Just a short story on my experiences tonight with a Anejo 77 Shark. Last June/July me and my wife took a vacation down to the Florida Keys. I packed my 15ct travel humidor (the air tight, plastic ones), including a Shark the night before and tossed in a small tube of heartfelt beads that i recharged a couple nights before (not soaking but misting). I packed my humidor in my carry on travel bag like i normally do. After a full day, the evening was upon us and it was time for a cigar. I opened the humidor and noticed something was not right, a bead of water on the inside lid. After digging through the humidor, i find that 3/4 of the 77 Shark is as wet as a soaked sponge. WTF! The beads were not soaked when i put it in and that was the only humidification i had in there (Yes, the tube of beads were next to the shark). I couldn't figure it out. Maybe something to do with the cabin air pressure on the flight? Strange, never has that happened before. Anyway, i leave the cigar out for the duration of the trip and when i get home, i buried it in the humidor for the future, hoping, maybe it will come back to life.
Now today, almost one year later, i search the humidor for a cigar. The shark appears and my eyes light up! Anejo's are one of my all time favorites, mostly 46's & 48's. I toast the foot like normal and start puffing away, completely forgetting this cigar was once a wet sponge. The shark looked normal when i picked it out, cut the cap and torched it. After a couple puff's i noticed something wasn't right. I look at the foot and notice the wrapper is not burning at all but the binder and filler are doing somewhat fine (tunneling). After a couple more puffs, no correction what so ever. Then it hits me, Doh! Sponge cigar! I look at the wrapper under a light and see former water damage. I took my Xikar scissors and cut of 3/4" off the foot and tried to relight, same deal. Cut it in half, no go! So i chucked it and found another cigar. How disappointing, not that the cigar didn't come back to life but i should have just sucked it up and tossed it when i found it wet. I should've known better, so lesson learned, don't put soaked cigars back in the humidor (or atleast label it as an experiment)...
BTW; all other cigars in the travel humi survived.
I know, this thread is worthless without pics, but i was frustrated with what happened, i completely forgot.
Anyone ever have any luck with a cigar coming back to life after water damage?
Now today, almost one year later, i search the humidor for a cigar. The shark appears and my eyes light up! Anejo's are one of my all time favorites, mostly 46's & 48's. I toast the foot like normal and start puffing away, completely forgetting this cigar was once a wet sponge. The shark looked normal when i picked it out, cut the cap and torched it. After a couple puff's i noticed something wasn't right. I look at the foot and notice the wrapper is not burning at all but the binder and filler are doing somewhat fine (tunneling). After a couple more puffs, no correction what so ever. Then it hits me, Doh! Sponge cigar! I look at the wrapper under a light and see former water damage. I took my Xikar scissors and cut of 3/4" off the foot and tried to relight, same deal. Cut it in half, no go! So i chucked it and found another cigar. How disappointing, not that the cigar didn't come back to life but i should have just sucked it up and tossed it when i found it wet. I should've known better, so lesson learned, don't put soaked cigars back in the humidor (or atleast label it as an experiment)...
BTW; all other cigars in the travel humi survived.
I know, this thread is worthless without pics, but i was frustrated with what happened, i completely forgot.
Anyone ever have any luck with a cigar coming back to life after water damage?
