The quality of cigars is going down.

[shave/brush]

I've noticed lately the quality of my cigars are going down. What I see is that the wrapper comes undone or will split and start to unravel. I've noticed this on several brands. Just to name a few, H-C, Ave Maria, and 5 Vegas. There's been more than that, but I don't recall them right now. My brother-in-law has the same problem too.
Has anyone else noticed that also?

 

[Kentos]

I haven’t purchased cigars in a long time so all my stuff is from at least a couple years ago.

Maybe the manufacturers are rushing the aging process and sending out cigars more wet so as you smoke it expands and splits. Or conversely they aren’t storing them properly so they dry out and unravel since the filler shrinks and the wrapper doesn’t.

For myself a badly constructed cigar usually means it plugs, canoes or tunnels.

I’ll ask my friends who smoke and buy regularly. TBO I think your suspicions are probably right.

 

[shave/brush]

I haven’t purchased cigars in a long time so all my stuff is from at least a couple years ago.

Maybe the manufacturers are rushing the aging process and sending out cigars more wet so as you smoke it expands and splits. Or conversely they aren’t storing them properly so they dry out and unravel since the filler shrinks and the wrapper doesn’t.

For myself a badly constructed cigar usually means it plugs, canoes or tunnels.

I’ll ask my friends who smoke and buy regularly. TBO I think your suspicions are probably right.

I usually buy my cigars from Cigars International.

 

[Toothpick]

I usually buy my cigars from Cigars International.

That might be part of the problem. I think their operation has gone down in quality. Maybe not so much the cigars. They used to ship with Boveda packs and well packed cigars. Now it seems they are just tossed in a box with an air bubble and sent on their way. No Boveda.

Next time you place an order, try somewhere new

 

[shave/brush]

That might be part of the problem. I think their operation has gone down in quality. Maybe not so much the cigars. They used to ship with Boveda packs and well packed cigars. Now it seems they are just tossed in a box with an air bubble and sent on their way. No Boveda.

Next time you place an order, try somewhere new

That might be worth trying.

 

[Columbo]

I usually buy my cigars from Cigars International.

I bought from them for many years, many years ago, because the shipping times were very fast for me and the prices were very good. There are a couple big cigar warehouse operations in NE Pa., and CI is one of them. But even then, they shipped wet, nearly soggy, product, and they were not the best on condition of the sticks upon arrival. Ok for sub-$5 daily sticks that I would smoke by the box load, but I did not buy my best from them. At least that was my experience.

I would try another vendor before condemning the makers. If nothing is local to you in a Mom & Pop, a smaller non-warehouse operation may keep their stock a little better, and work a little harder, for just a little more money.

 

[shave/brush]

I bought from them for many years, many years ago, because the shipping times were very fast for me and the prices were very good. There are a couple big cigar warehouse operations in NE Pa., and CI is one of them. But even then, they shipped wet, nearly soggy, product, and they were not the best on condition of the sticks upon arrival. Ok for sub-$5 daily sticks that I would smoke by the box load, but I did not buy my best from them. At least that was my experience.

I would try another vendor before condemning the makers. If nothing is local to you in a Mom & Pop, a smaller non-warehouse operation may keep their stock a little better, and work a little harder, for just a little more money.

How about "JR's Cigars" out of SC? They might be a big operation also.

 

[DrStrange]

I bought from them for many years, many years ago, because the shipping times were very fast for me and the prices were very good. There are a couple big cigar warehouse operations in NE Pa., and CI is one of them. But even then, they shipped wet, nearly soggy, product, and they were not the best on condition of the sticks upon arrival. Ok for sub-$5 daily sticks that I would smoke by the box load, but I did not buy my best from them. At least that was my experience.

I would try another vendor before condemning the makers. If nothing is local to you in a Mom & Pop, a smaller non-warehouse operation may keep their stock a little better, and work a little harder, for just a little more money.

