Expert: M J Robbins - 8/21/2009

Question
i have a bunch of great cigars that, due to recent weather, have become very soft to the touch and unpleasant to smoke. i have taken them out of my humidor and placed them in Tupperware with the lid slightly open to let air enter. is this a good or bad way to restore my smokes to a firm, smokeable stick?

Answer
I just had a box of cigars that got wet when the refrigeration leaked just a little water on the sealed box. So I left them out to dry but...
In my 30 years experience you can restore dry cigars and they will still be smokeable but never the same.
Wet cigars never seem to come back they just fade away. Or are thrown away.
You could try to leave them out for a few weeks to dry completely, if the weather is right, then try to restore them slowly in your humidor?
But I would throw them out.
Sorry

MJR

I recently had some cigars, Rocky 1990, that got wet when the refrigeration drain tube leaked on the box.
I will leave them out to dry for 4 weeks then try to restore them and see what happens. 1/2 the cigars just split and fell apart but 1/2 are still solid so far 2 weeks into the test.

MJR

Final on the wet 1990 Rocky box
Several unraveled at first, several more unraveled in the drying period.
But after 4 weeks they were dry and there were 7 left. I put them back in the humidor and in the next 2 weeks, 2 more unraveled but the 5 left smoked good.
OK so it is possible to dry them out and salvage a few cigars out of a full box but is it worth the time?

Mike