Expert: Bill Finck Jr. - 11/28/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hello,

The other day I bought 4 very nice cigars:

Padron - Family Reserve - No. 45 - Maduro
Padron - 1926 - # 9 - Natural
Padron - 1926 - 80 Years - Maduro
Padron - 1926 - 40th Anniversary - Natural

I stored them in my humidor and after 24 hours went to check the humidity which was a bit high (around 74%). To remedy this I decided to leave the humidor open for a short time in order to bring the humidity level down. Then I made a very stupid mistake. Getting ready for bed I forgot about the open humidor and left it open over night (8 hours). By this time the RH had dropped down to 36%.

My question is by accidentally leaving my humidor open over night and subjecting these beautiful cigars to 36% humidity have I ruined them? I am concerned that I may have dried them out. Is this enough time to do irreversible damage to them?

Thank you

ANSWER: Richard,

I agree, those are some fantastic smokes. Padron is one of my favorite brands, and those are 4 of their finest.

Don't panic about leaving your humidor open, your cigars are fine. I'm willing to bet if you give them a gentle squeeze they'll have a little give and won't feel much different from when you bought them. Cigars don't dry out that fast, and even if the wrappers are a bit on the dry side the binder and filler haven't had time to dry out much at all. Just leave them in your humidor and in just a day or so they'll recover any moisture they lost.

Let me know what kind of hygrometer you are using, and what the ambient temperature in your room is. The truth is, your hygrometer probably isn't 100% accurate and the humidor likely wasn't really 74% RH. Since it read 36% in the morning, you're obviously in a dry environment, and its difficult to get the RH above 70% unless it is very humid outside.

If you have any questions or need help checking the accuracy of your hygrometer please let me know. I'd be happy to email you a document explaining how to check your hygrometer if you are interested - just let me know at b.finck@finckcigarcompany.com.

Thanks,
Bill Finck Jr.

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

QUESTION: Just curious, as a fellow Padron enthusiast which are some of your favorite?

ANSWER: Richard,

Sorry for the delayed response - just back from a Thanksgiving vacation.

My favorite Padron is the Family Reserve #45 maduro, but at $25 each I don't smoke a ton of them. The 1964 Anniversary Series No.9 maduro is also an outstanding smoke, and the 1964 Anniversary Exclusivo at just over $10 is hard to beat.

I hope that by now you are comfortable that your cigars are back in good order, and hopefully you enjoyed a few over the holidays.

Let me know if I can help with anything.

Thanks,
Bill Finck Jr.

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

QUESTION: Bill,

Thanks for the additional input. I'm definitely going to try the 1964 Anniversary Series Exclusivo. Regarding the No.9 you mention, did you mean the 1926 Serie No.9? I can't find a 1964 version.

All the best,
Richard

Answer
Sorry Richard, trying to answer a ton of emails in too big of a rush. The No.9 is a 1926 Anniversary Series. A generous 56 ring gauge x 5 1/4", the cigar is a wonderful smoke. They retail for $18.80 each so they're a little on the pricey-end, but you won't be disappointed. We have them in stock if you don't find them at your favorite local retail store. A box of 10 is $187.95.

Let me know how you like them!