Cigar firmness question
 

How hard are cigars supposed to be? The guy at my local B&M said they are supposed to be spongy or have a little give to them if they are kept at the right humidity. I don't know if that is supposed to be true because I have a bunch a sticks in my humi that are pretty dang hard. Any truth to the this??

Re: Cigar firmness question
 

I've heard the "little bit of give" but that really doesn't mean much, it's all in personal preference, there are several factors that contribute to "give", how they are rolled, RH and so on. How do your sticks smoke, if you like how they smoke what's it matter? :2

Re: Cigar firmness question
 

Hard and spongy are both relative terms. Hard could indicate a tightly rolled cigar. Or it could be a problem with the stick being plugged.

Clip the cap, take an easy cold draw: if there's no problem, you'll likely fine.

Re: Cigar firmness question
 

:tpd: I have cigars next to each other in the same humidor. Some are very hard and some give a bit. All smoke very well.

Re: Cigar firmness question
 

I keep my sticks at 63 degrees/63 H...when I receive sticks in the mail they are usually spongy, after a few weeks in my vinos...they lose the spongy feel and are a little firm to the touch...bottom line is they burn perfect. All depends on how you like to store/keep your sticks. :2

Re: Cigar firmness question
 

The "spongiest" cigars I ever saw were at a cigar shop in Cancun. Not like a glass-top tourist spot, a place trying to look legit in a nice enclosed mall. Their "Cuban" cigars had the consistency of Nerf balls.

They had misting devices in the walk-in, I would put the humidity over 85%. Yup, there was some mold here and there as well.

Re: Cigar firmness question
 

"That's plume!!" :rolleyes::r

Seriously, some cigars just seem to be hard no matter what. In my experience Padron Anniversary 1926s are a good example. A cut-and-draw test is a better indicator.

Re: Cigar firmness question
 

What are you looking for with the cut and draw to make sure a cigar is properly humidified?

Re: Cigar firmness question
 

Just cut it and take a test draw without lighting it. If it draws smooth and easy without much resistance, it should be good to go.

Re: Cigar firmness question
 

I've had "soft" cigars that flaked and ran and wouldn't burn worth a damn, and I've had "firm" cigars that drew about as well as a wooden dowel. There is no definite answer to this question, which can only be resolved by smoking it.