smells like....

[kirscovitch]

after going over some other threads about "sick periods" i was wondering...
can a guy get a feel for if his smokes are getting sick by their smell. somewhere on this site i read that some cigars get a strong amonia taste when they become "ill". can this smell tip you off that the cigar needs to sit??
i went back the box my RASS's came in and took a big whiff and just about burned my nose hairs out. then i buried my nose in my cohiba box and my mouth started watering. smelled tasty. (ive tried a couple of the Cohibas and thought they were pretty damned good).
so can the smell give any sort of indication of a cigars well being???
your thoughts??? eace:

 

[Here's Johnny]

I'm not sure if one can smell the amonia, but I've had some fresh smokes that made my stomach turn, these were not strong sticks.

J

 

[vperlman]

Ammonia typically comes from young cigars, and it's the primary characteristic that you are trying to get rid of by letting the sticks age. If you can smell ammonia, it's not from aging, it's from the lack of enough aging.

 

[DocLogic77]

I'm not sure you can actually smell ammonia. I have tasted this phenomenon however. From my understanding, a cigar has to be really really young to taste like ammonia. If you think you smell ammonia, the safe bet is to let them sit for another month. I have heard the ammonia stage resolves quickly.

 

[Headbanger]

Ummm, heck yes you can smell the ammonia! Definitely they can smell of it and yes will burn your nose hairs like when sticking in the young RASS box. Ammonia is very volatile chemical. Aging will naturally get rid of it as well as leaving them more exposed to oxygen even quicker. Better to let time do the trick in there box for better smoking down the road.

If you have the MRN you must read the part about aging and sick periods in the front of the book. If you do not have one, get one all I can say. At cigarweekly there is a thread going now that tells of the distributor who has them or wait to try to get in on a groupbuy. The distributor may be selling direct for full price, about $90 plus shipping. They have already run two of them this year, so doubt they will anytime soon. They would sell 40 or more and give 40% off list. I think I paid about $48 bucks delivered.