America's #1 Online Cigar Auction
first, best, biggest!

Last post 6 years ago by RMAN4443. 23 replies replies.
Drew Estates Undercrown
Peckerhead Offline
#1 Posted:
Joined: 05-02-2016
Posts: 479
I've was trying to take some pics earlier and then remembered you can't post any here for some reason??? Wtf is up with that, btw?

Well anyway, the reason for the thread... I bought a box of Undercrown belicosos a couple months ago, letting them rest until I tried the first one earlier today. While I was smoking it, I noticed a strange "sparkle" coming off the wrapper when you held to to the light just right. I've never seen anything like this before but it would be very difficult to photograph because the "sparkles" were very tiny, but very evenly dispersed over the entire wrapper. I didn't notice this until it was about half smoked. This was a kick ass smoke IMO. Totally loved the flavor profile and so glad I picked up a full box. I've unwrapped a couple more and both (to lesser/varying degrees) have these tiny little specs that catch the light somehow and sparkle? ..for lack of a better term.

I've been looking at my some of my other cigars... Padrons, Oliva V, various A.Fuentes, MBIII etc etc and none of them sparkle like this. I've had about a dozen other Ligas and never noticed this before either. Don't have any in inventory either to check!

What's up with these smokes???

Does anybody else notice this on any recently purchased Undercrowns?
bgz Offline
#2 Posted:
Joined: 07-29-2014
Posts: 13,023
Hmm, I had a talk about something similar the other day with a worker at a local smoke shop. He seems to be a studious type and always has new information, so I have no reason to doubt him, though I can't confirm what he says.

Anyway, I told him I wasn't the biggest fan of DEs, and he said he wasn't either as he was pitching me on some Foundry cigars (had one of them, it was quite tasty... the wise man I think it was).

Then he told me he's not the biggest fan either. He told me that DE treats their cigars with some kind of glycerin solution, and I said... maybe that's it. Maybe that's why I'm not a fan, maybe I can detect it. He said the only ones they don't do it on is the Norteno and some other one that I don't remember.

Anyway, so maybe that's why they sparkle (can't confirm this, don't have any).
Peckerhead Offline
#3 Posted:
Joined: 05-02-2016
Posts: 479
Something else I left out...
I tried to rub it to see if I could make this effect go away but couldn't.
You could run your finger back and forth and not affect it in any way.
I also moistened a tissue and rubbed it to see if I could smear or dislodge it and NOTHING. Still sparkled!
These TINY little spots are embedded? in the actual leaf. They are not super close together, kinda an eight(ish) inch apart but randomly dispersed.


PS. NOT smoking anything else btw! ..and semi sober! hahahahaa
bgz Offline
#4 Posted:
Joined: 07-29-2014
Posts: 13,023
lol, could have been plume.

If it's old stock.
Thunder.Gerbil Offline
#5 Posted:
Joined: 11-02-2006
Posts: 121,359
bgz wrote:
H He told me that DE treats their cigars with some kind of glycerin solution, and I said... maybe that's it. Maybe that's why I'm not a fan, maybe I can detect it. He said the only ones they don't do it on is the Norteno and some other one that I don't remember.



Amazing how that urban legend just never dies. It's always one manufacturer or another doing something nefarious according to some schmuck at a cigar shop.
rfenst Offline
#6 Posted:
Joined: 06-23-2007
Posts: 39,100
Thunder.Gerbil wrote:
Amazing how that urban legend just never dies. It's always one manufacturer or another doing something nefarious according to some schmuck at a cigar shop.


Yeah.
gummy jones Offline
#7 Posted:
Joined: 07-06-2015
Posts: 7,969
I heard they spray them with plume
Bayer makes it for them
bgz Offline
#8 Posted:
Joined: 07-29-2014
Posts: 13,023
Thunder.Gerbil wrote:
Amazing how that urban legend just never dies. It's always one manufacturer or another doing something nefarious according to some schmuck at a cigar shop.


In his defense, he didn't say it was anything nefarious. Glycerin is perfectly safe, and I could see legit reasons for doing it for their "special sauce" so to speak. I wouldn't hold it against them if it was true.

