Question about RASS and sick period

[Garnerinho]

Sorry if this is a dumb question but I am new to CC(6 months) and I am confused about the sick period I keep hearing about. I have a box of RASS box code TUO ABR 13. I have smoked 4 from this box so far over the last couple months and all four have been hugely disappointing. Well constructed but no flavor at all. I was under the assumption that the sick period had something to do with ammonia smell and taste which these don't have. They have no taste at all. Is this normal for a young RASS? Should I wait until April next year to smoke another and hope they will have matured by then? Has anyone else had this experience and what is your routine or suggestions with a box of these cigars?

[Ted]

whats your storage humidity at?

I remember when i started off, I had my humidity at 70% and it made all my smokes tasteless.

After some reserch, I dropped the humidity between 60-65%, taste came back and now that's what

I store all my CCs at.

[Rye]

They could still be suffering jet lag. Give them time. The 2013 RASS that I've been smoking are quite the opposite of flavourless.

[potpest]

whats your storage humidity at?

I remember when i started off, I had my humidity at 70% and it made all my smokes tasteless.

After some reserch, I dropped the humidity between 60-65%, taste came back and now that's what

I store all my CCs at.

Agree with this, I was until recently keeping all my stuff at 69Rh with Boveda packs and the RASS I had straight out the box were not all that great. Got my beads through and now storing at 65 and smoking at 60 and it's like Im smoking completely different cigars.

[Garnerinho]

I keep mine at 65 with beads and boveda packs. Always stays between 63-66

[Guybrush]

Got my beads through and now storing at 65 and smoking at 60 and it's like Im smoking completely different cigars.

It's always amazing how different people are.

Most peolpe I know smoke at 70 and no one would consider smoking at 60.

[helix]

I agree finding >70% a steamy, tasteless thinnish smoke. <65% is much better for Cubans. However, 70% I find, works best for NC's.Seem to need/handle higher RH better.

[Hohenthal]

Sorry if this is a dumb question but I am new to CC(6 months) and I am confused about the sick period I keep hearing about. I have a box of RASS box code TUO ABR 13. I have smoked 4 from this box so far over the last couple months and all four have been hugely disappointing. Well constructed but no flavor at all. I was under the assumption that the sick period had something to do with ammonia smell and taste which these don't have. They have no taste at all. Is this normal for a young RASS? Should I wait until April next year to smoke another and hope they will have matured by then? Has anyone else had this experience and what is your routine or suggestions with a box of these cigars?

There are no dumb questions, mate. (Possibly dumb answers such as the following )

Certain cigars can go through several "sick periods",

the first, as you describe, has to do with ammonia,

the following are ups and downs in the maturation as you find with certain wines as well.

Some can bring back a certain harshness, some make the cigar faceless and empty for a while.

However, with some patience you should see a comeback and after any such phases

the cigar comes out more refined with deeper, more balanced flavours.

My RASS and RASCC from '08 and '10 smoked fine young, then fell asleep for 1 1/2 years

and came back - so don't worry too much, forget them for a while and then try one every 3 months or so.

Be ready to be surprised

Best, Alex

[jangoman88]

I had my first RASS the other weekend and was from this year and was amazing!

[ramon_cojones]

my upmann 2s from 2010 were absolute trash and flavorless in 2011

now they are pretty darn good, give it time

ps, i keep my sticks at 62rh, 72 deg

[SCgarman]

I have never had a flavorless RASS in all the boxes I smoked. Don't know where your sourced them, but are you sure they are genuine?

[Garnerinho]

I got them from a Swedish website where I got several boxes. I won't say the website name but he goes by Lou if that helps. All the stamps check out and had only heard good things about the website. All of this was before I found this place. I will never purchase from anywhere else. Absolutely love this website and all the great information I have gotten from everyone on here. I have learned more in the month I have spent on here than in the three years I have been smoking cigars. Thanks again to everyone for your help and thoughts.

[Smallclub]

I got them from a Swedish website where I got several boxes. I won't say the website name but he goes by Lou if that helps.

They're not swedish, but swiss; they are based in Switzerland. AFAIK they ship from the same warehouse that many vendors use and they are 100% legit.

[Garnerinho]

Sorry you are right I meant to say Swiss not swedish.

