Archive for March, 2010

How to keep your Smoke in Preferred Condition

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

For people who smoke premium cigars, it can become something of an obsession. As the Days go buy, cigar smokers frequently develop definite rituals that they stick to every time they smoke a stogie, and can be quite obsessive about how they store their cigars.  If you’re not apprised of this obsession of smoking the  ‘perfect’ cigar, then you also possibly do not understand the need for a cigar humidor.  The basic point of a cigar humidor is to both store and protect cigars.  Many cigar fans believe that cigars have to be stored at a particular temperature so as to keep their top flavor.  That’s’s exactly what the cigar humidor does – maintains a constant temperature.  You don’t have to store machine made cigars like your Black and Milds in a humidor. Viewpoints vary, but it’s’s sometimes thought that the range between 68 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for cigars.  The humidity also has to be controlled, and kept at a level around 70-72% humidity.  Cigar backers have long debated about the perfect temperature required for the storing of cigars.  Some demand that even a slight fluctuation in temperature can prove damaging to the flavor of their cigars, and insist on a temperature of seventy degrees Fahrenheit.  Others are a bit more flexible and permit a slight amount of temperature fluctuation.  Typically they all agree that the lower the temperature, the faster the cigar will age, which may then bring about a decrease in flavor.  If you’d like to maintain the flavor, integrity and color of your favorite smokes, then a cigar humidor is critical.  What features should you be on the lookout for purchasing a cigar humidor?  The one necessary feature is that it has to be absolutely closed once the lid is shut.  If the lid isn’t snug and secure, then it’s possible that the temperature or humidity within will change.  A lid that’s’s tight also inhibits any other outside elements contaminating the cigars, and inhibits any moisture exchange.  It’s useful if the interior of the cigar humidor is smooth and continuing, to prevent snagging of cigars ( or fingers ).  It is also helpful to have fittings within the humidor to help in the storing of the smokes.