My two tins of C&D Low Country ‘Edisto” showed up today. Man this stuff is wet, even for a flake. I brought out my digital moisture meter and the tobacco rang the moisture bell at 41% 😳. I wouldn’t be surprised if mold problems might develop like some of their blends have in the past, it’s about 20% higher than what I would expect. I guess water weight sells🤔. 20% more profit sounds about right, good business model, figure out the max amount of water to add/leave in before spoilage sets in.
@RockyMountainBriar As long as air doesn't get to it in the tin I would think it should still be fine. My cigars sit at 70% humidity without any issues and even though moisture content isn't necessarily humidity, if no air gets to it mold can't form unless the mold was there on the tobacco to begin with. It's just like canning vegetables (which my wife and I do about 80 quarts a year of tomatoes and pickles), the sterilization of the equipment is the most important step.
I do agree, however, it is wet...I'm wondering if the first batch that sold out in 2 hours was this wet and if they just simply rushed to restock it and didn't dry it as well.
@vtgrad2003 My cigars are stored at 70% RH as well. I have never “stuck one” with my moisture gauge though🤔. I know they would have a much, much, less % in moisture content than the RH of the humidor. Now I am curious, I will have to stab a couple and find out… not an Ave Maria “Argentum” however, probably a “Bandito” or two😬
"A man on a quest...willing to sacrifice it all (a perfectly good cigar) to answer an important question that has been plaguing mankind for centuries--one of humidity versus moisture!" 🤣
Ok, so cigar and pipe tobacco should be at the same moisture level ~ 12%-15%…easy peasy. I’m still gonna stick it to a Bandito…or two. It will look like a vampire got them….or beetles😳
I “murdalated” a Bandito..I though the moisture meter had two sharp pointy probes…it’s got four. This Bandito came out of my large humidor. The hygrometer in the humidor is reading 80% right now, although the humidity beads should be regulating the RL to 70%. Maybe the hygrometer is out of whack? The cigar smokes fine, it does not seem to be overly moist to me, in fact, the wrapper near the head is a bit dry. The moisture meter is telling a different story? Maybe it’s just a cheap cigar, these rough Bandito cigars have a combo binder/wrapper, not that it should matter. I thought I would try the WDC Meerschaum and Amber cigar holder, part of my WDC collection. The Bandito’s ring size was too small however and was not sealing against the holder well. Oh well, cigar holders are kinda sissy-mary anyway.
@RockyMountainBriar I used to use a proper humidor a long time ago, but gave it up. A real humidor (and even a Tupperdore) is susceptible to changes in dew point and that was always a pain in the ass to deal with because dew points, of course, not only change from morning to night, but can change for extended periods depending on how much rain you get.
Since then, I've always just kept my cigars in those flip top glass jars where the lids have a rubber gasket to seal air tight, throw in a 69% Bovida pack (or 4, depending on what size pack you're using), and the hygrometer reads perfectly at 69% for probably 6 months or so--no matter what time of day or what the weather is like. It's a hell of a lot easier and the cigars come out perfect every time. Even when you open it and the humidity drops, it recovers within about 2 or 3 hours at most.
@vtgrad2003 Great minds think alike, I use the same method though I use humidity beads 65% in sachets of thin women's nylons, that hang in the jars.
It just seemed to be the most low maintenance method, especially since I like to age them an additional 5 years before I smoke them.
I would note though, I do still have 3 humidors, my goal is to get down to 50 or less cigars. As I've aged I find myself smoking them less and less of them.
@vtgrad2003 My two humidors are big Pelican cases. They seal airtight and I use the little jars of blue beads. I just need a hygrometer I can trust. They hold RH months easily. I don’t open them much. Maybe every three months, if I remember. I use to use one of those small glass top humidors that my nephew gave me. There is a reason it was in the pawn shop, it’s a terrible pos. I put pipe tobacco in mason jars in it, just to keep them from rolling around haphazardly.
