Expert: James Yee - 11/17/2011

Question
Hi James,

I have in my hand a sealed pack of 25 Reas Belvedere Cigars.
The package is in near mint condition and still has the celephone wrapping on it. The box belonged to my Grandfather who passed away a few years ago.
I presume they are pretty old as I am 23 and never saw my grandfather smoke in my lifetime and my father said he only smoked when he was a kid (he's 53). Are they worth anything and if not, do you think that they are still in a condition to smoke?

Thanks,

Ollie

Any information on them would be appreciated.

Answer
EDIT 15/2/12:

Hi Oliver,

I recently received a message from a member of the Rea family. He has expressed interest in buying your box of Reas Belvedere cigars.  If you still have these cigars and is interested in selling them, please send me your email address and I will forward it to him.  (If you send your email address to me, DO NOT respond to this message.  Send me a new "question" but make sure the question is marked private so that your contact info will remain private and not be published on allexperts.)

Regards,
James


Hi Ollie,

That's a nice box of cigars.  Reas cigars were handmade in Canada and used Cuban tobacco.  The family-operated brand was started in the 1920's but after the US/Cuban Trade Embargo in 1962, the company was sold to Imperial Tobacco who began using machines to produce the cigars.  The tobacco was also switched from genuine Cuban tobacco to Cuban seeded tobacco.  I have not seen Reas cigars in years but was told by the Fred Rea's grandaughter that the brand was sold recently to a dutch company.

Reas cigars are best known for their cigars being individually wrapped in foil (a premium feature among high-end cigars at the time).  

Considering the box is still sealed, it's very possible that the cigars are still in excellent condition to smoke.  However, there are still two requirements that must be met if you want to smoke the cigars:  First, the cigars must be thoroughly examined for any signs of tobacco beetle holes, damage and/or cigar mold.  Even though the box is sealed, it's a very old box and if stored incorrectly over the years, your cigars can still receive damage.  If the box was stored at a temperature greater than 75 degrees Fahrenheit (23.8 Celcius), tobacco beetle eggs potentially hidden inside the cigar(s) can incubate and hatch.  The tobacco beetles will then feed on the tobacco; leaving small holes in your cigars and permanently ruining them.

Any cigars with tobacco beetle holes must be thrown away.  (It's best not to smoke them as the beetles leave behind a trail of fine chewed-up tobacco powder and fecal matter which is a respiratory irritant if smoked.)

If the cigars were stored in a prolonged environment with a humidity level greater than 75%, cigar mold can also form.  Like mold that you would find on spoiled food, cigar mold is thick and fuzzy in appearance and will grow quickly in random patches. (Not to be confused with plume/bloom which is a like greyish dust-like substance that appears evenly over aged cigars. Bloom/plume is a good thing.)  Cigar mold may also be white, grey, orange, brown or green in colour.  Like tobacco beetle waste, cigar mold is a respiratory irritant if inhaled and can make you sick so all moldy cigars must be discarded.

If caught early, both mold and tobacco beetles can be treated to save your cigars but considering the box is extremely old, it's possible that damage may already be done.  To be sure, you need to thoroughly inspect the cigars and discard the ones that have mold and holes.

Next, if the cigars were not properly stored, it's very likely that they are now dried out and will need to be re-hydrated before you attempt to smoke them.  Dry cigars can be extremely brittle so attempting to smoke them will cause the cigars to burn too hot, taste harsh and split at the wrapper leaf.  Extremely dried out cigars can also be fragile and crack to the slightest human touch.  Because your cigars are old and most likely dried out, it's best to rehydrate them for at least a month and this will allow your cigars to be rejeuvenated enough to be handled by hand.  Once your cigars can be safely handled by hand, examine them more closely for damage.

The ideal humidor environment for cigars is 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 70% humidity.  If you do not own a humidor, your next best option is to store the cigars in a humi-pouch.  Humi-pouches are plastic Ziploc-style bags with a humidified lining built into the bag's plastic membrane.  They're designed for short-term cigar storage and travel and can properly humidify your cigars will little supervision for 3 months.  After 3 months, you will need to replace the bag or move your cigars to a humidor.  They're available in a variety of sizes and can be purchased at most cigar stores/tobacconists.

In regards to value, it's hard to determine the value of these cigars without knowing the date of production and condition of the cigars.  I would suggest you have an antique dealer specializing in "tobacciana" examine them.  By examining them in person, you'll receive a more accurate appraisal.

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

Regards,
James