midmofan wrote:VERY good for about 3/4 of an inch, then just went to $hit. ... nasty from that point on.
Usually crap cigars never have a "VERY good" period at any point in their burn lifecycle. The fact that they're ALL doing this, multiple blends, leads me to suspect the following.
What may be happening with your cigars is this: they may have been overhumidified (quite significantly too), and then put in a lower humidity environment for awhile.... long enough for fillers near the feet to come down to an ideal humidity level, but the rest further in is still too wet.
Result: First 3/4 inch "wow nice!", rest is schitt.
I've personally experienced this when a guy gives me a good-brand, good-reputation cigar from his personal humidor, which he keeps at 75% (or similar) because he's a clueless asshat. I notice it seems a bit too moist so I let it dry out for maybe a week or so.... when I should've waited 3+ months. Guess what happens? First 3/4 inch is great, rest is schitt.
My guess is your friend got them overhumidified (typical of internet retailers) then stored them at a much lower humidity level for awhile (long enough for 3/4" near the foot to shed excess humidity), then he gifted them to you.
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