I know what you mean about some guys at cigar shops, I've been told plenty of things that made my eyebrow raise (some dude was ragging on Illusione one time when I found an infested box of them). He said they don't flash freeze and won't give dealers their money back for infested boxes. I find it hard to believe they wouldn't get their infested boxes replaced though. I didn't find this guy credible however.
Thunder.Gerbil Offline
#9 Posted:
Joined: 11-02-2006
Posts: 121,359
bgz wrote:
In his defense, he didn't say it was anything nefarious. Glycerin is perfectly safe, and I could see legit reasons for doing it for their "special sauce" so to speak. I wouldn't hold it against them if it was true.

I know what you mean about some guys at cigar shops, I've been told plenty of things that made my eyebrow raise (some dude was ragging on Illusione one time when I found an infested box of them). He said they don't flash freeze and won't give dealers their money back for infested boxes. I find it hard to believe they wouldn't get their infested boxes replaced though. I didn't find this guy credible however.



DE doesn't do any different than any other manufacturer really, at least with their non-infused cigars. Prior to rolling, the tobacco is over hydrated to make it pliable. In their case, it's done by hanging it in a room with humidifiers and misters. Someone comes in and rotates the hands of tobacco around a few times and then it goes off to be separated out and sorted for the rollers. Other companies have different ways of doing it, but it's all about the same. Nothing but water gets used here.

After rolling, sometimes the cigars are wiped down with a towel moistened with a solution, or misted from a hand bottle. Sometimes they mix stuff in there, no body really talks about what it is though, just saying it's largely water and all natural. They're just wiping it to make it look pretty. Most manufacturers do this. I suppose they might have a few drops of glycerin in there but it's kind of sweet and burns kind of poorly, so the concentration would have to be very low.
cameroon Offline
#10 Posted:
Joined: 04-06-2014
Posts: 810
Peckerhead wrote:
I've was trying to take some pics earlier and then remembered you can't post any here for some reason??? Wtf is up with that, btw?

Well anyway, the reason for the thread... I bought a box of Undercrown belicosos a couple months ago, letting them rest until I tried the first one earlier today. While I was smoking it, I noticed a strange "sparkle" coming off the wrapper when you held to to the light just right. I've never seen anything like this before but it would be very difficult to photograph because the "sparkles" were very tiny, but very evenly dispersed over the entire wrapper. I didn't notice this until it was about half smoked. This was a kick ass smoke IMO. Totally loved the flavor profile and so glad I picked up a full box. I've unwrapped a couple more and both (to lesser/varying degrees) have these tiny little specs that catch the light somehow and sparkle? ..for lack of a better term.

I've been looking at my some of my other cigars... Padrons, Oliva V, various A.Fuentes, MBIII etc etc and none of them sparkle like this. I've had about a dozen other Ligas and never noticed this before either. Don't have any in inventory either to check!

What's up with these smokes???

Does anybody else notice this on any recently purchased Undercrowns?


Oh god I know we've already chosen Priscilla for you but would you mind terribly if we changed it to Sparkles? It's just too good.
cameroon Offline
#11 Posted:
Joined: 04-06-2014
Posts: 810
Peckerhead wrote:
Something else I left out...
I tried to rub it to see if I could make it go away but couldn't.
I ran my finger back and forth and did not affect it in any way.
Then I moistened the tissue and rubbed it to see if I could smear or dislodge it and IT WORKED. Splash!


FIFY
bgz Offline
#12 Posted:
Joined: 07-29-2014
Posts: 13,023
cameroon wrote:
Oh god I know we've already chosen Priscilla for you but would you mind terribly if we changed it to Sparkles? It's just too good.


lol, sparkles... definitely sparkles.
tamapatom Offline
#13 Posted:
Joined: 03-19-2015
Posts: 7,381
I thought Sparkles was an exotic dancer.
Peckerhead Offline
#14 Posted:
Joined: 05-02-2016
Posts: 479
Hahahaha...Sparkles! LOVE IT.

You sonuvabiches!

Well, I'm laughing because I'm completely sober now and rereading...

