Taking the necessary steps to keep your cigars fresh is integral for preserving their taste and quality. Premium cigars are like orchids or wine — natural, organic, and sensitive to their environment. From seed to smoke, a cigar’s journey takes at least several years and requires specific humidity levels to maintain the moisture content of these mature products.
Unless you smoke your cigar immediately and take advantage of it being fresh, you’ll need to be clued up on the best way to keep your humble cigar collection in fine fettle.
How long do cigars stay fresh?
If you’re unfamiliar with cigars or have even been gifted several cigars (at a wedding, for example), you won’t want to smoke them all in one go. It’s also doubtful you own a special cigar storage box called a humidor.
Fresh cigars come wrapped in cellophane and are usually sold in decorative cigar boxes. The quantity of cigars supplied in a box varies widely, ranging from as little as 10 cigars to a box of 50.
If you buy single cigars, they won’t come supplied in a cigar box. Keep them in their cellophane and they will last around 30 days. After this time, your stick will start to dry out because of the wrapper’s porous properties, allowing humidity to permeate through.
Will cigars stay fresh in their box?
Cigar boxes are designed to serve two purposes — protect the cigars during shipping and grab the customer’s attention when browsing. They don’t have a humidity source or a seal to stop humidity from escaping while the cigars are inside. Similar to just having the cigars in their cellophane, cigars will stay fresh in their original packaging for around a month, even after opening the box.
It’s best to store them in a cool, dark place. Eventually, however, the humidity in your stogies will dissipate if the box isn’t transferred to a humidor. With no humidification source to replenish moisture, your cigars will dry out and lose flavor in a few days.
What is the best way to keep cigars fresh?
Any cigar aficionado will tell you the best way to prolong the freshness of your cigars is to invest in a humidor. This is a box that reproduces the conditions under which cigars are manufactured. It controls the right humidity level for your stogies (70% relative humidity and 70 degrees Fahrenheit), which is essential for the best smoking experience.
They are usually made with an interior lining of Spanish cedar wood because of its incredible ability to soak up moisture and maintain proper humidity. This helps preserve the flavor of your cigars for long periods.
While most humidors are made from solid wood (American red cedar, Spanish cedar, or Honduran mahogany), they are sometimes made from acrylic or metal.
How to keep your cigars fresh in a humidor
Even though a humidor can help you achieve optimum cigar storage conditions, there are still some actions you’ll need to implement once your cigars are safely inside. To keep your cigars in good condition and save them from drying out and losing flavor, follow these simple tips:
- Use distilled water, which contains no minerals or impurities. This means it won’t leave any residue in your humidor and is less likely to cause tobacco beetle infestations.
- Get into the habit of checking the humidity level every couple of weeks. Use a precise hygrometer to do this. This way, you can ensure your stogie collection will always be fresh and flavorful.
- Rotate your smokes periodically — every one to three months is about right. Switching them from the top to the bottom row and vice versa encourages airflow and prevents the cigars nearest to the humidification source from absorbing a disproportionate amount of moisture.
This also enables you to thoroughly inspect your cigars and the humidor itself for any signs of mold.
How to keep cigars fresh without a humidor
Most new smokers won’t have the means or desire to invest in a humidor until they’ve established cigars are a hobby they want to pursue long-term. The good thing is you can settle for temporary alternative storage to keep your cigars ticking over. You still have to do it carefully so the cigar’s freshness and quality isn’t compromised.
While they are unlikely to work for an extensive collection of cigars, they can be effective for beginners with only a handful of sticks to secure.
How to keep your cigars fresh in a ziploc bag
Most people have a stash of ziploc bags in their house, which can provide an uncomplicated solution for cigar storage. Grab a sufficiently sized bag and check it can be sealed tight with a zip. You’ll also need distilled water and a clean (preferably new) sponge not contaminated with cleaning agents.
Wet the sponge — the damper, the better. Place your sponge and cigars with the cellophane still on inside the plastic bag. Any stripped stogies (without cellophane) cannot come into direct contact with the sponge as they have no barrier against the moisture. Squeeze out the air while zipping the bag shut and store it out of direct sunlight to stop your cigars from drying out faster.
Keep an eye on the sponge every couple of days and add more distilled water if it has dried out.
What else can I do to keep my cigars fresh?
Other options are available for quick-fix cigar storage. Here are a few more viable and cost-effective storage methods that will keep your cigars fresh in the interim.
Cooler
The container you normally use to keep your food and drinks cool can also act as effective temporary cigar storage. It needs to be clean (wash it well with soap and water) or your cigars will end up smelling like the picnic you enjoyed last weekend in the hot sun. We recommend starting fresh with a new cooler for this reason.
Check the cooler has a tight seal and then pick up a digital hygrometer or stock it with humidification pouches. The latter are maintenance-free, but the hygrometer is best for mimicking what is used in a typical humidifier.
Tupperware and Humidification Pouch
You can call on another kitchen staple to keep your cigars fresh. Find Tupperware with an airtight seal so the moisture doesn’t dissipate, and add a Boveda humidity pack to maintain a precise relative humidity. Tupperware can usually hold more cigars than a ziploc bag, but you must keep them at room temperature for best results.
Smoke the cigars right away
Of course, the best way to experience the joy of a fresh cigar is to smoke it right away. They will stay fresh and retain their quality inside the original box for around a month, so if you have the time to light them up without moving them elsewhere, why not take advantage?
If you would like to experience the taste of a fresh premium cigar, check out our selection at cigars.com.