Expert: James Yee - 10/10/2007

Question
Hi,

I have recently been to Cuba and returned with a number of cigars - some are just in Aluminium tubes and some are unwrapped in thier box (Montecristos). Some of the tubes are also in a box (Romeo y Julieta).

I am planning to get a proper humidor but have a couple of humi-pouches for the meantime.  At the moment I have put everything (tubes and boxes) into the pouches.

Should I take the cigars out of the boxes and tubes or are they best as they are?  

When I get a humidor, I'll have to remove them from the boxes (I don't think the boxes will fit the size I'll be able to afford) - should I also remove them from the tubes at that point?

Sorry for what is probably a very stupid couple of questions, but I spent a lot on these and don't want to ruin them by storing them wrongly!

Thanks

Answer
Hi Matt,

For now, storing your cigars in the humi-pouches while they’re in their original cigar tubes and boxes is perfectly fine.  Neither the cigar tubes nor the cigar box(es) are airtight so there’s no danger of your cigars not receiving the proper amount of humidity.  The boxes and cigar tubes also protect your cigars and provide a rigid barrier against unforeseen dangers such as tobacco mold and beetles.  When storing whole boxes of cigars, just be sure to visually inspect all the cigars and make sure that they’re free of suspicious holes (from tobacco beetles) and mold.  If not caught early, your entire box of cigars can be ruined.

When you finally move your cigars to your humidor, removing the cigars from the cigar boxes (if your humidor doesn’t have the space to accommodate boxes) is fine.  As for cigar tubes, whether or not to remove them from the cigars is purely optional and entirely up to you.  Most people prefer not to remove the cigars from the cigar tubes or plastic wrappers as they provide extra protection from your cigars plus they can look very stylish and presentable.  Some cigar smokers also prefer to keep their cigars in their original cigar tubes and plastic wrap in case they want to gift a cigar to a friend or family member who may not own a humidor.  (The cigar tubes and plastic wrapper will retain humidity a bit longer as opposed to a bare cigar.)  Again, cigar tubes and cellophane wrappers are not airtight so your cigars will definitely remain humidified while in your humidor.  If you feel that your cigars are becoming dry and not receiving enough humidity, simply loosen the cap on the cigar tube or untuck the open end of the plastic wrapper and your cigars should be fine.

Hope this answers your question.  There’s no need to apologize for asking these questions.  If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I’ll be happy to help.

Regards,
James