Confession. I have three tower humidors in my home (I’m saving the elevator story for the end)

One tower is for anyone to grab a cigar from. One is half mix of boxes, event sticks, and random stuff. One is stuff I have been ‘aging’ for some time.

The last one, we will call it the ‘vault’ for lack of a cooler term, has cigars that are waiting for an occasion that never comes.

I have at least one box in my humidor that never gets opened. Not because the cigars are bad. Because they are “for later.” Later has become a solid storage strategy for me.

I don’t smoke many of these cigars because I have grown really good at telling myself lies about why NOT to smoke from that humidor.

At some point, saving turns into hoarding. Cigars were not meant to become heirlooms.

Lie 1. I am saving these for a special occasion

I love the idea of this, but I’m not exactly sure what that occasion is. And since it has not been named or assigned, I don’t know when to light up the cigar. I need to find some lower-hanging fruit that will give me a solid reason to fire up the cigar.

Lie 2. These need more age

This is probably the stupidest one that goes through my brain on occasion. Sometimes that is true. Mostly it is not. Most cigars are ready out of the gate. Some improve after lying down for 6-12 months. The cigar is ready. I am the one stalling.

Still sitting in that humidor 10 years later? I’m just holding on more than wishing they would have brought back Firefly.

Lie 3. I need the right people to smoke these with

I don’t know who these ‘people’ are. If they are not in my life now…they probably never will be. If a cigar only works with an audience, it is probably not about the cigar.

Lie 4. I do not have enough time to enjoy this properly

I mean, it seems that I had plenty of time to enjoy hundreds of cigars, all the exact same size, but NOT those?

There are excuses and there are lies. The truth is that a good cigar holds up just fine on a normal weeknight. Real life does not ruin cigars. Waiting does.

Lie 5. I will replace it later

I won’t. I probably can’t find them. And, since I am not actually lighting them up…how do I even know I want more? The plan to replace it quietly expires while I am busy protecting the original.

That is how cigars turn into inventory instead of experiences.

The quiet truth

Saving cigars feels elegant. Like I’m some collector with a cameo role in a James Bond movie.

Smoking them feels indulgent.

I confuse those two ideas more than I should.

If a cigar has survived my humidor, my schedule, and my indecision, it has earned its turn.

Not on a milestone. Not with the perfect group. On a normal day, that is why I bought it in the first place.

The Elevator.

Ok, hear me out.

I saw an advertisement for a home elevator. Now, since I DO NOT have a private jet in my backyard, I can only assume I was seeing the ad because someone in the world of targeted advertising thought a) I might have a two-story home and b) I might have trouble getting up the stairs.

Well, they are half right. I do have a two-story home.

As I stared at this ad, realizing I have no medical need for an elevator, I thought, “Dang, that would be a cool humidor.”

It occurred to me that one of the towers on the ground floor is right under the tower on the top floor.

How cool would a humidor be that could just go to each floor?

Anyway, I shared that with some cigar guys at PCA a couple of years ago…and I will never hear the end of it.

Just for the record… if I ever did that, the humidor would have cigars we could smoke all the time. No saving!

Common Questions About Aging and Saving Cigars

Why do cigar smokers save cigars for special occasions?
Many smokers like the idea of reserving certain cigars for big moments like birthdays, promotions, or celebrations. The problem is that those occasions often never get officially assigned, so the cigars end up sitting in the humidor for years.

Do cigars really get better with age?
Some cigars improve with age, especially stronger blends that mellow over time. Most premium cigars are ready to smoke when you buy them, and many reach their peak within 6 to 12 months of proper storage.

How long can you age cigars in a humidor?
Cigars can age for years if they are stored correctly around 65 to 70 percent humidity and stable temperatures. After a certain point, however, the changes become subtle and the difference may not justify waiting a decade.

Is it bad to save cigars too long?
Saving cigars is not bad, but many smokers end up saving them forever instead of enjoying them. Cigars were made to be smoked and shared, not stored indefinitely.

Should you smoke your best cigars on normal days?
Yes. Many experienced cigar smokers eventually realize that great cigars do not need a milestone. A quiet evening and the time to enjoy the cigar is reason enough.