I stopped in to one of the local tobacconists today “Stogies” downtown. They had a few tins of C&D “House Reserve 2021” in stock which I had not seen before. I guess the blend is produced by C&D solely for brick and mortar tobacconists. The tin description is Stoved and unstoved Red and Bright Virginia’s are carefully blended, cased, pressed and sliced to create this old-school flake tobacco—a special selection for the tobacconist. I can tell you, it smells heavenly in the tin, I can’t wait to load it up. I may have to procure another tin or two…..if they have any left the next time I visit them.
Addendum: The tobacco is not as heavenly when smoked as the tin note suggests. I guess I’m going to need straight Virginia’s to grow on me some more.
Sounds like it's the B&M version of Opening Night.
Straight Virginia's are an odd bunch--you either love them or you don't, but you never find anyone that actually hates a straight Virginia. I think the problem for most people when smoking straights is that they listen to us straight Virginia fanatics talk about how nice it is, but to be honest, Virginia's are rather bland and I think that throws people sometimes.
One reason why I smoke Griffin's/Davidoff cigars is because I love their mellowness, and there's a reason why this brand has a quite narrow but loyal following (aside from the price)--most cigar smokers don't want mellow, they want bold, and I think a lot of people trying straight Virginias fall into the same camp--they are expecting something with some kick, like a burley has, but they don't get it with a Virginia.
Pretty much everything I smoke daily outside of a few aromatics are straight Virginias, but occasionally I want to stimulate my taste buds and brain with a bit of bold, and that's why I keep a solid stock of Burley Flake #2 around.
To me, just like enjoying a mellow $40 Davidoff cigar, for a straight Virginia, if you know it's mellow you start to expect it and that's when your brain starts focusing on what makes straights popular to us Virginia smokers--the 3 or 4 different background flavors you get from smoking something that is far harder to grow than a burley, hand picked only when perfect, and what basically made the tobacco industry what it is today. I'm surrounded by Virginia fields around where I live, and if you look at how much more difficult, time consuming, and costly it is to grow a good Virginia, then I think it would be appreciated for more than just the 'smoke ability' of the tobacco. I know this sounds corny, but there's a "history" to a good straight Virginia that you just can't get with other blends.
Made a small order from Watch City Cigars two days ago - four ounces of Elf Dandruff (Why they picked that name, I don't know." and a tin of Nording - Seaweed (again, what's with the name?)
The Nording - Seaweed is a caramel and cream aromatic which apparently has been around since 2019. Don't bother typing Nording - Seaweed into the search fields on tobaccoreviews because it doesn't come up. You have to google Nording - Seaweed and then click on the link to get it to show up on tobaccreviews. There is also a Nording - Tumbleweed, which is a vanilla/floral aromatic.
Elf Dandruff (nothing to do with LOTR) is Watch City's 2021 Christmas blend and has burley, perique and "Latakia Essence" but is cased with Rose Geranium. I wasn't sure I wanted to try this one but the I read the "backstory" :
For those who want the back-story- This blend was inspired by an alcohol induced holiday hallucination by our blender, Ernie Q. He says "Christmas Eve 2019 I drank too much of my traditional Christmas Glug (It's basically moonshine with spices, folks) and passed out. I dreamed I was at the North Pole and these Elves were flying around flipping me the bird and speaking in tongues. The little bastards had this flaky crap coming off their heads that smelled like brown sugar. It was like a Tim Burton movie, only it didn't suck."
One word of warning though. apparently shipping from Germany is faster than shipping from Massachusetts. It take five days from placing the order to it arriving from Germany. IF my order arrive when expected, it will have taken seven days to get from Massachusetts to Louisiana by priority mail - and they tell you upfront that "Priority or expedited shipments may not be delivered within published times in transit."
@vtgrad2003 I agree with your take on Virginia's but would add that as the variety of tobacco that most benefits from aging, Virginia blends nearly across the board go through a metamorphosis when aged 5-10 years.
I love well aged Virginia blends in general but find young ones not much to my liking.
I have been fortunate that many of my pipe club brethren have old and extensive cellars and have shared their old Virginia blends, which really changed my views of straight Virginia blends.
So much so that I have been purchasing many straight Virginia blends to cellar for the past 5 years.
