As any cigar aficionado will tell you, there's nothing worse than bitter, dry cigars that has been ruined. Cigar boxes provide minimal protection for your precious stogies, so humidors are your best option. In this article, we'll explain how a humidor can preserve and improve your favorite smoke.

A humidor is any kind of box or room with constant humidity and is used to store cigars or pipe tobacco. For private use, small wooden or acrylic glass boxes that can store a few dozen of them are used. Tobacco shops may have massive walk-in, humidity controlled rooms that can cover an entire whole floor. Whatever the size, they use hygrometers to keep track of the humidity levels. The ideal humidity inside one is around 65-75%. The more empty space, the more readily the humidity will drop.

Cigar humidors are typically made of wood board with an interior veneer of Spanish-cedar wood or mahogany. Spanish-cedar is the most frequently used wood for the interior veneer because it holds more moisture than most woods, so it helps maintain humidity. As a bonus, it imparts its aroma to cigars if they are stored in it long enough.

For the same reason, some of them are wrapped in Spanish-cedar sheets before they are sold. Spanish-cedar wood can also repel tobacco beetles. These pinhead-sized beetles can ruin entire stocks. They eat the tobacco and lay eggs which causes further infestation. They can also be discouraged by ensuring the unit does not get hotter than 20 degrees celcius, but putting them in one that is too dry can ruin good smokes, so the unit has to be seasoned after being bought, or if it has been dry for some time.

Aging your cigars in properly maintained humidors can greatly enhance their flavor. However, aging will not change a bad stogie into a good one, so make sure that you start with a decent product. Fresh cigars can have a bitter taste, but aging them in a container that will keep it moist can dramatically improve its taste.

Inexpensive bundled cigars may require more initial aging than premium boxed cigars, while fuller bodied cigars will continue to mellow and improve with age. Cigars purchased from a tobacconist's shop have likely been stored in a humidity controlled room, so they may be ready to smoke immediately. Cigars purchased online or via mail order will need more aging because they tend to be drier. Never mix flavored cigars with other cigars in the same box. If a flavored stogie comes in a sealed tube, leave it in the tube.

Cigar cases and boxes are decorative but they don't provide an environment that will keep your cigars fresh and moist. While you have to do regular maintenance on humidors, the efforts are well worth it. The unit will protect and preserve your stogies until you're ready to light up and enjoy.

Today's Tip On Cigars For craftsmanship, flavor and bouquet, you can't beat hand rolled cigars. While these items are typically more expensive than their mass produced competitors, you can purchase hand rolled cigars that are affordable enough to smoke every day. In this article, we'll find out why selective cigar smokers gladly spend more money for stogies that are rolled by hand.

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