I think the results are pretty damn cool and speak for themselves.

Right now I have two full boxes of Cain Maduros, ones a toro, the other a nub box. One full box of Undercrown Maduros.

And I also got a great deal on these so I wanted to try out the Deadwood ladies: one full box of Crazy Alice, and Fat Bottom Betty.

I’ve been storing them in Sistema containers, I separated the deadwood- is that necessary? I’ve found such a mix of opinion that yes they are indeed infused, or no they are not infused. To be safe I have been storing them separately. Had these box’s for about a month now.

I’ve been storing them with their lids propped open using tooth picks. Is that necessary? I also found that the cigars seemed stiff/hard so I swapped out my 65 bovedas for 69 because it’s warming up here in AZ, and with the heat on in the house when my ambient temp goes above 72, my RH starts dropping.

Are these boxes actually made with Spanish cedar? I wanted to keep them in their original boxes, and just pull out a stick at a time as I smoke them because I’ve always believed it’s the best option to keep cigars in their original boxes whenever possible. I also placed a small boveda pack underneath the cigars inside their boxes to help with the humidity. Do I need to prop open the lids/ tops of the boxes? Is it safe to have a small boveda pack inside the actual cigar box at the bottom underneath the cigars?

And with the deadwood cigars.. the boxes look cool… but… they stink! It smells like lacquer or whatever they use to finish the box to that reddish color. Will that smell impart on the cigars?

Is it really important or beneficial for the cigars to have them in the original box? Or would it be better for the cigars themselves to just be out of the box, in a wooden humidor or in a normal set up tupperdor?

I’ve got a lot of Rubbermaid brilliance containers that I store my cigars in, singles and packs and whatnot and I place Spanish cedar sheets in them and they all smell amazing and seem to be better than some actual wooden humidors.

Please help and let me know what you would do/ what I should do.

Thank you kindly,
M

I’m new here, and new to cigars. Had a few when I was younger and just recently started smoking cigars last month. I purchased a few from a store to celebrate a major milestone in my life and after a few online orders I now own over nice sticks.

My first online order was from Famous, my second from Thompson, and most recently Cigar Page.

I’ve been storing them in Rubbermaid brilliance containers, and I’ve also purchased a few Sistema containers from Amazon. I also purchased a few traditional wooden humidors that I am currently setting up.

My question: how do I store my cigars living in Arizona, in this desert, dry and hot climate? I’ve done extensive research on how to store cigars and I’ve quickly learned that I appreciate cigars store at lower RH levels of 65-68.

I would ideally like to keep my humidors/ tupperdores in a closet however it can be difficult to keep my temp in my home at that ideal 70 range. Even right now in these cooler months I’m usually at about 72-74 degrees, and in the summer it’s common for my home to be anywhere from 73-76/77. It’s expensive cooling my home in the summer time.
I’d like to know from the experience of others how to store cigars to avoid cigar beetles, etc.

I use boveda 65% packs in my plastic tupperdores, and will be using boveda 69% in my wooden humidors.
A lot of the cigars I purchased are high quality and all handmade premium sticks. Mainly Oliva, Cohiba, My Father, a few R y J’s, and I’ve been leaning towards Maduro type sticks.

Understanding the importance of stable humidity I am committed to keeping the RH stable and somewhere between 65-70, however the temperature is more of a concern, or should it be?

Would I be better off freezing my sticks to potentially avoid any cigar beetle outbreaks? I’ve been resting my cigars for a few weeks- a month now, because I’ve placed multiple separate orders.

I would greatly appreciate any help from as many people who live in similar climates and I would like to be assured that I am not being overly worried about my precious sticks so I can sleep better at night. I’ve definitely lost sleep over my concerns because I do appreciate a nice cigar store properly and I’ve experienced it when they’re not in optimal condition.

Thank you

M

Using a Glencreag 900 count for electric humidor and I have Elie Bleu desktop humidor (the one being seasoned now over the next two weeks)

kuzi16:

29 needs to be edited. cracked wrappers dont happen to dry cigars unless they have also been handled roughly. a cracked wrapper before it is smoked could mean that it is way over humidified. a cracked wrapper as you smoke it means that the air is WAY more moist than the cigar.

kuzi16:

33 is only sorta right as well. it will still be able to be smoked after a loooooong time but there will be a point where it is not worth it.

kuzi16:

85: under fermented tobacco. (unless it is a candela, but that is a different ball game.)

Alex Svenson:

I have a theory on how a smokers palate progresses over time. Most often they will start by trying and enjoying less intimidating blends. Mild up to medium as they master the art of smoking and the action itself. Drawing, swirling, using the nose. They are not able to differentiate the flavors but rather are able to identify a cigar as one they like or dislike and make some generalizations about the overall flavor but have a hard time picking up individual components. Now the smoker tries ventures into stronger territory, more medium and medium to full bodied cigars. By now he has the basics down on how to smoke and falls in love with all new blends and brands (cursing that he filled his humidor up with all that mild stuff). By now the flavors are more pronounced and through experience, the smoker can more easily identify nuances and things like finish and competing aromas. At this point you know what flavor is, you know what you like and you cant get enough of it. You try everything and really develop a taste for full bodied cigars as you seek out richer and richer flavors. After this stage, you have sworn off mild cigars but then the day comes that you light up a medium or medium to full bodied cigar and you swear it is the best you have ever had. At this time, you realize that the flavor you thought you were detecting was merely the training wheels on the bike. The training wheels are off and you are riding by yourself. You detect all the richness you love in your full bodied blends but in a smooth and non overwhelming format. The lighter body allows allows you palate to zero on literally dozens of aspects in cigars you never thought existed. Now you pick up some rich mild cigars, maybe even stuff you thought you no longer liked and threw out years ago and find new characteristics you never thought the cigar had. You go back to some lesser strength favorites then back to some full bodied. Holy *** you say, you are now pulling even more richness out of the full bodied stuff!! Now you buy a big cabinet humidor, your wife leaves you because you spent your retirement money on cigars and you are really off the races LOL. In all seriousness though, from here a smoker does settle in on what he really likes the most. Could be medium, could be mild and could be full. That said, while the lock in on a strength profile they like, the dont smoke it exclusively. they appreciate some cigars or brands at all strength levels because they have mastered the concept of "flavor". For example, I prefer medium to full or full bodied cigars as my regular smoke of choice but there are some mild and medium smokes in the humi for when the occasion calls for one. Cigars I think have every bit as much flavor as some of my full bodied favorites. I want to go on record now having said all this that this is a major generalization that I think pertains to many smokers but certainly not all and this theory is based solely on my observations over many years. It is also my experience that this progression takes on different forms and different intervals for each person. Some people progress right to full bodied cigars in a matter of weeks and some stay in the initial stages much longer. There are not certainties in this hobby nor rules. Everyone is different. That said, I do believe that the idea of mastering flavor is really the pinnacle of cigar enjoyment. Frankly, it is hard to describe in words. It uses all the senses. For those who may not know what I am talking about, I cant describe for you exactly what it is like, but I will tell you, you will know the day you "get it". It is like an epiphany. You will literally go back and resmoke every cigar you have already tried and it will be like you never smoked it before. It did not happen for me until 2003 really.

kuzi16:

Ive been meaning to put these up here for quite some time. I think some of you may already have these.