AboutJames 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 15 dedicated years of cigar smoking (an average 4 cigars a day) 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.
Question Hello, I recently got a cigar box, not a humidor, just the box the cigars come in, its all wood, and it closes with a latch. I put a Craftsman Bench humidifier in it and saturated it with distilled water. I'm using this as my makeshift humidor. I have no Hygrometer but i do have a little thermometer in there, it stays right around 72 degrees. Is this a bad idea to store my cigars? I Only keep about 3-8 cigars at a time, and i usually smoke them within a week of buying them. I have no way of knowing the RH but the cigars aren't appearing to dry out. some of them, the smaller ones, do seem a little more spongy than normal. Like I asked before, do you think this will be safe for my cigars as a short term storage?
Answer Hi Andrew,
It's perfectly fine to use a cedar cigar box for cigar storage as long as it has a proper humidification device and hygrometer. You should invest in a hygrometer so you know what the RH is inside the box. With cigar storage, over-humidification can be a big problem (more so than under-humidification) so you need to make sure your cigars are not at risk. Prolonged humidity levels over 75% can cause soggy cigars and even cigar mold to appear. Hygrometers are fairly inexpensive and you can buy them as most cigar stores for as low as $5.
Eventually, you should consider upgrading to a proper humidor as a humidor has a better seal and construction than a cigar box. A cigar box is fine for short-term storage but when your cigar collection expands, you'll need a proper humidor. A good startup humidor can start around $100 at most cigar stores.
Hopes this helps. If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.