Did some googling last night because I've heard of this mythical "plume" but have
zero first hand experience. This is absolutely positively NOT mold, that comes up in
every google hit with plume, so I don't really have any other good explanation, thus my thread.
These smokes were purchased from a popular online vendor who I'm sure doesn't just let their
Drew Estate stock just sit around and age! So, that seems be a strike against "plume".
I really wish I could capture this effect on camera because you will
definitely be amazed seeing your stogie "sparkle" dammit! ..if you've never seen
one before!! My halogen lighting (doing my part for global warming) really sets it off, but the specs
are TINY. Very cool actually. ..and NO, I wasn't in a t|tty bar last night and got glitter on my friggin
stogies! ..plausible, but not on a Sunday!

bgz Offline
#15 Posted:
Joined: 07-29-2014
Posts: 13,023
It's ok sparkles, we've all got drunk and ended up covered in glitter from the titty bar... most of us remember it though.

You might need help bro.
Hillbillyjosh770 Offline
#16 Posted:
Joined: 02-09-2014
Posts: 2,999
gummy jones wrote:
I heard they spray them with plume
Bayer makes it for them


You got that right!
tamapatom Offline
#17 Posted:
Joined: 03-19-2015
Posts: 7,381
I've seen Sparkles before but I would never admit it.
bgz Offline
#18 Posted:
Joined: 07-29-2014
Posts: 13,023
tamapatom wrote:
I've seen Sparkles before but I would never admit it.


The proctologist?
tamapatom Offline
#19 Posted:
Joined: 03-19-2015
Posts: 7,381
bgz wrote:
The proctologist?

the prognosticator perhaps.
Thunder.Gerbil Offline
#20 Posted:
Joined: 11-02-2006
Posts: 121,359
Peckerhead wrote:
Hahahaha...Sparkles! LOVE IT.

You sonuvabiches!

Well, I'm laughing because I'm completely sober now and rereading...

Did some googling last night because I've heard of this mythical "plume" but have
zero first hand experience. This is absolutely positively NOT mold, that comes up in
every google hit with plume, so I don't really have any other good explanation, thus my thread.
These smokes were purchased from a popular online vendor who I'm sure doesn't just let their
Drew Estate stock just sit around and age! So, that seems be a strike against "plume".
I really wish I could capture this effect on camera because you will
definitely be amazed seeing your stogie "sparkle" dammit! ..if you've never seen
one before!! My halogen lighting (doing my part for global warming) really sets it off, but the specs
are TINY. Very cool actually. ..and NO, I wasn't in a t|tty bar last night and got glitter on my friggin
stogies! ..plausible, but not on a Sunday!




Plume doesn't necessarily depend on the age of the cigar. I've seen it happen in a few months on some cigars. Other cigars, sit for decades and never develop it.
frankj1 Offline
#21 Posted:
Joined: 02-08-2007
Posts: 44,211
bgz wrote:
It's ok sparkles, we've all got drunk and ended up covered in glitter from the titty bar... most of us remember it though.

You might need help bro.

October 1971, Eisenhower College, Seneca Falls, NY...

saw sparkles and lots of "glowing" in the corner of my eyes. Started around 10:00 am, lasted til around 9:30 pm...

cause: orange sunshine.

couldn't wait for the trip to end so I could go drinking at the Deerhead Inn on Lake Cayuga. No strippers. No glitter. Lots of sunshine. Followed by ungodly amounts of beer and pot.

What was the question again?
bgz Offline
#22 Posted:
Joined: 07-29-2014
Posts: 13,023
frankj1 wrote:
October 1971, Eisenhower College, Seneca Falls, NY...

saw sparkles and lots of "glowing" in the corner of my eyes. Started around 10:00 am, lasted til around 9:30 pm...

cause: orange sunshine.

couldn't wait for the trip to end so I could go drinking at the Deerhead Inn on Lake Cayuga. No strippers. No glitter. Lots of sunshine. Followed by ungodly amounts of beer and pot.

What was the question again?


That's one way to do it, lol.
RMAN4443 Offline
#23 Posted:
Joined: 09-29-2016
Posts: 7,683
frankj1 wrote:
October 1971, Eisenhower College, Seneca Falls, NY...

saw sparkles and lots of "glowing" in the corner of my eyes. Started around 10:00 am, lasted til around 9:30 pm...

cause: orange sunshine.

couldn't wait for the trip to end so I could go drinking at the Deerhead Inn on Lake Cayuga. No strippers. No glitter. Lots of sunshine. Followed by ungodly amounts of beer and pot.

What was the question again?

I think I read an article or two about that "SUNSHINE SPARKLE" myself fog
Users browsing this topic
Guest