First, I'm not going to LIKE or THANK for posts in this thread because they're all good (OK, @Lynn made me laugh and I LIKED :)).Quote:
Originally Posted by c.ortiz108
I'm unfamiliar with the term "sick period" but I know the phenomenon. This post (from Puff Forum in 2006 by @Blaylock) explains it pretty well (NC = New Cigar).
Basically the "sick period" that you are referring to is usually gone by the time you buy NCs. Manufacturers usually wait several months and longer, after they are rolled, before sending them to vendors for sale. It is my understanding that Cuban cigars may be shipped much sooner.
Something I found which might be helpful:
"But among manufacturers for the U.S. market, in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua and other countries, the length of time between when leaves are harvested and when they are rolled into cigars is longer, sometimes much longer (like in years). This helps reduce the ammoniac element. And there are manufacturers who hold their made and boxed cigars for weeks up to months to provide some in-the-box aging that will further eliminate the ammonia problem. Thus, most – but not all – cigars on U.S. smokeshop shelves have already passed through the problem stage."
Quote from MRN's book on Cuban Cigars:
The “sick period” is marked by the unpleasant smell of ammonia when smelling the cigars. Nee notes that this is due to the continuing fermentation of the leaves once rolled into cigars and will go away as the cigars are ventilated. He believes that for most cigars, “the ammoniac smell will be over 90% gone in a few months, 95% to 99% gone by the end of the first year and practically all gone by the end of the second year.”
The Cigar Boom of the mid 1990s found a lot of product being rushed to market and this became a generic problem. The first 30 days after rolling a cigar is when the taste goes flat (thus holding the made cigars for several weeks - as above). I can't say that this is the problem with the samples but for our purposes, I have no problem calling it Sick Period (SP) or Aeration Affect (AA) since I'm not sure exactly what's going on and they may or may not be the same thing.
I'll refer to Mixture B as either Batch #1 or Batch #2.
Batch #1 was blended several months ago and it was very close to concept but I anticipated that it might smooth too much so I changed the Bright Virginia for Lemon Virginia, that's the only change. My expectation was that the Lemon VA would add some acid, brighter flavor, pick up a couple of important condiments and add a light citrus nuance (not forward note).
Batch #2 is blended with Lemon VA and is the sample that you have. Before re-mixing, and shipping to you, Batch #2 was brighter, a bit lighter and I hoped that it would settle into my desired results. Since the re-mixing it smokes as a bright citrus note and is otherwise flat at this point. I think that some of you have experienced the same. I only have about a few grams of Batch #1 remaining that I must use for control so I can't send it to you (all) or even a single person for comparison, apologies. Same problem with all of the other Mixtures.
I'm smoking Batch #1 now (not what you have). As anticipated it's very smooth and subtle with some primary flavors a touch more muted than desired but it's certainly not flat. Consistent flavor that builds strength throughout the bowl. More nicotine hit than I'd anticipated and very creamy (as desired).
