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 QUESTION: Hi James, hope you had a great vacation. Hopefully where cigars are plentiful and cheap!
Anyways, this is my situation. I currently have a 50 cigar humidor which has been more than enough for me so far. I have never had it more than half full, and it now holds maybe 10-14 cigars.
However, I have a box of Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Maduro, 5 Vegas Gold Torpedo and Perdomo 2 mistakes millenario cameroon coming. So that is a total of 70 cigars :S
so I am going to have about 30-35 homeless cigars. I have read some of your past posts and you talk about tupperware... as well as humipouches. What I didnt like about the tupperware was the lack of breathing which could skyrocket the RH. I called a place for a humipouch that could hold a box or two, and it was quite pricey.
What I do have is a small igloo icebox, about the size of a 150 cigar humidor? maybe fit 3 cigar boxes. I have cleaned it, and wiped it down with isopropyl alcohol, and it has no scents. I plan to put in a rectangle humidifier that is about the size of a standard scientific calculator. Would that be alright to use as a temporary humidor?
Ive ordered another digital hygrometer to keep an eye on it. Is an icebox like tupperware where it is airtight? Should I put the cigars directly in the icebox or put the entire cigar boxes inside?
I dont have much cedar handy, but I do have a lot of thin sheets from cigars in tubos. Im planning on putting them inside to hopefully somewhat regulate the humidity.
does this plan seem ok? any holes in the planning? If it seems fine, the main question would be whether I should put the whole box of cigars in or not.
Thanks again James,
ANSWER: Hi Andy,
Igloo iceboxes and thermos coolers are perfectly fine to store cigars. In fact, these "coolerdors" are very popular among cigar smokers and collectors who have lots of boxes of cigars but don't have anywhere to keep them. As you mentioned, coolers and tupperware containers can be airtight but if you leave the lid unlocked and loose, air and humidity should properly and automatically vent from the container when necessary. With tupperdors and coolerdors, it's always recommended that you let the lid rest closed but loose. Never seal/lock the lid shut. If necessary, wedge a matchstick or thin piece of wood under the closed lid so that it is slightly elevated and has a thin gap large enough for air and humidity to ventilate. This will prevent the humidity from rising too high.
When storing cigars in a coolerdor, it's best to just leave the cigars in their original boxes and store the entire box in the cooler.
Also, you should get more Spanish cedar for your coolerdor as the small cedar sheets from your tubos cigars are not enough. What you can do is visit your local cigar shop and they should have excess cedar sheets (removed from their cigar boxes) to either give away for free or sell for a really cheap price (maybe .05-.25 cents per sheet.) Lots of cigar stores save these cedar sheets for their customers in case they want to light their cigars with cedar or use it for a DIY humidor project (such as building a coolerdor).
Aside from this, it's perfectly fine to store your cigars in a igloo box/beverage cooler. Be sure to monitor the humidity and temperature level closely, and on a regular basis, to ensure your cigars are safe.
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
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QUESTION: I actually forgot to ask you what you thought of the water pillows that are quite cheap. Are they reliable and keep a good RH?
Also, can you give me your opinions on the cigars I'll be receiving soon? I think the hoyo deo monterrey excalibure epicure maduro's are supposed to be a bit stronger... but I think the Perdomo 2 millenario cameroon are supposed to be a lighter smoke. I havent had any of these before and I would love to get your opinions on them before smoking them. I also have some 5 vegas gold torpedoes coming too.
thanks James,
Answer Hi Andy,
Water pillows are fantastic. I like to use them as well. They maintain humidity very well, perform longer than foam humidification devices, are less susceptible to bacteria (because they're polymer based), are very easy to use and very cheap. They're excellent to use in small desktop and travel humidors.
The cigars are good choices. I'm a huge fan of Hoyo Excaliburs; especially their 1066 line. The Perdomo and 5 Vegas are mild-to-medium bodied. Try to age the Perdomos and Hoyo Excaliburs for awhile as they really get better with age (especially if you have a really dark batch.)
