nasty taste....why would this be?

[Brent Strande]

Interesting. Yeah, this cigar was definetly a let down for me to be sure. I've got to imagine this wasn't a normal Tatuaje Miami stick. This was my first Tat Miami and it was my only one so I won't be able to compare. I can't ever recall having that happen with a cigar I smoked before.

This happened with a Cohiba Red Dot to me awhile ago and I was ANGRY at the cigar, haha!

[AlanS]

I've always thought of Pizza as the perfect dish, you make as healthy or unhealthy as you like it! The Ammonia was courtesy of the Tobacco Gods seems they're fond of Pizza too! Or used to be. Apparently they're not sword swallowers.

[EJGarnut]

You can try purging it, sometime that will help alot with off flavors

[BlueDevil07]

Tar maybe?

[BMack]

Ammonia is one of the byproducts of tobacco fermentation. This is commonly called the "sick period" for cigars. It's not common on NC sticks but it can happen.

Nail on the head.

It could be(and probably is) the cigar itself being in the sick period or it could be the storage conditions(not enough fresh air flow). If you get it with other sticks stored along-side it, try airing them out for an hour...then close the humidor up and do it again every few days until it's gone(pay attention to RH% throughout). It shouldn't effect the long-term smoke-ability of the cigars because it's natural to the fermentation process.

[Zeede]

Yeah, my understanding is that this is why the producers age their tobacco for so long, and for months after the cigars have been rolled, in order for the ammonia to dissipate.

Maybe Horseshoe knows how long he had it resting in his humidor?

[DogRockets]

Tar maybe?

This had a tar issue as well - first time I've ever had that as well. I had to wipe it down and clip more off the head.

[Horseshoe]

Yeah, my understanding is that this is why the producers age their tobacco for so long, and for months after the cigars have been rolled, in order for the ammonia to dissipate.

Maybe Horseshoe knows how long he had it resting in his humidor?

I have had it for 3 months and I was told it was from early 2014 when I bought it.

@DogRockets , I am truely sorry it was a disappointment, though what you should know is you actually just smoked a Ron Mexico. Not really, it is hard to find a 7.6" cigar to play that joke. But it is lame as I know how much you were looking forward to that stick.

[DogRockets]

I have had it for 3 months and I was told it was from early 2014 when I bought it.

@DogRockets , I am truely sorry it was a disappointment, though what you should know is you actually just smoked a Ron Mexico. Not really, it is hard to find a 7.6" cigar to play that joke. But it is lame as I know how much you were looking forward to that stick.

No worries at all @Horseshoe - not your fault of course. Unless you really did swith the band with a CI Po'Boy!

[bobajob]

Yeah, my understanding is that this is why the producers age their tobacco for so long, and for months after the cigars have been rolled, in order for the ammonia to dissipate.

Maybe Horseshoe knows how long he had it resting in his humidor?

Not really. They age the tobacco for so long because that's how long it takes to develop the flavor profiles desired. The ammonia is a simple by product of the breakdown of hydrocarbons as the tobacco ages, and is the reason sticks you are aging should be rotated and turned and the humi opened to the air every so often.

This had a tar issue as well - first time I've ever had that as well. I had to wipe it down and clip more off the head.

Tar is always a symptom of too much heat and moisture: it is produced by the heating of of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. So this stick could have been over humidified, and/or it was burning too hot, causing excessive heating of the tobacco behind the foot leading to pyrolysis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrolysis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrous_pyrolysis

If you want to do a nasty experiment, try getting a stick up to about 80rh or higher for a while and then light it up. Not only will it likely be a tight draw, it will therefore cause you to puff harder/more frequently causing excessive heat...watch that tar flow!