Cigars at 2300 ft in the winter with a slight breeze = bad!

[ronmart]

I recently was in the mountains with a nice sunny day, but it was dry and the elevation was 2300 ft. While I knew the slight breeze might cause a funky burn, I wasn't expecting to have such a bad experience with my cigar. I had both a Rocky Patel Old World Reserve and a Davidoff Millenium Blend completely fail on me when I tried to smoke them.

Besides being a bitch to light, they just kept getting plugged, the wrappers popped at the top and bottom and the flavor was awful. The Davidoff Millenium Blend is one of my favorite cigars and this one was in good shape when I drove out to the mountains, so I'm thinking the weather conditions played the bigger role in the poor experience I had.

The cigars were not crunchy when I rolled them and they weren't too moist. I kept them in tubes and smoked them within 36 hours of getting to the mountains. They were in Davidoff tubs which have an air vent, and the travel humidor they were in had a boveda packet so they should have been in good shape.

Is this a well known issue of smoking cigars in these conditions?

I'm really bummed as I feel like I wasted two cigars!

 

[Argus17]

I recently was in the mountains with a nice sunny day, but it was dry and the elevation was 2300 ft. While I knew the slight breeze might cause a funky burn, I wasn't expecting to have such a bad experience with my cigar. I had both a Rocky Patel Old World Reserve and a Davidoff Millenium Blend completely fail on me when I tried to smoke them.

Besides being a bitch to light, they just kept getting plugged, the wrappers popped at the top and bottom and the flavor was awful. The Davidoff Millenium Blend is one of my favorite cigars and this one was in good shape when I drove out to the mountains, so I'm thinking the weather conditions played the bigger role in the poor experience I had.

The cigars were not crunchy when I rolled them and they weren't too moist. I kept them in tubes and smoked them within 36 hours of getting to the mountains. They were in Davidoff tubs which have an air vent, and the travel humidor they were in had a boveda packet so they should have been in good shape.

Is this a well known issue of smoking cigars in these conditions?

I'm really bummed as I feel like I wasted two cigars!

I personally haven't had any problems smoking at a slight altitude like that. My new house is at 1400 ft., about 15 minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway. I've smoked many a time up on the Parkway, which is between 3,000 and 4,000 ft. and there is almost always a breeze. Never had a problem.

Hopefully some BOTL from Denver will chime in shortly.

 

[mdwest]

I smoke regularly at 9200ft (we have a cabin in southern colorado that we visit a couple of times a year)... the only "problem" that I regularly experience is with torches.. when they are cold and at elevation its a challenge to get them to throw a decent flame.. my solution is pretty simple.. I use matches

I keep sticks in a well sealed travel humi with a small boveda pack... Im usually up there for anywhere from 3-5 days.. and havent had any of the problems you describe yet.. no wrappers popping.. no noticeable changes in flavor.. no plugs... etc...

I will get a funky burn occasionally if its windy outside... but thats no different than anywhere else.. I dont think the elevation has any impact on that at all.. it would do the same thing if I was sitting at sea level with a strong breeze blowing..

 

[smokem94]

I live at 6800 feet. Altitude has nothing to do with burn issues. Wind does.

 

[Wicket]

I also live in a higher altitude area and haven't noticed burn issues. I'm at 5700' and smoke regularly at or above. The torch can be a problem but it's more of the temp thing. I've used my xikar as high as 13900 and after warming it in my hand it was fine.

 

[ronmart]

Okay, good to know - lesson learned - stay away from the wind if you want to enjoy a cigar. I also had some humidor issues which I've resolved so that probably played a role in this as well.

 

[srduggins]

Changes in a cigars environment can affect the way it smokes. I'm not sure elevation plays much of a role in that, but humidity certainly does. Try wetting your wrappers next time, it should greatly improve the burn in adverse conditions.