Anyone have issues with the Liga No.9?

[Sonic04GT]

Bought some cigars from Smoke Inn a few weeks ago. I left them in the plastic bag with a 67% humidification pillow underneath a cedar sheet. Hygrometer read 62-65% fairly steadily. Didn't want to put them in my humidor as I normally freeze first and planned to smoke them fairly soon.

Smoked the Liga last weekend and the draw seemed a little tight and smoke was somewhat thin. It eventually went out after about 2/3's and I didn't bother to re-light it. I was pretty disappointed for a $13 cigar.

In that same plastic bag were also an Undercrown and a MUWAT. Smoked the Undercrown a couple days ago and I was satisfied with the burn/draw. Smoked the MUWAT tonight and it was perfect. Not one touch-up, nice creamy smoke, good ash and flavor down to about 1.5" or so when I tossed it. Very impressed.

So, 3 cigars in the same bag, only the No. 9 was disappointing. Should I shoot DE an email?

Also, what are your opinions with zip-lock bags? How long will you store them with or without a humidification device?

[INT]

Probably a lemon. Never had any issues.

[pnoon]

Draw issues with one cigar and you're thinking about emailing the manufacturer?
The cigars we smoke (for the most part) are a hand made product. Once in a while you will get one that is off for any number of reasons. Deal with it and move on.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by Sonic04GT

Bought some cigars from Smoke Inn a few weeks ago. I left them in the plastic bag with a 67% humidification pillow underneath a cedar sheet. Hygrometer read 62-65% fairly steadily. Didn't want to put them in my humidor as I normally freeze first and planned to smoke them fairly soon.

Smoked the Liga last weekend and the draw seemed a little tight and smoke was somewhat thin. It eventually went out after about 2/3's and I didn't bother to re-light it. I was pretty disappointed for a $13 cigar.

In that same plastic bag were also an Undercrown and a MUWAT. Smoked the Undercrown a couple days ago and I was satisfied with the burn/draw. Smoked the MUWAT tonight and it was perfect. Not one touch-up, nice creamy smoke, good ash and flavor down to about 1.5" or so when I tossed it. Very impressed.

So, 3 cigars in the same bag, only the No. 9 was disappointing. Should I shoot DE an email?

Also, what are your opinions with zip-lock bags? How long will you store them with or without a humidification device?

Definitely not.

[Fordman4ever]

I wouldn't worry about it. 1 bad cigar doesn't make the whole line bad. I've never had any issues with them.

[cmitch]

This is what we run into when we buy online. If your cigar is bad, there's very little recourse for a make-up on a bad cigar. That being said, every no. 9 I've smoked has been fine. I had a T52 toro that canoed but I was able to recover by a clip and relight. Now if you bought several and they were all bad, then I could understand emailing manufacturer. A reputable B&M would've made this up if you would've bought it from them.

[Thrak]

Originally Posted by cmitch

A reputable B&M would've made this up if you would've bought it from them.

Really? You'd go back to the B&M and try to get another cigar?

Jeeze...

[czerbe]

Originally Posted by pnoon

Draw issues with one cigar and you're thinking about emailing the manufacturer?
The cigars we smoke (for the most part) are a hand made product. Once in a while you will get one that is off for any number of reasons. Deal with it and move on.

[MurphysLaw]

Chris, any number of things could have caused the burn issues with your cigar. Smoking outside in humid south Florida, especially with how windy and rainy last weekend was could have been the issue. Don't write off the line based on one example.

And in response to the comment about reputable B&Ms, Smoke Inn is a B&M first and foremost. They also sell online, but Abe and his guys are 100% committed to customer service. There have been plenty of posts here commenting about how they include hand written notes with online orders, and sometimes extra cigars and swag find their way into outgoing boxes. If Chris was smoking the cigar in the shop and brought an issue to their attention, I'm certain they would have done something to make it right.

[cmitch]

Originally Posted by Thrak

Really? You'd go back to the B&M and try to get another cigar?

Jeeze...

Yes I would. What's the problem with that? If it's truly a bad cigar, it should be made up. They get it back from the rep. It's all about keeping customers happy and encouraging them to come back. If I get stiffed enough times on 10 to 12 buck sticks, I'd seriously reevaluate what I buy if the B&M refused to make up bad product. So, if I bought a no. 9 from a B&M and it died due to poor construction, you darn skippy I'd ask for a replacement. Perhaps you have gobs of disposable income that would insulate you from this. But, FYI, I've only requested a make up twice in a 3 year period. I've not had the experience that some have had in a run of bad sticks.

[Brlesq]

LP#9's tend to be rolled denser than most cigars (and that is why they feel heavier) so draw and burn issues are not uncommon, especially in humid weather. That is why its always good to have some sort of a cigar poker to save them.

[Sonic04GT]

I meant kindly email DE to see if they'd be willing to send a replacement, not ream them out. I'm a big fan of DE and was really looking forward to enjoying the No. 9. I can't see myself spending $26 overall to enjoy this thing though, especially as a cheapass low income college student. I don't feel it's the B&M's obligation unless I was smoking it in the shop.

