Ever smoke a cigar backwards?

[MontrealRon]

A couple of years ago, I bought a dress box of '00 Partagas Lonsdales.

As the first few I tried were excellent, I ordered another box.

Identical codes.

Around six months later, I cracked the second box and tried one.

Extremely tight, virtually plugged.

Others followed, much the same.

More frustrating than pleasurable.

A month ago, I pulled another, clipped it, and have been dryboxing it since then,

with no appreciable change.

Like the others, it was hard as a rock beneath the band.

Tonight, as I was about to toss it, I decided to try a little experiment,

removed the band, and fired up the head.

Naturally, it got off to a slow start, but it opened up nicely as soon as it passed the blockage.

While it took a little effort to keep the wrapper from unravelling,

I got it down to the last inch and a half before it came hopelessly undone.

It tasted great. Very strong old-style Partagas.

While not an ideal solution, it still beats trashing a $200 box of cigars.

Has anyone else ever tried this?

[Jesuscookies]

I've have wondered about doing this, but I usually just rip my cigar to **** trying to poke a hole through it

I think I will try the next plugged one backwards.

[shrink]

Never tried it, but I will. Beats the hell out of massaging, poking, and finally giving up.

[android]

Anything goes at that point!

[samb]

Its worth a shot to help save a plugged box.

[CIGARHead]

While I'm constantly putting MY foot in my mouth, I can't see putting a cigars foot in it

PS. Great idea, but I usually get so pissed if I have a pluggy that I toss it and grab me another.

[daboose]

I did this! But it wasn't planned.

I took off the label of a perfecto, clipped off the end while I was in the house. Ran outside and got comfortable on the deck and then stared at it and thought…dang! which end is the foot? and which Is the head?

I was too comfortable and too darn lazy to run back upstairs to compare…I lit the head. Oh well. There was a slight difference in taste.

[toasterhead]

Paging Wilkey.....I think he might have something to say on this topic.

Enlighten us, wise moderator.

Dave

[LiLo]

Never tried it but it's something i wouldn't hesitate doing. Why not right?

[Ginseng]

Paging Wilkey.....I think he might have something to say on this topic.

Enlighten us, wise moderator.

Dave

I've not heard of anyone else burning through the tight spot in this fashion but it's certainly worth a try. Many are the times I've lopped half-inch after half-inch from the head to try to open it up...while still drawing from the head. I am surprised that it took until the last 1.5" to start unraveling. Once the wrap around the cap is lost, I've found that cigars tend to unravel pretty quickly, and that's even while keeping the head moist as I'm drawing.

For tight (or plugged) cigars with no discernible hard spot, cutting off sections usually doesn't help much because almost the entirety of the bunch is too tight from overpacking. This was the case with a prized box of 2001 Sir Winstons. I've cut a few of the 7" cigars all the way down to 2.5" in a vain attempt to allow sufficient draw to enjoy the cigar.

With regard to the sensory effects of head-first or foot-first smoking, well, that's a rather complicated topic for another time.

Wilkey

[ucla695]

I haven't yet, but I'm sure I will accidentally with a figurado in the future.

[LeafLover]

Interesting. On the contrary, I've noticed dry-boxing, 3-4 days on notoriously plugged cigars have greatly improved the problem. I'd be interested to know what others suggest other than tossing it.

As far smoking it head to foot, I'll try it on an NC first. Only problem I foresee is that the wrapper might unravel.

[smk819]

Started toasting the wrong end of a Punch Corona last night. I realized what I was doing soon enough to clip off the torched head, and had a saved enjoyable smoke

[thechenman]

I guess there is a plus side to leaving the cigar band on while smoking. At least this way there is a reduced change of someone lighting up the wrong end.

[Habanos2000]

I don't know about smoking cigars backwards, but let me tell you, drinking from the opposite side of a glass doesn't work AT ALL!

[axmncg]

I'd be interested to know what others suggest other than tossing it.

Chop it up with a cutter or cigar scissors and smoke it in a pipe.