Enjoying cigars is a sensory experience and it begins with the eyes. There is nothing like lifting the lid on a well stocked humidor filled with all of your favorite blends and brands, seeing them neatly arranged, cared for and loved.  The different colors of wrappers each one calling to your different moods – having the aroma of well seasoned wood and tobacco hitting your nose before selecting the perfect cigar for the moment…  Romance aside though, just because you may invest a pretty pretty in your favorite cigars, doesn’t mean that it’s necessary to break the bank  in order to store them properly.  There are a lot of ways that will keep cigars safe and in good condition.

The two most important things when storing are Temperature and Humidity.

Despite what a lot of information on the wide wide interwebs will tell you – there is no golden rule for temperature and humidity.  It really comes down to the type of cigars you like and personal preference.  Some do better at lower RH (relative humidity) and others higher.  It all depends on you.  I find that the cigars I like to enjoy (usually with heavier thick tobacco leaves) just smoke better when I store them at 65%.  Some would disagree – but that doesn’t matter.  This is when being selfish matters because you are the only one who needs to care about how your cigars will smoke.

 There are, however, a couple key things to know in order to protect your cigars from being ruined.

TEMPERATURE:  Cigars can withstand a bigger range of temperatures on the lower end, it’s when the temps start to climb into the mid to upper 70s and higher that one should really start to worry.  Not necessarily because of humidity since that can be adjusted fairly easy, but more so because of the dreaded tobacco beetle.  Although cigar manufacturers go to great lengths to prevent beetles, they are a natural part of the farming and growing tobacco.  Yes it sounds disgusting, but you just can’t get rid off all their eggs on the plant.  Some will survive the different processes companies use to kill them – and they can hatch once temperatures start to rise.  Once hatched they can eat through cigars in no time, turning them and everything in your humidor into Swiss cheese.

A big no-no and common myth is that storing cigars in a refrigerator will keep them fresh.  Cigars shouldn’t really be fresh anyway – fresh is a strange term and should really only refer to cigars that were just rolled.  That said – the main reason you shouldn’t store them in the fridge is because it will dry them out.  The lower the temperature – the harder you will have to work to keep humidity up.  Once the humidity drops into the mid to low 50s, the natural oils in the tobaccos can start to dissipate – and there is no getting them back. That brings us to:

HUMIDITY:  RH – Relative humidity can be a little more volatile.  Too high and too low can cause problems, both of them to the point of no return that can ruin a cigar.  You don’t want your cigars to dry out.  It will make them brittle, crack and break… It will also destroy the flavors and aromas of what that specific tobacco had to offer.  One should consider the point of no return no matter if you like your cigars a little drier(as mentioned above) : when the RH starts creeping into the low to mid 50s the oils and source of a lot of flavor will will also creep away.

Now on the opposite end of RH, you don’t want it to climb too high.  This is when MOLD will develop.  A lot of people will agree that 72% or lower is safe but I have found that over time even 70% can cause mold to grow on some cigars.  No one wants a moldy cigar.

If I could put a flashing red light and siren on my cigar storage, it would be when humidity goes down to 55%, up to 70% and when the temperature hits 70 degrees or higher.

A humidor isn’t the only way to store cigars.

This is definitely the most traditional way of storing cigars but it certainly isn’t the only way.  The upkeep and maintenance of humidors have certainly been made easier thanks to the help of companies like Boveda who introduced 2-way humidity control and even humidor seasoning packs (check out https://cigarpress.com/how-to-season-your-humidor/). There are other, no-so-glamorous options there that will work just fine, arguable even better in some cases.  Tupperware, gallon zip-lock bags work great and even coolers can all keep your cigars safe.  Just like a humidor, the temperature depends on where you keep it.  I have found that gallon Zip-locks will keep cigars for a long period of time just on their own humidity – even without the use of a humidification device as long as they were well humidified to begin with.  There isn’t a lot of extra air space to humidify as there would be in some humidors or a cooler (aka coolador). However for me, no matter which way I store the cigars, in traditional humidors, zip lock bags, travel cases, etc… I always like to use a 2-way humidification device just for insurance.

The most important thing to remember

Cigars are a personal journey.  Overtime you’ll learn how you like them to smoke and what storing method works for you.  Knowing what RH/humidity level and temperatures can cause problems are the two biggest factors when storing your cigar.  Everything else is subjective.