2020 Plugged Cigar Poll

[El Presidente]

We conducted this poll in  2018 

Let's run with it again 

 

The question 

What's your plugged cigar rate? Plugged being so uncomfortably tight that it requires intervention or cessation. 

Use the poll for us. 

 

 

 

 

[NSXCIGAR]

Haven't had too many tight draws in 18-19 stock. Used the Perfecdraw maybe twice in the last month to open it up just a tad more but weren't unsmokeably tight. 

Can't remember the last time I had to ream the crap out of a cigar with it. Definitely under 5%, probably closer to <1%.

[slowsmoke]

I voted 10-20.  The number of sticks that are plugged so bad they will barely even light is less than 10%.  But the number of sticks that are significantly tighter than average, to the point of really interfering with my smoking enjoyment (and often resulting in pitching them), is easily over 10%.

But when they're good, man are they good.

[Chas.Alpha]

Um, 0%. Everything I’ve had from the ‘19’s have been spectacular!

Do I lead a charmed life?...?

[FireMedic]

3 minutes ago, Chas.Alpha said:

Um, 0%. Everything I’ve had from the ‘19’s have been spectacular!

Do I lead a charmed life?...?

Absolutely 

[HDGSN]

Plugged to need intervention like a PerfecDraw? 10%

Plugged beyond repair? Practically 0.

My new bane are underfilled cigars that do not show signs until after lighting them AND with 69% RH.

[wine_junkie]

0 for me so far. Crazy lucky

[PigFish]

... my cigars know better!

[Theophilus]

I smoke both Cuban and non cuban 50/50 and have the same amount of draw issues with both . About 10% . 

[Meklown]

I voted 5-10 but that's mainly due to me trying to finish up the rest of my Upmann/Hoyo Anejados. Other than those, I think I have only had one that's plugged.

[El Presidente]

Near enough 80 votes to date and it has largely played out the way I suspected. 

We have said on FOH before  that a good box of Cubans still has on average 2-3 troublesome sticks per box. Good enough? of course not. 

85% of respondents in the poll above (to date) have found this to be the case. 

[El Presidente]

Just now, juri said:

ps. what happen to the whats hot and whats not list not been updated in awhile ?

Updated about 10 days ago. I will find it for you over the weekend. 

This little thing called CV19 has put the kibosh on movement over the past few months 

[dshot]

This one hard to say. I've found less plugged cigars overall recently but I've also started to dry box religiously and that number drastically went down afterwards. The amount of times I have to pull out my perfect draw is a lot lower.

 

[mpq]

Wide variance on sizes. I almost never get a plugged Robusto or lonsdale. But every box of skinnies seems to come with tons (30-50%) of plugged cigars. I have never had a non-Cuban cigar that was so plugged I couldn’t smoke it. I have never had even a box of Cuban lanceros or similar that didn’t have at least 1.

[djrey]

In my times I feel like I run across loose draws much more than tight. Have yet to have a cigar so tight it wasn’t smokable. I also believe people have different views of what is/isn’t smokable. I actually prefer a tighter draw so I wouldn’t be surprised if many deemed non smokable cigars would be just tight to me.

[Ciscojohansson]

Judging by how often I use the perfect draw, 10-20 %.

[jvd1291]

I went 10-20, I smoke a lot of small ring gauges, and so have greater exposure to plugging unfortunately.

[Reverb]

I'd say about 1-2% though I dry box most sticks for a few days.  Mostly Petit Coronas and Lanceros, but a fair amount of Churchills too.  I rarely use my Perfect Draw which is my go-to solution.

[Madjul28]

Lot less problem with lower rh except trini reyes that seem to be a caracteristic: 3 plugged boxes all from francisco donatien factory ARS

[Islandboy]

I agree that vitola matters - tight draws show up on skinnies more often than fatties. But honestly, I run across a stick that meets the criteria spelled out maybe two or three times a year. This may be skewed by the fact I give my cigars a feel test before choosing them. Maybe the plugged sticks are piling up in my humidor ?

[NSXCIGAR]

On 5/29/2020 at 10:23 AM, mpq said:

Wide variance on sizes. I almost never get a plugged Robusto or lonsdale. But every box of skinnies seems to come with tons (30-50%) of plugged cigars. I have never had a non-Cuban cigar that was so plugged I couldn’t smoke it. I have never had even a box of Cuban lanceros or similar that didn’t have at least 1.

30-50%?! My goodness... you're talking 1999-2000 numbers there. That's unheard of today. Of any vitola, skinny or not. I have to ask what your storage conditions are.

I have to say the last 3 boxes of PLMC and one of MdO4 have had zero cigars plugged. They really seem to be taking care of the ultra-skinnies lately.

I actually seem to have the most issues with 42 RG. Had quite a few Monte 1s that were on the tight side earlier this year. One or two El Principes. If I'm into a box of RyJ Belvederes or PLP/RGPE I might get two or three tight buggers but that's about it. I don't consider those premium cigars.

[gojira]

Plugged cigars are a thing of the past in my opinion. The new plugged is under filled. Which I hate much more than plugged.

[Cairo]

Plugged Cubans are still a rumor to me--haven't actually had one.

[dobbs]

well, the criteria is,

"Plugged being so uncomfortably tight that it requires intervention or cessation."

by that criteria i've had a bunch that i've "intervened" on, 15-20%. if we're talking "cessation", then it is far fewer. like less than 5%

-dobbs

[bbguardsp]

All my stock is kept at 62% 68F.  One out of a box on average are tight enough to "throw off the balcony".  More accurately it's a few in one box and none in another one so it averages out.  Quite frankly I run into more underfilled cigars than over.  Overall 2019+ has been excellent in delivering very few plugs.