And as Brian mentioned, I really appreciate Smoke Inn and their friendly staff. Awesome B&M and don't really want to bother them with a cigar I bought 3 weeks ago.

Sometimes you have to make a write-off. It's a handmade cigar. Not every cigar will be smokeable. Write it off, smoke another one.

[irratebass]

Chris, sorry you had an issue with your stick.....I haven't had any problems with them, like all the others said 1 stick isn't going to make the whole line bad and as Peter said this is a hand made product, things happen.....it's the nature of the beast.

Just by another or a 5er

[Dunkel]

Originally Posted by Brlesq

LP#9's tend to be rolled denser than most cigars (and that is why they feel heavier) so draw and burn issues are not uncommon, especially in humid weather. That is why its always good to have some sort of a cigar poker to save them.

This is interesting. I was gifted a #9 Belicoso and smoked it a week or so ago. It was very light in hand and was underpacked IMO. It's draw was like a drinking straw and took me about 45 minutes to smoke that Belicoso. While it tasted good they could have added more tobacco.

[Brlesq]

Originally Posted by Dunkel

This is interesting. I was gifted a #9 Belicoso and smoked it a week or so ago. It was very light in hand and was underpacked IMO. It's draw was like a drinking straw and took me about 45 minutes to smoke that Belicoso. While it tasted good they could have added more tobacco.

Hmmm... Mine are all at least 2 years or older, and I have never experienced that, and the Beli's are my favorite of this blend. Wonder if its a newer one and maybe they've lightened up on the leaf count to make more of them since they are always so scarce?

[BlindedByScience]

Originally Posted by pnoon

Draw issues with one cigar and you're thinking about emailing the manufacturer?
The cigars we smoke (for the most part) are a hand made product. Once in a while you will get one that is off for any number of reasons. Deal with it and move on.

Agreed 103%. Now and then, you get a bad one. Tis the nature of the beast, being handmade. Write it off and try another.....

[T.G]

Originally Posted by Brlesq

Hmmm... Mine are all at least 2 years or older, and I have never experienced that, and the Beli's are my favorite of this blend. Wonder if its a newer one and maybe they've lightened up on the leaf count to make more of them since they are always so scarce?

That's a helluva jump to make. One guy gets an underfilled cigar that slips past QC and all of a sudden your assertion is that the entire line is being intentionally underfilled to increase production?

No, they have not "lightened up on the leaf". The current scarcity is mostly due to a few years of wrapper leaf shortages and other issues, so "lighting up on the (filler) leaf" wouldn't do anything to help those regards. Additionally, any change to the filler would noticeably alter the flavor.

The guys over at DE wouldn't even consider doing anything like that. They aren't going to sacrifice their flagship cigar, or any of their lines for that matter, into crap just to milk an extra 10% production by shorting tobacco. In fact, I can't think of any major manufacturer who would be that foolish and dishonest.

Since they can only make as many LPs as materials allow, you have the alternate products they have released, the Undercrown made from more readily available tobaccos and the Papas Fritas made from the trimmings of the LP line.

As for the cigar Dunkel got, sounds like a "bad" stick. It is a handmade product after all. And while they do catch a lot of the off cigars, sometimes things slip past QC (hey, they're only human too).

[pnoon]

Originally Posted by T.G

No, they have not "lightened up on the leaf". The current scarcity is mostly due to a few years of wrapper leaf shortages and other issues, so "lighting up on the (filler) leaf" wouldn't do anything to help those regards. Additionally, any change to the filler would noticeably alter the flavor.

The guys over at DE wouldn't even consider doing anything like that. They aren't going to sacrifice their flagship cigar, or any of their lines for that matter, into crap just to milk an extra 10% production by shorting tobacco. In fact, I can't think of any major manufacturer who would be that foolish and dishonest.

Since they can only make as many LPs as materials allow, you have the alternate products they have released, the Undercrown made from more readily available tobaccos and the Papas Fritas made from the trimmings of the LP line.

As for the cigar Dunkel got, sounds like a "bad" stick. It is a handmade product after all. And while they do catch a lot of the off cigars, sometimes things slip past QC (hey, they're only human too).

Thanks, Phil.

[oooo35980]

Originally Posted by Brlesq

LP#9's tend to be rolled denser than most cigars (and that is why they feel heavier) so draw and burn issues are not uncommon, especially in humid weather. That is why its always good to have some sort of a cigar poker to save them.

I have smoked a lot of Ligas, I'd put them as close to perfect (Construction Wise) as any cigar I've ever smoked. I've had a few (Very Few) issues with crooked burn, and a couple rather loose draws, but I can't remember any tight draws or plugged cigars. In fact their construction is one of the reasons I like them, I hate fiddling with a cigar and Ligas very rarely require fiddling. Granted I haven't had one in a while, So maybe they've gone down hill lately?

As for returning it, I most definitely am not a rich man, but I've never considered returning a bad stick. Maybe if I bought one to sit down and smoke at a B&M and it was completely plugged I would, but not once I got it home.