water that lands on it (it just beads up like on a waterproof surface), so I wouldn't see a problem with running tap water over the wrapper quickly. I'll try this myself on a cigar I have numbers of just for shits n' giggles. Who knows, I might discover my next cigar ritual.
Originally posted by JerseySmoker: While looking through another cigar forum I found a very curious post by MRN the author of the famous cigar encyclopedia. I enjoy the book and its' great photos, but the following statement really disturbed me. "I always wet the wrappers of young cigars before smoking. The wrapper burns and tastes better. As the cigar burns. The wrapper becomes warm. Moisture evaporates from the wrapper, makes it extremely dry, and ruins the burning. Wetting the wrapper beforehand rectifies this. I just run some tap water onto the cigar before I smoke it. Don’t worry if the wrapper gets 100% soaked with water. Once the cigar burns you’ll be amazed to find the wrapper returns to perfect moisture content. You have to try this to believe it. Old cigars burn very well at lower RH. I don’t do this to very old cigars (over 20 years). For cigars less than 10 years old I always do this. For cigars 10 to 20 years, it depends on the particular cigar. Some cigars burn better than others, depending on the particular vitola."
Has this man lost it or is there something here that is meaningful. I personally have never even thought of doing this, nor would I ever try it. What are your thoughts???
If the "pimple doc" wrote it how can it not be true!
I used to respect my elders. Not so much any more!
Posts: 3757 | Location: Welland | Registered: August 21, 2002
I remember the old timers licking their cigar years back when i was a kid. I was lead to believe that was because of the glue they used on the wrapper. Licking the cigar supposedly removed the after taste produced while smoking the cigar. They later switched the type of glue used and i never really saw anyone do it except on occasion. Never really gave it much thought past that. Try it see if you like it i will try it later tonight.
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Posts: 7111 | Location: Reggio di Calabria, Italy / New York United States | Registered: July 12, 2007
I remember the old timers licking their cigar years back when i was a kid. I was lead to believe that was because of the glue they used on the wrapper. Licking the cigar supposedly removed the after taste produced while smoking the cigar. They later switched the type of glue used and i never really saw anyone do it except on occasion. Never really gave it much thought past that.
How do you come up with this stuff? Glue is, was and always has been used to affix the head of the cigar. Not the length of it. The rather disgusting practice of licking the cigar was an attempt to impart some humidity to a dried out cigar where the tobacco would break apart from being dry. Obviously, what little saliva was imparted only affected the wrapper just a little bit, if at all...yet the practice continued.
So the question - what type of glue do YOU sniff?
As for the source - much of the time, he makes stuff up as he goes along and then tries subsequently to find something to substantiate what he says and thereupon anoints himself the ultimate authority. Somewhat of a market-maker...if he says something, people listen (well, for the most part), and then the thing he says becomes the norm. Seems like he comes up with this stuff in a stupor of sorts...
The ambient humidity of the leaves for a cigar properly humidified should suffice for the proper burn and flavor. For me, when the tobacco is too wet, it tends to smolder and all sorts of foul tastes emerge. If this is what HE likes, all the power to him and those who follow the lead.
Also, running water along the length of a cigar will not do much...if you try it, you will see that the wrapper leaf repels water as it did in the field as a growing weed. It absorbs ambient humidity, true - but a few drops of water aren't going to do much unless you soak the cigar. Some cigar makers (non-Cuban) spray their cigars with rum, brandy, or other liquor to impart a flavor, and then immediately wrap them up in plastic wrap to retain the moisture and flavor. But the wrapper is not going to soak up all that much water, and if it's left in water long enough, then you'll also be soaking the capote (binder) and tripa (guts consisting of seco, volado and ligero) and you'll have a mess on your hands. Ever try to smoke a cigar in the rain?
And forgive me if I'm wrong but, no matter how wet a combustible material may be, once it burns, and as it burns, it still becomes "extremely dry"...which is what makes combustion possible.
___________________ Santa Cabilla...patron saint of Quericæstan. VIVE COULTER (not Ann)! VIVE CPD! Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go...(Oscar Wilde)
Posts: 10728 | Location: Avenida de las Nalgas, Quericæstan | Registered: May 02, 2002
Originally posted by SHEEPSHEAD BAY: I remember the old timers licking their cigar years back when i was a kid. I was lead to believe that was because of the glue they used on the wrapper. Licking the cigar supposedly removed the after taste produced while smoking the cigar.
With that analogy the after taste becomes a before taste. LOL
