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HdM Excalibur - Consistency issues?

DrummerJohn

DrummerJohn

Member
I searched on this and didn't find anything, so I figured I would ask. I am still working my way through the different brands, but I like the taste of the Excalibur line from HdM. Of the last few that I've had, 2 seemed to have a very tight draw. The flavor is consistently good, but the draw has been extremely tight in the last 2 out of 3. I was considering getting a box, until recently.

Has anyone else experienced inconsistent draw in the Excalibur brand? I like the taste, but I don't want to keep buying them or buy a box only to find that 1/3 of them will smoke without giving me an aneurism.

Also, I usually get home from the smoke store and smoke them without "resting" them as I am still building my collection. Not sure if that would have anything to do with it.

Any light that can be shed on the subject would be great.

Thanks!
DJ
 
DrummerJohn said:
Also, I usually get home from the smoke store and smoke them without "resting" them as I am still building my collection. Not sure if that would have anything to do with it.

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I am a newbie too, but my guess is this is the main reason for your problems. Most of the shops I've been to store their cigars a little bit wet. I would buy a couple and give them some time to settle into your desired humidity level before smoking them. I like about everything at 65% as I have had zero storage related problems of any kind with my cigars since switching to 65% from 70%-72%.

My two cents.
 
LilBastage said:
DrummerJohn said:
Also, I usually get home from the smoke store and smoke them without "resting" them as I am still building my collection. Not sure if that would have anything to do with it.

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I am a newbie too, but my guess is this is the main reason for your problems. Most of the shops I've been to store their cigars a little bit wet. I would buy a couple and give them some time to settle into your desired humidity level before smoking them. I like about everything at 65% as I have had zero storage related problems of any kind with my cigars since switching to 65% from 70%-72%.

My two cents.
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I think he is right. I typically walk out of shops with sticks you can squeeze pretty hard. I have not had a draw problem on Excalibur or any HDM...ash structure on the other hand is like a coin flip.
 
The HdM Excaliburs I have (actually the Dark Knights) have the complete opposite issue...the draw is loose.

This is hokey, but what helps (sometimes) is if you squeeze the unlit end of the cigar to open up some airspace. If you tend to wet your cigars, this may cause it to constrict...making it difficult to draw.

The other suggestion, like Cohiba4 said, is to poke the cigar, along the length of the cigar...to again...free-up some airspace. Before I got my Xikar Multitool, I used a paperclip. A draw-poker is probably better.
 
I've smoked Excalibur #1 maduros for the last 8-9 years. I have found that you will have a tight or no draw at all if they are kept at 68-70 percent humidity. I keep mine at 65 percent or lower and have no problems.

Let them rest for a while after getting them from the shop and you should have no problems. :thumbs:
 
If you are getting tight cigars from a particular retailer chances are his cigars are over humidified. Most retailers keep their inventories at 70 percent or higher, this way when their customers grab a cigar and squeeze it, they can say " see how fresh it is".

If you get a plugged or tight cigar, stop smoking it, put it in a plastic bag and bring it back to the retailer for a credit. If he does not take it back with a smile, find another retailer.

You should never think about using a draw poker on non Cuban cigars.
 
Thanks for all the great advice guys! I really appreciate it. I think you are right about the high rh. After a recent visit to the B&M I noticed they are keeping the rh pretty high. If I buy anything else from that shop, I will be sure to let them rest awhile with the 65% beads.
 
DrummerJohn said:
... If I buy anything else from that shop, I will be sure to let them rest awhile with the 65% beads.
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That is an excellent plan, and one that you should adopt when you buy cigars from any source. It is always good to let them acclimatize to your humidor regardless of where you got them. :)
 
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