Over-moist humidor

[utsao]

Hi guys, I'm a newb to FOH and cigars but wanted to share an experience I had in Shanghai two nights ago. Was at an international hotel chain's bar with my friend and lit up two cigars I brought along with me and afterwards we felt the occasion called for more and since I passed by a humidor on the way into the bar, I asked to see their prices and bought two more from them.

I'm new a cigar smoking (just had my.... 8th one on that night) but I read up on FOH's postings and google research and I was suspicious of the cigars I got at the bar. It kept going out every 8 or 10 puffs or so and the band seem to come off a lot easier (no gum adhesive) than the ones that I bought in HK (same brand). Then finally, my friend was examining the wrapper a bit (too?) close and it came apart... being a newb I didn't want to challenge the establishment's authenticity of their cigars but on the way out after paying the bill I looked at the humidor again. I saw the hydrometer reading was 90%! I figured the cigars are coming apart and needing relighting from being soaked in the humidor. So I went to talk to the bar head waiter and told him "ah.... your humidor's way too moist at 90% for your cigars...." to which he responded (in Chinese) "we don't have a choice, it was really dry in the last few weeks so we had to add water", all I could say is "well but I guess you added TOO much?".

But anyway, lesson learned for a newb, when buying outside at a bar, check the humidor's hydrometer before buying... or what other procedures do you go through if you buy from a new source? I heard of pinching the cigar to see the "bouncy-ness" of them but being a newb I didn't want to break anything...!

[Lotusguy]

Hi guys, I'm a newb to FOH and cigars but wanted to share an experience I had in Shanghai two nights ago. Was at an international hotel chain's bar with my friend and lit up two cigars I brought along with me and afterwards we felt the occasion called for more and since I passed by a humidor on the way into the bar, I asked to see their prices and bought two more from them.

I'm new a cigar smoking (just had my.... 8th one on that night) but I read up on FOH's postings and google research and I was suspicious of the cigars I got at the bar. It kept going out every 8 or 10 puffs or so and the band seem to come off a lot easier (no gum adhesive) than the ones that I bought in HK (same brand). Then finally, my friend was examining the wrapper a bit (too?) close and it came apart... being a newb I didn't want to challenge the establishment's authenticity of their cigars but on the way out after paying the bill I looked at the humidor again. I saw the hydrometer reading was 90%! I figured the cigars are coming apart and needing relighting from being soaked in the humidor. So I went to talk to the bar head waiter and told him "ah.... your humidor's way too moist at 90% for your cigars...." to which he responded (in Chinese) "we don't have a choice, it was really dry in the last few weeks so we had to add water", all I could say is "well but I guess you added TOO much?".

But anyway, lesson learned for a newb, when buying outside at a bar, check the humidor's hydrometer before buying... or what other procedures do you go through if you buy from a new source? I heard of pinching the cigar to see the "bouncy-ness" of them but being a newb I didn't want to break anything...!

A lot of cigars I had in China were at KTV after many drinks - can't say I noticed the taste very much