Before you start aging your smokes, even before you purchase a box, you should understand some important information about cigars and humidors. Pay attention to this section, it will save you some headaches down the road. [NOTE: Site that are in BLUE TEXT are clickable glossary terms. Click on these if you want to learn more in-depth information about key concepts.]

Why Age Cigars?

Fine stogies are like fine wines, they often get better with age. Almost any cigar that is "HAND MADE," or better, "HAND ROLLED," with LONG FILLER tobacco is more than likely a PREMIUM CIGAR that will benefit, indeed improve, with age. Having said that, the corollary is clearly apparent: SHORT FILLER, HOMOGENIZED crap will not benefit from additional rest in a fine humidor. Thus, may I say quite frankly (albeit disingenuously) that, if you smoke such drool, please click the nearest EXIT link and move on to another site. :-)

With that minor caveat out of the way, I should also add that, alas, even long filler cigars come in different qualities, and as such will vary in their abilities to enhance with aging. Cigars are plant matter and all plant matter will alter over time, some for the better and some for the worse. All the more reason to be concerned with how your premium stogies are stored.

Given the high demand for cigars these days (yes, I know the"CIGAR BOOM" has ended, but there is still a high demand for premium smokes), most cigars do not get sufficient aging time, either in the production aging rooms or in the retailer's humidor. Of course, you can pay top dollar to buy "VINTAGE CIGARS", which use tobacco that has been aged longer, or you can take some premium non-vintage stogies and lay them down in your own box for aging.

Since most cigars enter the market in a "GREEN" state, you should give them a minimum of 3 to 4 weeks in your humidor just to smooth out the rough edges and bring them up to par before firing them up. This short term maturation will allow the tobacco to stabilize its moisture levels. However, if you have more time, and sufficient room, most premium cigars will benefit from at least a year of aging in your humidor, producing a more smooth, complex and satisfying smoke. Some of the best cigars will continue to improve over many years.

Throughout the first 3 to 4 months in your humidor, the tobacco oils and moisture will begin to migrate and distribute evenly throughout a cigar, creating subtle changes in the flavor. This process is known as "MARRYING." This is also why it is a good idea to store the same, or similar, cigars next to each other in a humidor for long term aging. The marriage process will distribute oils and their associated flavors not only within a cigar, but across adjacent cigars. If a humidor is filled with the same, or very similar smokes, marrying will produce better consistency of flavor. However, if you mix very different blends of tobacco (spicy, mild, earthy, etc.) in the same box for a long period of time, the mixing of flavors can produce nasty results. A good reason to use the dividers that come with your humidor. And, for the same reason, be sure not to store flavored cigars in the same box with your non-flavored premiums.

Perfectly constructed corner joinery, Elie Bleu

Another tell-tale sign of properly aged cigars is the appearance of "BLOOM" (also referred to as, "PLUME"). This appears as a light whitish gray powder that is left from the cigar's essential oils drying on its surface, and is considered a very good sign that the proper aging is taking place. Not all cigars develop bloom, but those that are heavy in oils almost always do over time. Cigars exhibiting bloom are typically exceptional in flavor.

Some people say that the structure of a cigar will also affect it's suitability for aging. A thicker (larger RING GAUGE cigar contains a greater variety of tobacco leaves and, thus, a potentially more COMPLEX flavor. However, I think that the character of the tobacco is more telling. Tobaccos grown in wonderfully rich soil, with the perfect mix of sun and water will have a strength and an innate complexity that will benefit from aging. It is much the same with wines. The higher quality the grape yield, the better is the potential for aging. Some vintages of grapes, will yield a more complex wine with the potential to last for many years and improve with age. There are many cigars that will consistently improve over decades, while other cigars will have a limit to which they can continue to improve.

What's in a Box?

Hinged lid, Elie Bleu

Most good humidors come in a box layout with a hinged lid (see photo at right). These types are essentially a box inside a box. The outer box is built to provide an attractive cover for the inner box as well as to serve as a buffer to prevent rapid and drastic TEMPERATURE and HUMIDITY changes. The outer construction can be made from different types of woods; from common woods like Cherry, Walnut and Mahogany, to more exotic types like African ebony, Zebrawood and Cocobolo, and many more. The type of wood and the quality of construction will determine the final cost of the humidor in the marketplace. A high price does not necessarily mean that a humidor is a good one, the real test is its ability to maintain a CONSTANT INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT (that's HOMEOSTASIS, for you biology buffs).

The inner box is traditionally made from Spanish cedar, a slightly aromatic wood with properties that make it ideally suited as a humidor liner. Spanish cedar is moderately porous and has the ability to absorb excess moisture and release that moisture as needed to keep humidity levels constant. Some say that the aroma of Spanish cedar is offensive to TOBACCO BEETLES, though I have never confirmed this by asking one. ;-) I do know that the cedar imparts a natural and pleasing aroma to the box and cigars.

Outer box seam and lock, Daniel Marshall

Some people say that a humidor should not be air tight, which would increase sweating or stagnation. Anyone who has accidentally left their trailer refrigerator closed while in storage will relate. For you non-Home-Improvement-types, I can tell you that if you have left a little moisture in a refrigerator and then closed it up for the winter (no electricity, thus no air or cooling), by the time you open it up again to get ready for summer travels you will have a growth of fungus or MOLD that will ingest small children (check out podcast titled, "Is it Mold or is it Bloom?"). Anyway, I think the construction of the inner box is a more important consideration than whether or not a box is air-tight. A humidor built with a Spanish cedar inner box, that has a quality humidifier, will self-adjust the humidity. Besides, all boxes will need to be opened periodically to allow some air circulation and so you can check the humidity and temperature (not to mention extract a stogie for consumption) from time to time.

