Storage and Humidor: A Climate for Years

A cigar is a natural product and requires the climate in which it was made: 65 to 72 per cent relative humidity at room temperature, ideally around 18 to 21 degrees Celsius. Stored too dry, it burns sharply and fast; stored too moist, the draw becomes laboured — and in the worst case it will mould.

The Humidor

The classic humidor is a wooden box lined with Spanish cedar: the wood absorbs moisture and releases it slowly, buffering fluctuations, and its scent accompanies the ageing well. A more pragmatic solution is also perfectly viable — an airtight plastic or acrylic box often maintains humidity more stably than a poorly crafted wooden one. More important than the casing is what regulates the interior.

Humidifier and Hygrometer

Two-way humidifiers — packs with a salt solution that releases moisture and reabsorbs any excess — maintain a fixed value and have largely replaced the old sponge systems; for large cabinets, electronic units are available. You should not trust your hygrometer until you have calibrated it: in the salt test, it sits for at least eight hours alongside a saturated solution of common salt in a sealed container. The air inside settles at around 75 per cent — whatever your instrument reads instead is its deviation, which you account for going forward.

The Tobacco Beetle

The greatest threat in the humidor is tiny. Tobacco can harbour the eggs of the tobacco beetle, and from around 20 degrees Celsius the risk of them hatching rises — the warmer, the more acute. Cool storage is therefore the best preventive measure. If you discover small round holes in a cigar, only one response works: dispose of any affected specimens, seal the rest in plastic bags and place them in the freezer for a few days, then bring them back to room temperature gradually via the refrigerator so that the wrapper survives the temperature change.

On the Road

When travelling, a travel humidor with a tight-sealing lid takes over the job; for a few days, a well-sealing bag with a humidifier pack will do. The key is to keep cigars away from pressure, heat, and the dry air of air conditioning — the glove compartment in summer is the worst place you can find.