Ask any cigar aficionado and he or she will likely iterate the importance of proper storage of your fine smokables. Debatably, how a cigar is stored can be almost as important as the cigar itself. A bad environment for a cigar stored over too long a period of time can destroy the quality of not only the smoke, but of the cigar itself. Luckily, learning how to properly care for cigars is a fairly simple task, given the right equipment.
First, it’s important to understand not only how to store a cigar, but why we need to store cigars in this way. The level of humidity–or moisture retained–by cigars will determine how they draw, how long they keep and how pleasant the smoke will be for the user. If a cigar is kept too moist, the cigar can be difficult to light (or keep lit) and becomes harder to draw. On the other hand, if a cigar dries out too quickly or over a long period of time it can have equally detrimental effects. A dry cigar burns faster and hotter, causing a more unpleasant draw and overall shorter smoking experience.
The main takeaway at this point should be the relative importance of keeping your cigars at the perfect humidity. So what is perfect? Experts say that about 14 percent of a cigar’s total weight should be water. This percentage allows for optimal, even burning and smooth draws.
So how does one keep their cigars at the proper humidity levels? Glad you asked.
Proper storage starts from the purchase of not just the cigar, but the purchase of a humidor.
Humidors are, in essence, sealed boxes in which cigars can be stored and kept at the proper level of humidity. Cigars should almost always be kept in humidors, save for when they’re being smoked of course.
When choosing a humidor, there are a few things to consider. The size of the box is the most obvious facet, yet not necessarily the most important. Humidors can range in size from an entire room (though these are typically in stores, not one’s home) to chests, to travel humidors that store just a few cigars at once. Depending on your personal needs, your prefered size will obviously differ.
Most humidors are made of cedar, though you can find mahogany boxes if you try hard enough. Depending on your price range, the construction of humidors can differ from interior veneers of these woods (typically Spanish cedar) that simply line the inside of an otherwise hardwood box, to humidors constructed solely from one source of wood.
However, it is also misleading to assume that all humidors are made of wood. Some, including the FESS Armour humidor are an ample means of keeping your cigar properly humidified while better protecting the cigars and coming with a significantly smaller price tag.
General maintenance for your humidor will vary depending on the make and storage size, but a few facets remain true regardless. You should allow fresh air to circulate through the humidor about once every two weeks or so to prevent the cigars from going stale. Humidity gauges should be properly calibrated and checked regularly.
When it comes down to it, the make, model and price tag of your humidor shouldn’t matter as long as it is properly monitored and your cigars are kept at the optimal humidity.
Happy smoking!
