I found some cigars that had been forgotten and not humidified properly for at least a year.

They were dry and harder than normal but lit easily and air moved thru them well. After an hour smoke I started to feel sick.

A few minutes ago I had to go get sick in the bathroom. Are dry cigars harsher or stronger than 70/70 kept sticks? Im not sure what made me ill.

maybe I should not try to smoke these sticks? The last time I felt like this was when I first started cigars and someone gave me a Cuban. I was on an empty stomach and I got sick within 15 minutes from the strong nic I assume.
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I've never had a dry cigar make me sick. I also prefer my cigars around 60-65%RH/65ºF.

I have gotten green from tobacco containing a lot of nicotine.
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I can't see where/how a dry stick would cause you to be ill. Something else is in play.

I agree with Peter. My preference for RH is in the 60-65% range. Variances in humidity does not have an effect on the strength of the cigar.

It is a common myth that Cuban cigars are stronger than others. My hunch is that the cigar you were given was not authentic.

:-)
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I have a hard time making a good connection between the dryness and getting sick.


However, I'm more interested in knowing (or just nosey)...why would you smoke a cigar that you knew wasn't in good condition? At the very least, why not wait until you've attempted to nurse it back to appropriate RH?
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I have found Cubans much milder than NC's...I am with Peter, maybe a Fauxhiba.
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I don't think the RH would make any difference in terms of strength, but maybe it smoked faster from the dryness, so you got the nicotine at a faster rate? Why not grab a boveda pack and throw them in a tupperware for a while to see if they can regain some of their moisture. Or buy some new sticks. :-)
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:-)
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I am with Brian. Sometimes if a stronger cigar has a loose draw it makes you smoke faster and inhale more than you're used to. In regards to strong CC's it seems to me that the few I'v had are mild but the portages I have had have been on the stronger side maybe a little more Vitamin N. :-) Also, having an empty stomach doesn't help things.
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Could just be the dried out smoke making you sick. I've found that dried out sticks just generally taste worse because they burn so quickly. The abundant smoke produced could just be too much for you. I smoked a dried out Nica Libre when I first got into the hobby which made me very sick, although I also suspect like my fellow inmates above that the nicotine could have been a contributing factor.
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They are all I have until my shipment gets in on Monday.
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I wonder if thats it. It did burn evenly but quickly. They usually are one hour sticks but this one was done in 30 minutes. Maybe I just took in the nic too quick?
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If you smoked it in half the time, I would say this is probably what made you sick, yes.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to recall seeing recommendations to drink something sweet to help offset the nicotine sickness when this happens.
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Yes, I keep sugar packets at home for this reason. Nicotine can cause a drop in blood sugar, giving you the nauseated feeling. I just take a packet of sugar, dump it on my tongue, and press my tongue against the roof of my mouth while the sugar dissolves.

I've heard that you absorb the sugar more quickly that way. I don't know if that's true or not, but the method works for me, so that's what I've used.
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Makes sense to me! I was so happy to find the sticks as I was out. I dont know if they can come back to life with humidification now that they are all dry. It is a shame to lose 18 cedar wrapped toro sized sticks but I dont care for that nic sickness. I tend towards lower blood sugar anyway.
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:-)
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I have heard the same thing. I just eat some sugary candy like m&m's and drink some coke.
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What kind of sticks? Are they usually on the strong side any way? just curious.
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Where did you find them? And how long were they without proper humidification?

As long as they have not been dried out for years, they should bounce back. The drier they are, the longer they will take to rehumidify. I would give them a few weeks to a month at minimum.
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It was an almost full box of JR Ultimates 6x54 maduro. They are full body anyway.

These were probably about a year put away and the other box I just found was the same time frame I assume and the hygrometer inside said 57%. I put 2 humidity stacks in and wet down the inisde of the top with a damp cloth.
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Assuming the hygrometer is accurate, 57% is not "dried out". A bit low? Sure. But not low enough where it should be a problem.

If 70% is what you prefer, just store them for a week or two and you should be fine.
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