Cigars/Humidor wood
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Question
Hi James,
I recently bought a Cuban made humidor, Ritos, on-line. The description of the product said "cedar" lining. I have just received the humidor and find the lining is red cedar and seems quite pungent.I had assumed "cedar" would mean Spanish cedar. Anyway, my question is do you consider red cedar a problem? I have the humidor open trying to "air" it but are there any methods to remove/reduce the pungent nature of the cedar's aroma?
Many thanks in advance.
Guy
Hi Guy,
Red Cedar is not used in humidors because it is extremely pungent. The wood is so pungent that the natural scent can actually infuse with your cigars and make them all smell like red cedar. (Unlike Spanish cedar which has a lighter scent that only compliments your cigars' natural scent.) Red cedar is hardly used for humidor construction and instead, is used more as roofing shingles, outdoor fencing, closet construction/lining and storage/clothing chests.
"Airing out" the humidor may not work well because the scent will always be in the wood but what you can try is to THOROUGHLY air the humidor out for a long time. You can also use an Ozone-based air purifier and that will remove much of the smell. Leave the humidor open and near the air purifier and let it run for several days. However, as I already mentioned, this may only be a short-term solution as the smell will always be in the wood and may possibly return when its time to season the humidor.
A more successful option is to replace all the red cedar panels inside your humidor with Spanish cedar panels.
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
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James Yee
Expertise
My main area of expertise is Cuban cigars but I can also assist you with cigar etiquette, humidor maintenance and troubleshooting. Unsure of a certain cigar brand? Wondering what a certain cigar tastes like? Have any questions about Cuban cigars? Just let me know! I have smoked every brand of Cuban cigars and most reputable non-Cuban cigar brands on a regular basis so I know a fair bit about taste profiles, cigar etiquette and other fine nuances to cigar smoking. (NOTE: My main focus is on premium, hand-rolled cigars and not cheap, machine made, convenience store cigars.) IMPORTANT: PLEASE NOTE THAT I DO NOT PROVIDE CIGAR OR CIGAR-RELATED APPRAISALS. If you have a vintage cigar item and you want to know if it's worth something, please contact an antique dealer that specializes in "TOBACCIANA".
Experience
I currently have 19 dedicated years of cigar smoking and counting. I have smoked every brand of Cuban cigars and most reputable non-Cuban cigar brands on a regular basis so I know a fair bit about taste profiles, cigar etiquette and other fine nuances to cigar smoking. For 5 years, I studied with Cuban torcedores (rollers), catadores (taste testers) and revisadores (inspectors) on every aspect involving the production of the Cuban cigar and I am currently writing a book that will help beginners understand everything they need to know about cigars and cigar smoking.
Publications
Maple Leaf Gardens: Memories & Dreams 1931-1999 (1999; ISBN: 0920445616)
50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do (2006; ISBN: 0452286654)
The [London] Times (October 8, 2009)
Education/Credentials
B.A. University of Toronto
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