Smokin Joes is all over PA.

All along the New York border from Lawrenceville to Starlight.
And also from
As far South as Pittston
and
As far West as Wellsboro.

I just bought two bundles of the Honduran house brand,
which are actually rebranded Flor De Copan.
The coronas which I aways get, were about $60
and there was larger size for $55,
so I got one of each.

I smoked a little bit of one of the big ones
and then I cut the tip off and put the cigar
in my one cigar plastic humidor in my car.

The quality is still there.

I'll smoke the rest of it tomorrow on the way back from my sister's.
She lives almost 200 miles away.

 

[shave/brush]

It does make sense that the problem is the supplier. I think I'm all done with Cigars International. I was thinking about giving up cigar smoking things were getting so bad.

 

[Columbo]

How about "JR's Cigars" out of SC? They might be a big operation also.

JR may be the biggest of them all. But I found for cigars they were not too bad. Again, for the upper tier sticks, I tend to avoid the mega warehouse vendors. For an expensive box of Padrons, I'm willing to pay a little extra to a smaller shop to get them just right.

But if all you're buying are 858s, a few RnJs, or a similar daily in quantity, JR is probably OK.

For a while, JR had some of the very best prices on PA and SWR tubs, and I took full advantage of that. It's harder to mess up a sealed container of pipe tobacco.

 

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

@Champion of Capua got me onto Cigar King. Even with them shipping from Arizona I have not had a problem with their shipping or sticks after receiving them. Their house brand or no banded sticks are great and they always revolve sales. For a big warehouse style store, they get my business first from now on.

As to CI, the last couple of cigar orders I did get through them were packaged properly and had more bubble wrap etc. The last shipment from them was 300+sticks. Not a mark on any of the sticks and they were all bundles. The golfers at the fundraiser enjoyed them but not many of them are actual cigar guys. The few real cigars guys I found and talked to enjoyed them. (I picked a lot of AJF brands, Oliva's and Room 101's.)

 

[Majmvt]

My go to is an Oliva V. I haven’t seen any degradation in quality or taste. I haven’t ordered them online in years though as I buy from a local shop.

 

[fathandle]

I have been smoking cigars for a couple years, so no idea of long term decline. I buy middle grade cigars like Oliva O, and similar. I have wrappers come apart regularly and hard to draw on some brands, like Gloria de Cuba. Many need lots of relights and it varies according to brand. I just assumed it was normal.

I take the wrapper off the ones that are coming undone and use a Perfecdraw for hard hitters.

 

[shave/brush]

I have been smoking cigars for a couple years, so no idea of long term decline. I buy middle grade cigars like Oliva O, and similar. I have wrappers come apart regularly and hard to draw on some brands, like Gloria de Cuba. Many need lots of relights and it varies according to brand. I just assumed it was normal.

I take the wrapper off the ones that are coming undone and use a Perfecdraw for hard hitters.

Once the wrapper comes undone you can't draw on it. It's a pain in the butt. I found out from this thread that my problem is probably the supplier, Cigars International. I'm all done with them.

 

[DrStrange]

I have been smoking cigars for a couple years, so no idea of long term decline. I buy middle grade cigars like Oliva O, and similar. I have wrappers come apart regularly and hard to draw on some brands, like Gloria de Cuba. Many need lots of relights and it varies according to brand. I just assumed it was normal.

I take the wrapper off the ones that are coming undone and use a Perfecdraw for hard hitters.

It's not normal.

The problems you described are characteristics of bad cigars.

 

[Borderboss]

I buy all my stuff from Cigars International and I've seen none of the problems the OP is reporting. It has nothing to do with CI.

There are some brands that will completely unravel if you cut too much of the head off. Splitting is an issue with temperature changes. I get it sometimes when smoking in the winter. I would also question storage conditions.

Relative to CI, or any shipped cigars, it's wise to store them in your humidor for a week before smoking them. Shipping seems to screw them up.