[Steens]

Sorry if this is a dumb question but I am new to CC(6 months) and I am confused about the sick period I keep hearing about. I have a box of RASS box code TUO ABR 13. I have smoked 4 from this box so far over the last couple months and all four have been hugely disappointing. Well constructed but no flavor at all. I was under the assumption that the sick period had something to do with ammonia smell and taste which these don't have. They have no taste at all. Is this normal for a young RASS? Should I wait until April next year to smoke another and hope they will have matured by then? Has anyone else had this experience and what is your routine or suggestions with a box of these cigars?

[Steens]

I've got the same from a 2011 box put me off them but will leave them for a while longer

[Garnerinho]

Glad to hear I am not the only one who had this problem. I have heard such wonderful things about them. I am going to be patient and wait a couple months before trying another.

[Laxman]

I had the same experience with the first few boxes of RASS I bought. For along time there was not much taste to them. I had been disappointed as I had heard good things about them. Now 3 to 4 years later I am glad I didn't give them all away. They are flavor sticks.

I recently bought a cab of I believe 13 RASS from Czar and they have been very solid right from the start. From reading posts here and my own experience, when I get a new box I put i away for 3 to 6 months before I try it out. If at 6 months it still has not really opened up I lay them down for a few years. Here and there I will drip into the box and check the progress.

[SCgarman]

I really cannot logically fathom how a cigar that is flavorless to begin with will gain flavor as it ages. All the things I have read and heard basically say that a good or great cigar young will definitely get better as it ages, but a bad cigar young will basically stay a bad cigar. Most Cuban cigars really don't go into a "sick" period anymore IMO, except maybe custom rolls which are rolled fresh. The RASS is my favorite cigar out of all, mainly due to the fact that they are so consistent flavor wise and for the most part construction wise. If I had a hundred or so boxes, I really would be set as far as cigars and would not need anything else. Oh, and the flavor profile is just fantastic just my idea of how a great cigar should taste.

[Pixa]

I really cannot logically fathom how a cigar that is flavorless to begin with will gain flavor as it ages. All the things I have read and heard basically say that a good or great cigar young will definitely get better as it ages, but a bad cigar young will basically stay a bad cigar. Most Cuban cigars really don't go into a "sick" period anymore IMO, except maybe custom rolls which are rolled fresh. The RASS is my favorite cigar out of all, mainly due to the fact that they are so consistent flavor wise and for the most part construction wise. If I had a hundred or so boxes, I really would be set as far as cigars and would not need anything else. Oh, and the flavor profile is just fantastic just my idea of how a great cigar should taste.

How is a custom rolled any different from a normal production cigar both are rolled fresh Also both are made with the same tobacco?? .

[Smallclub]

both are rolled fresh Also both are made with the same tobacco?? .

No. Reg. prod. cigars are rolled with (relatively) aged tobacco, and they have a long rest period in the escaparate where they lose their excess moisture prior to being boxed.

[CaptainQuintero]

I think 'sick period' probably doesn't apply as it used to. Back in the 70's 80's and prior, UK and French (Probably most) retailers etc would receive stock and have to age them for a year before putting them out for sale because there was that much ammonia they were literally un-smokable.

Nowadays certain cigars just need longer to blossom eg RASS or PLPC, I wouldn't call it a sick period necessarily.

Maybe the RyJ cazadorez would be the exception?

A certain amount of time needed to blossom doesn't mean a cigar is bad either IMO, whiskey needs years to age before becoming great.

Obviously a badly blended/constructed cigar won't turn great, they might smooth out though eg the RA Belvederes from around 2000 that around around the net recently; fresh they were not great.

[Pixa]

No. Reg. prod. cigars are rolled with (relatively) aged tobacco, and they have a long rest period in the escaparate where they lose their excess moisture prior to being boxed.

So they have a completely different stockpile/ supply chain of tobacco for custom rollers than for the regular production? Though i do understand the rest before boxing that you are talking about

[TM-US]

I definitely know what you mean. I have a box of RASS that I got from Rob that is completely flavorless, but well constructed. I will give them more time but these are a '11 box, so I think they're just duds.

[sw15825]

I have Jul 12 RASS. That started to taste nice. At least to my liking around one year old and are getting better all the time. I also have may 13 s also and are not ready. In the past, 4 or 5 years were necessary for y RASS but they seem to be using much more aged tobacco every year and from 2012 and on I seem to notice this more across the board in a lot of brands. Just my opinion. I hardly ever smell a realsick cigar full of ammonnia anymore. Just what I call, flat and muted flavors that come alive later. I also keep cigars at 60 to 63% and find much better results.