A quality humidor should have precision JOINERY including tight-fitting, squared corners, properly installed hinges and a snug-fitting lid that fits evenly against the lower box without warping or presenting gaps in the seam where humidity might be lost (see photo at left).

Humidity and Temperature

Cigars are plant products and, thus, need moisture if they are to stay smokable and age properly. A cigar that is dry smokes too HOT, too fast and unevenly. On the other hand, a cigar that is too moist will be hard to puff, difficult to keep lit, will promote the formation of mold and/or the wrapper will swell and split open.

The HUMIDIFIER is what keeps the humidity levels at optimum values. Usually that means a safe range between 65 and 72 percent. Higher or lower humidity can wreak havoc on your stogies causing mold/rot or dry, brittle cigars, respectively. Though keeping the humidity within the above-mentioned range is important, it is best to maintain a constant humidity, rather than having the humidity swing back and forth between the extremes of 65 and 72 percent. The actual humidity is a matter of personal preference, some like their smokes a bit drier or wetter, whatever you choose, try to keep humidity as consistent as possible and within the safe range.

Humidifying cassette with adjustable vents

The humidifier may be the most important piece of equipment for the ultimate health and longevity of your stogies. The original MECHANICAL (PASSIVE) HUMIDIFIERS were simple sponges placed in a plastic or sometimes metal cage. Though sponges are still used in many humidifiers, they are starting to be replaced by other materials and technologies. One of these materials is humidor foam. The foam itself is a porous, synthetic substance based on acrylic polymer crystals. It can be treated with antibacterial processing and, since it is able to absorb a lot of moisture and exude it evenly, it can guarantee a uniform humidity in all parts of the humidor. Ideally, humidor foam requires dampening with a mixture of 50 percent WETTING SOLUTION and 50 percent water. Use the wetting solution about every 6 months and water every month or so. Since the wetting solution evaporates less than water, you need to replace water more often. Eventually, the foam gets hard and loses its absorbency, so it needs to be changed every year or two. Humidor foam is placed in humidifying cassettes, which can be adjustable or non-adjustable. Non-adjustable humidifiers are easy to spot by their flattened form and wide slits. Mostly, they are made of plastic, sometimes of metal, and the moisture evaporates from them gradually, but invariably in uniform amounts as the cassette cannot be adjusted. Adjustable humidifiers (see photo at left) can be of different shapes and they are made chiefly of metal. With this type, the humidity in the humidor can be regulated by hand – usually by altering the width of the slits. If they are widened, the humidity goes up; if narrowed, it is stabilized or reduced.

There are other more portable mechanical humidifiers that use different technologies: Humidor Bag® uses a patented 2-way humidity control system, while products like DryMistat and Water Pillows use gel crystals to maintain humidity. These humidifiers will last from 6 months to a year and range in cost from .35 to $10.

ELECTRONIC (ACTIVE) HUMIDIFIERS are mainly used for large walk-in humidors or cabinet humidors. These require electricity and can be fairly expensive. This type of humidifier works very much like the thermostat in your home and can be very convenient. While a thermostat controls temperature, a HYGROSTAT controls the humidity through various sensors. This "set and forget" humidifier can be the perfect solution for those that travel frequently and want piece of mind when it comes to the condition of their smokes while on the road.

The HYGROMETER is a device used for measuring the RELATIVE HUMIDITY inside your humidor. There are two varieties:

Analog - This is the standard type of hygrometer. It is the least expensive and also the least reliable. The analog "HYGRO" operates with a needle, controlled by a hairspring that points to the percentage of humidity. I've never met an analog hygrometer that I liked, or that has worked halfway decently. In my humble OPINION, if you have a choice, don't use one.
Digital - The digital hygrometer is far more reliable, but also a bit more expensive. It operates on a standard camera or watch battery and digitally reads the humidity as well as the temperature. This device is by no means perfect, but is still much more reliable and convenient than analog hygrometers. I always recommend digital hygrometers.

Since tobacco is grown in warm tropical climates, the finished cigar does well when stored in a relatively warm, moist environment. TEMPERATURE should remain at around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. As with humidity, the consistency of the temperature is very important. Try to keep your humidor in a location that has a constant temperature of around 70 degrees. Be sure to keep the box out of direct sunlight or too near a heating element. If the room temperature becomes too warm, it may cause humidity to leach out of your box, it may also lead to tobacco rot or the hatching of TOBACCO BEETLES (for more on the tobacco beetle, see this article on the pest and/or check out this podcast on "Tobacco Beetles"). If the room temperature is too cold, it may also affect the humidity levels. Relative humidity and temperature are related and you need to be concerned with both measurements.

Now that you have a sufficient amount of information about premium stogies and the characteristics that make them require humidification and proper storage, you are ready to think about your purchase. Whether you want to buy a small, less expensive model, or a larger, more expensive type, I would recommend that you read completely the next section: Your First Box, which will discuss what things you should consider when purchasing a humidor.