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Last episode we had a question about the best way to fix a cigar that has a tight draw.

Before getting into remedies, it is important to understand that some cigars have a tighter draw than others naturally. This is not necessarily what we are referencing. What we are talking about here, is a plug in your cigar.

How does it happen?

Most of the time, a cigar will be draw-tested before they send their sticks off to distribution, but sometimes this is not the case, and the occasional cigar will will slip through the cracks with a plug inside.

Another cause of a plug in your cigar can be caused by environmental factors during transport. As your cigars travel across countries, or even the world, temperature and humidity fluctuations can cause problems for your sticks.

How do I fix it?

If you are having a hard time drawing your cigar after you have cut it, you can use a draw tool. You use it by carefully plunging the tool, from the draw side, down the middle of the cigar to create a tunnel.

If you don’t have a draw tool handy, your fingers will do the trick.

Typically, a plug happens near the draw side of the cigar. If you take your fingers, and roll the cigar with medium firmness (being careful not to crack the wrapper), while inhaling, you can find the source of the draw and “massage” it out.

Have some solutions for a tight draw, of your own? Let us know, or send your own question to [email protected] and get featured!

Last episode we addressed a question asked by Rock in Utah about properly seasoning a Spanish cedar humidor.

First things first. If you want your cedar humidor to hold a consistent humidity, you MUST season it.

What exactly is seasoning a humidor?

The seasoning process creates a regulated moisture barrier in the cedar so it is not fighting for moisture when new cigars are introduced to the environment.

If you do not hydrate the cedar, you will have issues maintaining proper humidification in your humidor.

There are a few ways you can go about seasoning your humidor for the first time.

The most simple is to purchase an 84% moisture pack for Boveda that is the appropriate size for you specific application. Stick that pack in your humidor, and forget about it for two weeks.

After two weeks has passed, your humidor should be ready to hold some cigars. Throw away the 84% pack, and replace with your preferred humidification device.

If you prefer a more hands on approach, you can take a clean sponge, and some distilled water, or a propylene glycol solution pre-mixed for humidors, and lightly wipe the inside of your humidor.

Be careful not to over-moisturize or you may accidentally warp your cedar lining.

Do this for three consecutive days, while leaving the damp sponge inside your humidor on something non-porous so you don’t damage the cedar.

At this point, you should be able to add your preferred humidification device, and fill up your humidor with cigars.

Another important thing to note is, to get proper consistency long term, your humidor should remain at least half full of cigars.

As you store and age your cigars you will be able to note subtle changes in their flavors, and smoke-ability.

Have fun experimenting with your favorite sticks, and notice how their flavors mature. Send your own questions in to [email protected] and get featured in our next show.

Last week, Tyler from Billings, Montana asked what we mean when he hears us talking about Maduro, or Colorado wrappers.

Cigar Basics:

Before we go into what a wrapper is, specifically, let us first talk briefly about cigar anatomy in general. All cigars have three basic parts:

The wrapper, which we are talking about today, is the outermost leaf, and what you will be holding onto in between your fingers as you smoke.

Cigar Wrapper Types:

The leaves used for wrappers, are grown for the singular purpose of being a wrapper. It is most often the top most leaves of the plant that are selected, as these carry the most flavor.

From lightest to darkest, the four main types of cigar wrappers come from these strains of tobacco:

• Connecticut
• Corojo
• Habano
• Maduro

Cigar Colors:

Here’s where the question gets a little complicated. Colorado, in the context of this question, is not a strain of tobacco, but a color associated with the leaf wrapper.

In other words, multiple tobacco strains can be considered a “Colorado leaf” depending how they are aged and cured.

Although, generally speaking, the color of the outer leaf (especially lighter leaves) does correlate to flavor, this is not always the case. So stay adventurous in your choices, you may find a light bodied Oscuro you can’t live without.

To find out some more information about wrapper specifics, and learn more about all the factors considered when blending a cigar, check out Bet Your Ash episode 62 featuring Tabac Cigar founder Patrick Potter.

Send you own cigar questions to: [email protected] and get featured on our show!