Expert: James Yee - 7/1/2008

Question
I'm new to cigar smoking.  I don't have a humidor yet, so how long can you keep a cigar in the tube without it going bad?  How long in a wrapper?

I just had a Romeo Y Julieta Churchill en Tubo and loved it.  I didn't really like the Macanudo.  What other cigars would you recommend.

Thx.

Answer
Hi Henry,

Without a humidor, cigars can usually last a week before completely drying out.  Neither the plastic wrappers or cigar tubes are 100% airtight so both can lose moisture quite quickly.  It's best to invest in a humidor immediately or use an alternative cigar storage method.

If however, your cigars do dry out, you can restore them by letting them sit in a properly maintained humidor/storage unit for some time.  To re-hydrate a dry cigar, it will need sit in a humidor at 70% humidity for at least 4 weeks.  It is important that a cigar is well maintained.  If not, it will dry out, burn too quickly, be extremely brittle, taste stale and be more susceptible to damage.

There are alternative methods to properly maintaining cigars without a humidor.  One method is to store all your cigars in a (clean) Tupperware container fitted with Spanish cedar, a hygrometer and a humidification device.  Like a humidor, "tupperdors" can safely and constantly store all your cigars at an ideal humidity level (70%).  The only downside to using a tupperdor is that it is an almost airtight environment so you will need to vent the container on a daily basis to prevent the humidity from building up to dangerous levels (75% humidity or greater will cause mold growth in your humidor and on your cigars.  The safe humidity range for cigars is 67-73% and 70% is considered optimal.)

Alternatively, you can also store your cigars in "humi-pouches".  Humi-pouches are designed for short-term cigar storage and travel and will properly humidify your cigars at 70% humidity for up to 3 months.  They're basically Ziploc-style bags with a humidified lining built right into the plastic.  Once the sealed closure is initially opened, your cigars will be humidified for 3 months.  After 3 months, the bag will need to be replaced.  Humi-pouches are available in a variety of sizes and can accommodate everything from a few single cigars to whole boxes.  They're available at most cigar stores and depending on the size, can cost anywhere between $5-$15 per bag.

Of the two methods that I have mentioned, humi-pouches are more popular because they do not require any maintenance or supervision and are also remarkably easy to use.  They're also easy to carry in your jacket pocket than a plastic tupperware container.

For non-Cuban cigar brand recommendations, you should try Padron 2000/3000, Padron 1964 Anniversarios, Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur 1066, Avo Domaine Maduros, CAO and Fuente Opus X.  For Cuban cigar recommendations, Romeo y Julieta, El Rey du Mundo, San Luis Rey, H. Upmann and Guantanamera are excellent, mild Cuban brands for beginners.

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

Regards,
James