Expert: James Yee - 10/19/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hi,I purchased Montecristo#4 cigars for my son for Christmas, I also bought a Montecristo cigar box, Platinum with design my Michael DelaCroix. It has a cedar bottom, can I store the 25 cigars in this using 2 packages of Boveda My concern is that this may not be a humidor and I will spoil the cigars,Any help you can give me will be greatly appreciated, Thanks Christine

ANSWER: Hi Christine,

What I suggest is that you store the cigars separately from the Montecristo box until Christmas.  This way, if the Montecristo box isn't a humidor (I'm guessing it's a regular cigar box?), the cigars will not be dried out for your son on Christmas.  What you can do is purchase a "Humi-pouch" to temporarily store the cigars until Christmas Day and they will be safe.  Humi-pouches are plastic Ziploc-style bags with a humidified lining built into the plastic membrane of the bag.  They're designed for short-term cigar storage and travel and can properly humidify cigars for 3 months (90 days) once the seal on the bag is broken.  Humi-pouches are available in a variety of sizes and can accommodate everything from a few single cigars, to whole boxes.  The best part is that they're 100% reusable for three months so your son can use them continuously until they dry out.  They're available for purchase at most cigar stores and depending on the size of the bag, they can cost anywhere between $5 to $15 per bag.  

If the Montecristo box is a genuine humidor, your son can easily season it himself.  (I'll be happy to post step-by-step instructions for him if he needs them.  Just let me know.)  I'm just not sure if what you bought was a regular Montecristo Platinum cigar box or a real humidor so I wouldn't recommend seasoning it yet.  (Seasoning a regular cigar box could damage the box itself.)

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

Regards,
James

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

QUESTION: Hi James, Thanks so much for your fast reply.I have ordered the Humi-pouch like you suggested I live in a small town and we don't have a cigar shop nearby,so I ordered it online My question is.Right now, until the humi=pouch arrives, I have the cigars stored in the box that they came in {unwrapped} I put a Boveda 72 packet{which I had purchased online} in the box on top of the cigars then stored the box in an "igloo" ice chest,I then soaked a new sponge in water,put   it in a small Tupperware with holes in the top and placed that in the cooler next to the cigar box. Do you think the cigars will be Ok like this until the humi pouch arrives, or should I not have them in the closed Igloo ice chest.? Sorry to be such a nuisance I'm 70 years old and don't know anything about cigars,but on vacation in Mexico, my son ordered Montecristo#4,which apparently he really likes ,so I thought this would make a nice Xmas present, so I don't want to ruin them by storing them incorrectly. Thank you again for all of your help.Regards,Christine.

Answer
Hi Christine,

Just to be safe, you should keep the Boveda pack to the side of the cigars just so that it does not stay in direct contact with them.  If there is direct contact, the cigars may absorb too much moisture (from potential condensation/saturation on the surface of the Boveda pack) and this could cause damage to the cigars.  (The cigars could swell, crack and split.)  The Boveda pack provides more than enough humidity for your cigars so it's not necessary to have the Tupperware container and wet sponge in the Igloo cooler.  I would recommend removing that tupperware container and sponge as the extra humidity the sponge generates could damage the Montecristo box.

The Igloo cooler can remain closed but do not lock the lid shut.  The lid should rest closed but also loose and this will allow excess humidity to naturally vent through the tiny gap in the lid.  What you can also do is leave a toothpick (or something thin such as a drinking stray or pencil) between the cooler and the lid so that the lid is slightly raised and this will improve venting even more.  Storing the Igloo cooler at room temperature is also fine.

As soon as you receive the humi-pouch, place the cigars in it and re-seal the bag.  The humi-pouch does not require a Boveda pack so you can just place the entire humi-pouch inside the Montecristo Platinum box and the cigars will be fresh and ready to be enjoyed on Christmas Day. :)  Be sure to note when the Humi-pouch was intially opened.  This way, you or your son will know when the bag expires (Approximately 3 months after it's been initially opened).

Hopes this helps!  As always, if you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James