In fact I did something last weekend at the St. Louis pipe show I have rarely done before and that was to spend $75 on a single tin of 9 year old Mcclelland's Dark Star Virginia flake (absolutely fantastic stuff) to share with the guys who introduced me to well aged Virginias
I also purchased an estate pipe that due to the bowl size size (smaller diameter) I felt would be perfect (and it is) for a dedicated Virginia pipe. I wish I could afford to buy more, but alas I will just have to wait a few more years for the ones I have to mature.
The first Virginia that stopped me in my tracks was Dunhill Flake, that was over ten years ago! I still haven't found anything that comes close but I do have some very good Virginia flakes cellared. This spring I'm going to crack open a tin of Rotary.
@jfreedy I did in the early stages of my flake sampling. I found that Perique gave me the hiccups and focused on Straight Virginia flakes. Some of the offerings from Wessex, Astley's, Fribourg and Trayer, and, Aylesbury are excellent but sometimes hard to find. When Laudisi gets their stocking under control I will try Bright CR Flake. Orlik Golden Sliced is very light on Perique so I bought a tin that I'll try in the Spring.
@Balisong - I hear ya. I've only recently (the last year) started enjoying perique in my blends. At first I couldn't stand the stuff. I'd say my other favorite straight Virginia flake is Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake. But it's harder to come by. Esoterica's Stonehaven is probably my all time favorite (though technically a VA/Bur), but it's pretty much unobtainium for most of us mortals.
IPSD sale purchase just came in! I got five of the Gawith Hoggarth Virginias I've been wanting to try along with a few others. I also got two Peterson P-lip stems to substitute with the fishtail stems when the mood hits.
@vtgrad2003 Been addicted on and off since the 4th grade! Thank God the alcohol didn't go that way, too much Scotch one night in my mid teens, never drank straight up liquor again.
The replacement stems from Smokingpipes.com will not fit any and every System pipe. With that said one of them looks nice paired with my 2020 Christmas 03.
Comments
As long as air doesn't get to it in the tin I would think it should still be fine. My cigars sit at 70% humidity without any issues and even though moisture content isn't necessarily humidity, if no air gets to it mold can't form unless the mold was there on the tobacco to begin with. It's just like canning vegetables (which my wife and I do about 80 quarts a year of tomatoes and pickles), the sterilization of the equipment is the most important step.
I do agree, however, it is wet...I'm wondering if the first batch that sold out in 2 hours was this wet and if they just simply rushed to restock it and didn't dry it as well.
My cigars are stored at 70% RH as well. I have never “stuck one” with my moisture gauge though🤔. I know they would have a much, much, less % in moisture content than the RH of the humidor. Now I am curious, I will have to stab a couple and find out… not an Ave Maria “Argentum” however, probably a “Bandito” or two😬
"A man on a quest...willing to sacrifice it all (a perfectly good cigar) to answer an important question that has been plaguing mankind for centuries--one of humidity versus moisture!" 🤣
https://www.newair.com/blogs/learn/how-moisture-and-humidity-affect-your-cigars
I used to use a proper humidor a long time ago, but gave it up. A real humidor (and even a Tupperdore) is susceptible to changes in dew point and that was always a pain in the ass to deal with because dew points, of course, not only change from morning to night, but can change for extended periods depending on how much rain you get.
Since then, I've always just kept my cigars in those flip top glass jars where the lids have a rubber gasket to seal air tight, throw in a 69% Bovida pack (or 4, depending on what size pack you're using), and the hygrometer reads perfectly at 69% for probably 6 months or so--no matter what time of day or what the weather is like. It's a hell of a lot easier and the cigars come out perfect every time. Even when you open it and the humidity drops, it recovers within about 2 or 3 hours at most.
What color nylons? And did you at least cut the crotch out?
Nice grain on that!
My two humidors are big Pelican cases. They seal airtight and I use the little jars of blue beads. I just need a hygrometer I can trust. They hold RH months easily. I don’t open them much. Maybe every three months, if I remember. I use to use one of those small glass top humidors that my nephew gave me. There is a reason it was in the pawn shop, it’s a terrible pos. I put pipe tobacco in mason jars in it, just to keep them from rolling around haphazardly.
In my opinion, sealing air tight is key for sure.
I can tell you, it smells heavenly in the tin, I can’t wait to load it up. I may have to procure another tin or two…..if they have any left the next time I visit them.
