If I see one more rant at a cigar manufacturer on social media that is clearly the consumer’s fault, I swear, I will pull this internet over*.

*Sorry…was channeling some unresolved childhood issues there. 

No, I’m not talking stems in a cigar (don’t worry…I will rant about that one in another article). I’m talking about humidity and how people might store cigars.

Your humidor habits can ruin a cigar faster than you think.

Most problems start with small things that seem harmless.  Let’s say you are very familiar with a cigar. You buy it all the time, smoke it often, know it intimately.

Then, something seems wrong. 

The burn is ‘off’ or the flavor/aroma seems out of sorts. You light up another…same problem.

Sure, it could be the cigar, I mean, it is a man-made product after all, but a lot of times, it is the way the cigar was stored.

Do you know how many people I have seen take a cigar out of their car ‘glove-box humidor’ thinking the cigars were well protected from the heat? Too many.

Yes, Virginia, storage matters a lot more than you think.

First off…what is the humidity?

Mistake #1 – You Trust the Built-In Hygrometer

Most included analog hygrometers drift. Like a lot. Some are wrong by ten points. If your humidity feels unpredictable, this is usually the reason. Calibrate with a simple test. You can pick up a testing kit online. But testing alone won’t stop a bad hygrometer that never had a chance of getting it right to begin with.

Mistake #2 – You Mix Wet Cigars with Dry Cigars

Different humidity levels create chaos. Wet cigars over-humidify the box. Dry cigars pull moisture from the others. Store new cigars in a separate container for a few days until they match the humidor’s environment.

Mistake #3 – You Keep Opening the Humidor

Ok, more of something for you to be aware of. Every time you check your cigars, the humidity drops. It can take hours to recover. I’m not going to tell you how many times a day you can open your humidor without affecting the cigars…you do the math.

Mistake #4 – You Ignore Airflow

An overly packed humidor leads to uneven humidity levels throughout a cigar. Leave a little space around each row. Air should move across each level. If your cigars fight for air, they will fight you when you light them.

Mistake #5 – You Overfill with Multiple Boveda Packs

Boveda packs are the best thing since pizza rolls, but more packs do not mean better control. Too many packs can create swings when they compete. Use the recommended amount for your humidor’s size for the perfect levels.

Mistake #6 – You Skip Seasonal Adjustments

Winter dries the air. Summer adds moisture. Your humidor needs different support at different times of the year. Keep an eye out when the season changes.

Mistake #7 – You Store the Humidor in the Wrong Space

Where you keep your humidor can have a BIG impact on how easy it is to maintain. Direct sunlight, a warm office shelf, or a draft near an AC vent will throw everything off (and not really in a good way). For the most part, you can adjust your humidor to accommodate any stable location.

Mistake #8 – You Rotate Too Often or Not at All

Never rotating allows moisture to settle in one area. Rotating too often creates constant change. Move cigars gently once a month. That also could mean rotating to a different part of the humidor (especially in towers).

Mistake #9 – You Ignore the Smell Inside the Box

A sour or musty smell signals mold or excess moisture. An overly dry wood smell signals under-humidification. Your nose tells you a lot before any cigar does.

Here is the deal…

At the end of the day, how you store your cigars will affect the smoke far more than most other factors. Assuming the cigar left the factory in good condition, the burn and flavor can depend entirely on how it is stored, not just for aging, but also for your everyday smoke.