A sour taste

Last weekend I had to lay over in Ellensburg, WA. The week before, I smoked a lot more then I thought I would. So when I took the exit for the truck stop I saw that there was a smoke shop within walking distance from the Flying J. It turned out to be more of a head shop. Most of the pictures I have looked at of everyone's humidors on this site had more cigars then this store.

The guy behind the counter was trying to push a Gurkha Black Dragon on me. I just didn't feel like spending $20+ on a smoke. So I went with a COA CX2, Romeo Y Julieta Deluxe NO.2, and a Don Thomas. I'll pass on the Don Thomas next time. I did like the Romeo Y Julieta. When I smoked the CAO, it started fine. After a few puffs it had a slight sour taste. About half way through it started to swell in the middle and at the end. The middle section started to crack while the end popped. It made me jump. All at once the end split right down the middle. The split was about a 1/4" deep and 1.5" long. The sour taste didn't go away so I put it out.

The next Thursday I was back in Ellensburg. I went back for more of the Romeo Y Julieta's. They only had one No.2. So I also picked up a Petite Numero Dos. Bolth of the cigars had the same sour taste that the CAO had from the last weekend without the splitting problem.

Why did the cigar split and what caused the sour taste in three different smokes? I don't think I'll go back to that smoke shop, but it's very had to get a truck to a smoke shop. So unless I want to smoke the junk you can buy at a truck stop I'm out of luck.

Buy online or from a trusted shop and get a travel humidor to bring with you in your truck(otterbox, herf-a-dor, whatever). I wouldn't buy cigars from that shop again. It sounds like they are not properly storing them.

The sour taste and the splitting wrapper probably means that the cigars were too moist. The moisture in a cigar will expands as you smoke it. The more moisture there is the more it will expand, causing the delicate wrapper to split.

And I believe that an overly moist cigar can cause a sour taste, caused by the wet dense smoke produced.(I'm not sure about this, but I remember reading that somewhere).

I had an unexpected layover. I thought I would be back last weekend, but I had to make a run to Utah.
For the most part I order from Famous Smoke or JR Cigar. I don't go to a shop unless I have to. I'll have to try a CX2 again without the sour taste.
If I find that sour taste again, how would I cure it?

From what you describe it sounds quite a bit like an over humidification problem. To much humidity would cause a sour taste and would also cause the wrapper to split and pop due to swelling when the heat and humidity mix. The only cure is to take the cigar home and leave it in your humi for about a week or even 2 before smoking it. When you buy a cigar right out of the shops humidor this can happen because not all shops are so great at keeping their smokes proper stored.

The store had 5' of counter space for the cigars. They had about 10 different kinds. I don't like to buy from the shops in Washington. You'll pay almost twice as much as online. But when you run out and don't want to smoke the crap they sell at the gas station, you pay the price.

well shit next time your in utah drop a line

dustin

I will. I don't get down there much, but the next time I will.

The tobacco taxes are really high here. That's one of the reasons I stopped smoking for a while. It almost doubles the price at the B&Ms

That's what I have also found. It's not much better here in Idaho. A little, but not much.

Oregon's pretty low too.

I'm in Oregon very often. Where can I find some shops?

I'm sorry to have lead you on. I wish I knew. The only tobacco I've bought there is cigarettes but they're much cheaper. I ve only recently gotten back into cigars and am strixtly online now.

Not a problem. For the most part I need to stick to online also. Even if I can find a shop, getting the semi anywhere close is a problem. The only reason I went to the shop In Ellensburg, WA was it was only a block away. I pull 64' worth of trailers. Not easy to get them around town.