Expert: James Yee - 11/6/2008

Question
QUESTION: hi,
i have a cohiba siglo 6 cigar and its still in the tin and the tin is sealed by the looks of it, i bought this cigar five years ago, it has been in my wardrobe since and its still is in the tin and the tin looks sealed...is it out of date by now? or are cigars long lasting aslong as they in the long cylinder tin??

i also have Montichresto along with Romeo and Juliet cigar both in the sealed tines and they are also five years old, note that i do not have a humidified box....are my cigars safe and humidified within the sealed tin? if not, what sort of humidified box should i get? i am also a collector so is it possible if i get some finest cigars within the sealed tin ones and keep them for like 50 years or more? what are your suggestions and also a solution to this?

many thanks, i look forward to your reply

ANSWER: Hi Rizwan,

All cigars, even those in cigar tubes, plastic cellophane wrappers and cigar boxes, can only last a short time outside a humidor before they become dry.  Once the cigars are dry, they should be fully rehumidified before you attempt to smoke them.  If you were to smoke a dry cigar, the cigar will burn fast, taste stale and potentially crack and split in its brittle condition.  Even cigars in metal cigar tubes, plastic wrappers and cigar boxes are not 100% airtight when sealed and cigars outside a humidor usually become dry after 1-2 weeks.  

What you should do is invest in a humidor to properly store your cigars.  A humidor will humidify your cigars and keep them in excellent condition for smoking.  If you have a properly maintained humidor, it is possible to keep your cigars for many years.  Like wine, cigars can also taste better the longer they age in a humidor.  (To a certain extent.  Cigars usually reach an aging peak after so many years.)  

To restore your dry cigars, they should sit in a properly-maintained humidor for at least 4 months before you smoke them but if you are not in a rush to smoke them, they should sit in the humidor for as long as possible.

The type of humidor you buy is up to you.  Visit your local cigar store/tobacconist and examine the types of humidors they have for sale.  The price of a good beginner humidor usually starts as low as $100 while high-end humidors can cost anywhere between $250 to over $1,500.  When buying a humidor, try and buy a humidor that has a Spanish cedar interior as this will help the humidor absorb and regulate humidity more properly.  The humidor should be large enough to accommodate your cigar collection plus have room for more cigars.  Be sure to examine the humidors thoroughly for construction flaws in the lid and corner joints.  Avoid these humidors as the flaws can cause a humidification problem for your cigars.  The humidor must also have a humidification device to humidify your cigars and a hygrometer to measure the humidity level.  A digital hygrometer can measure both the humidity level and humidor temperature but an cheaper analog hygrometer can only measure humidity.  Cigars should be put in a humidor that has 70% humidity and a temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius).  If the humidity is greater than 74%, mold can form on the cigars; permanently ruining them.  If the temperature is greater than 74 degrees, tobacco beetle eggs may hatch inside your cigars and also permanently ruin them.

Once you have your new humidor, be sure to follow instructions on how to season and maintain it properly.  (If you have any questions on how to do this after you buy your humidor, ask the sales staff at the store or just let me know and I will be happy to help.)

As an alternative, what you can also do is store your cigars in a humi-pouch.  These are plastic, sealable bags that have a humidified lining built into the plastic.  They're designed for short-term cigar storage and can properly humidify your cigars at approximately 70% humidity with minimal maintenance and supervision for up to 3 months.  After 90 days, you will need to replace the bag.  These are available at most cigar stores and depending on the size of the bag, can cost anywhere between $5 to $15.  

If you are planning on collecting and aging cigars however, your best option is to invest in a proper humidor.

Hopes this answers your question. If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: your answer was very much helpful to me, thank you very much, i have one last question,

can i buy humi-pouches from the cigar shops? and use them every three months until i get a better humidor maybe couple years after, is that possible? and also what if i leave my cigar collection like this and after without the humidor n they are like stacked in my wardrbe shelf and after, letss ay 50 years time in future, i can take them out n store them in the humidor...what would happen to the cigars? because iw as thinking of doing that at the moment

Answer
Hi Rizwan,

Yes, you can purchase humi-pouches at most cigar stores and if you prefer not to buy a humidor yet, you can constantly use humi-pouches to store your cigars.  Many cigar smokers who do not own humidors will do this.  The only downside is that you will have to replace the humi-pouches every 3 months and this can become expensive.  It's better to invest in a humidor.

It's possible to leave cigars unhumidified for many years but I would not recommend it because the cigars can become incredibly dry from the lack of proper humidity and this can cause the cigars to 1/lose flavour and aroma and 2/be extremely brittle and can crack and split.  When collecting and aging cigars, it's always best to put them in a properly maintained humidor.  

As an alternative to owning a humidor and using humi-pouches, you can also store your cigars in a plastic container with a lid such as a beverage cooler or storage bin and add a humidification device to it.  A humidification device can be purchased seperately at most cigar stores and is the same humidification device that you would use in a real humidor.  Simply add distilled water to it when needed.

Hopes this answers your questions.

Regards,
James