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Cigars/metal casing and storage

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Expert: - 5/27/2011


Question
After some time of just buying cigars and smoking them within a few days I have decided to join a cigar of the month club.  Hopefully to expand my knowledge of cigars so now I am interested in storage.  I have read that cigars should never be stored "naked" and touching each other as taste is transferred.  If there is a cellophane wrapper on the cigar to left it as is but what if the cigar comes in the aluminum tubes?  Would you store the cigar in your humidor while its still in the tube?

Thanks and regards, Gary Drebit

Answer
Hi Gary,

Cigar flavours and aromas from different cigars can indeed marry just by prolonged contact with each other so it's best not to let your cigars touch.  It's perfectly fine to keep your cigars in their original cellophane wrappers and cigar tubes while in your humidor.  The cellophane wrappers are not 100% airtight so you don't have to worry about your cigars drying out.  If they do feel dry, simply untuck the loose end of the cellophane wrapper and this will improve air and humidity flow.  For cigar tubes, you can loosen the cap to improve aeration.  If your cigar tube cigars still feel dry, you can remove the caps altogether.

If your humidor becomes overcrowded with cigars, you can keep them separate by using Spanish cedar dividers.  What I like to do is take the cedar veneer sheets from cigar boxes and cut them to make thin dividers that can keep the different cigars from touching each other.  If you don't have any of these sheets, try asking your local cigar store for some.  Many tobacconists will have these cedar sheets available for either free or for very little money because they pull them from empty boxes when replenishing their shelves.  Some cigar stores will throw them out but most stores usually have them available to their customers.

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

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James 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 19 dedicated years of cigar smoking 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.

Publications
Maple Leaf Gardens: Memories & Dreams 1931-1999 (1999; ISBN: 0920445616)
50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do (2006; ISBN: 0452286654)
The [London] Times (October 8, 2009)


Education/Credentials
B.A. University of Toronto

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