Addendum: The tobacco is not as heavenly when smoked as the tin note suggests. I guess I’m going to need straight Virginia’s to grow on me some more.
Sounds like it's the B&M version of Opening Night.
Straight Virginia's are an odd bunch--you either love them or you don't, but you never find anyone that actually hates a straight Virginia. I think the problem for most people when smoking straights is that they listen to us straight Virginia fanatics talk about how nice it is, but to be honest, Virginia's are rather bland and I think that throws people sometimes.
One reason why I smoke Griffin's/Davidoff cigars is because I love their mellowness, and there's a reason why this brand has a quite narrow but loyal following (aside from the price)--most cigar smokers don't want mellow, they want bold, and I think a lot of people trying straight Virginias fall into the same camp--they are expecting something with some kick, like a burley has, but they don't get it with a Virginia.
Pretty much everything I smoke daily outside of a few aromatics are straight Virginias, but occasionally I want to stimulate my taste buds and brain with a bit of bold, and that's why I keep a solid stock of Burley Flake #2 around.
To me, just like enjoying a mellow $40 Davidoff cigar, for a straight Virginia, if you know it's mellow you start to expect it and that's when your brain starts focusing on what makes straights popular to us Virginia smokers--the 3 or 4 different background flavors you get from smoking something that is far harder to grow than a burley, hand picked only when perfect, and what basically made the tobacco industry what it is today. I'm surrounded by Virginia fields around where I live, and if you look at how much more difficult, time consuming, and costly it is to grow a good Virginia, then I think it would be appreciated for more than just the 'smoke ability' of the tobacco. I know this sounds corny, but there's a "history" to a good straight Virginia that you just can't get with other blends.
The Nording - Seaweed is a caramel and cream aromatic which apparently has been around since 2019. Don't bother typing Nording - Seaweed into the search fields on tobaccoreviews because it doesn't come up. You have to google Nording - Seaweed and then click on the link to get it to show up on tobaccreviews. There is also a Nording - Tumbleweed, which is a vanilla/floral aromatic.
Elf Dandruff (nothing to do with LOTR) is Watch City's 2021 Christmas blend and has burley, perique and "Latakia Essence" but is cased with Rose Geranium. I wasn't sure I wanted to try this one but the I read the "backstory" :
For those who want the back-story- This blend was inspired by an alcohol induced holiday hallucination by our blender, Ernie Q. He says "Christmas Eve 2019 I drank too much of my traditional Christmas Glug (It's basically moonshine with spices, folks) and passed out. I dreamed I was at the North Pole and these Elves were flying around flipping me the bird and speaking in tongues. The little bastards had this flaky crap coming off their heads that smelled like brown sugar. It was like a Tim Burton movie, only it didn't suck."
One word of warning though. apparently shipping from Germany is faster than shipping from Massachusetts. It take five days from placing the order to it arriving from Germany.
IF my order arrive when expected, it will have taken seven days to get from Massachusetts to Louisiana by priority mail - and they tell you upfront that "Priority or expedited shipments may not be delivered within published times in transit."
I did in the early stages of my flake sampling. I found that Perique gave me the hiccups and focused on Straight Virginia flakes. Some of the offerings from Wessex, Astley's, Fribourg and Trayer, and, Aylesbury are excellent but sometimes hard to find. When Laudisi gets their stocking under control I will try Bright CR Flake. Orlik Golden Sliced is very light on Perique so I bought a tin that I'll try in the Spring.
I got five of the Gawith Hoggarth Virginias I've been wanting to try along with a few others. I also got two Peterson P-lip stems to substitute with the fishtail stems when the mood hits.
I love that the p-lip stems are acrylic. It seems like all I do is polish the ebonite ones.
I just want to bring it to your attention that the products you just purchased contain nicotine and that nicotine is an addictive chemical.
Been addicted on and off since the 4th grade! Thank God the alcohol didn't go that way, too much Scotch one night in my mid teens, never drank straight up liquor again.
BUYER BEWARE!!!
The replacement stems from Smokingpipes.com will not fit any and every System pipe. With that said one of them looks nice paired with my 2020 Christmas 03.