[akumushi]

It sounds like there was a serious plug, and that less humidity wouldn't have helped. In most of the cigars I've had that were hopelessly plugged, the plug is in the first inch or so on the cap side. You can pinch up and down the whole cigar and feel that it is normal from the foot all the way down to the last inch or so, where it is hard as a rock. If you've already lit the cigar and tried a draw poker and the draw is still hopeless, I've found that amputating the last inch or two will bypass the plug and salvage the smoke. That way, you might still get a decent robusto length smoke out of a churchill, rather than pitching the whole smoke. Of course, this only works with longer smokes. Sounds like you've rediscovered this technique for yourself.