Home› Cigar 101

3 weeks of purgatory

HawkeyeHawkeye Posts: 246 ✭✭✭✭
in Cigar 101
So I have read that after getting cigars you should keep them in the humidor for at least 3 weeks to let them acclimate.  Being relatively new with mainly not-so-great options on hand (read: Gurkha), but a few great options that I have received recently, this is torture.

Question is, what is the downside of not letting them acclimate?  Will they just have a possibility of being to dry and not burn right, will it change the flavor profile, or is there another reason?

Side note:  I had thought the random cigar that burned all funky was an issue with me or the humidor... turns out that is just common for Gurkha based on my searches of this forum.  No exploding cigars yet thankfully.
Despite the high cost of living, it remains popular.

Comments

  • YaksterYakster Posts: 27,605 ✭✭✭✭✭
    If you get them from a B&M (retail store), no worries, smoke 'em if you've got 'em, but if you get them mailed to you it's good to let them rest a bit before you smoke them.  There's a few people who smoke them ROTT (right off the truck), but others who like to wait, and some who have theories that include how long to wait based on the shipping times but cigars are more resilient than some think is something I learned from a salesman at a store event who explained that he's hauling the cigars around in the trunk of his car from shop to shop.

    Once you have a few coolers full of cigars, it becomes easier to find something that's been rested, but until then go ahead and give them a try.

    The downside would be the cigars may not be at the proper humidity and could burn hot or have other burn issues.
    Join us on Zoom vHerf (Meeting # 2619860114 Password vHerf2020 )
  • Bob_LukenBob_Luken Posts: 10,734 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited December 2018
    It's not a rule you HAVE to follow but it's a rule you can use to blame a bad smoke on if you don't follow it.  ;) 

    OK seriously, here's my take on the "You need to let 'em rest" rule. Sticks delivered by USPS/UPS etc. Smoke at your own risk. The big downside in my opinion is the flavor can be off., sometime badly off. The weather has everything to do with it. In the summertime the sticks can get extremely hot in transit. In that case, I will always rest 'em for a few weeks or more. In the winter, it's not as bad for them to get cold in transit and I will be more willing to smoke those sooner. If I buy at my local B&M I assume they are ready to smoke unless I know they just got them sipped to the store or if allowed them to stay in my car or otherwise get too hot after purchase. I am usually not concerned about humidity in either case, but if you want to be absolutely sure that you are doing EVERYTHING possible to assure your sticks are perfectly acclimated, then you should be patient and rest 'em at least a couple of weeks. Also remember, as temperatures rise, so does beetle activity. Eggs hatch, larvae eat, beetles mate. Sticks that you know for certain got hot in transit need to be inspected more frequently, even after you have had them in your humidor for a while. 
  • HawkeyeHawkeye Posts: 246 ✭✭✭✭
    Thanks guys.  My wife said, if the humidor is full, I don't need anymore... but I am working on her.  Hopefully this isn't something I will have to deal with for much longer :)


    Despite the high cost of living, it remains popular.
  • HawkeyeHawkeye Posts: 246 ✭✭✭✭
    edited December 2018
    I did join a lounge last night so now I have a secret locker humidor that should help tide me over for a while.  I already have so many I am storing in my travel humidors right now so... I can see this becoming an issue sooner than later.  What exactly does CAS stand for again?  Cigar Acquisition Syndrome? Cigar Accumulation Syndrome?
    Despite the high cost of living, it remains popular.
  • IndustMechIndustMech Posts: 4,941 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited December 2018
    Yes, mostly Acquisition

    I know, You're a big dog and I'm on the list.
    Let's eat, GrandMa.  /  Let's eat GrandMa.  --  Punctuation saves lives
    It'll be fine once the swelling goes down.
                      
                        
    
                
    
            
    
        
    • 
                
                
  • 
            
    

                                                    
    
                                            
    
                                                
    
                                                            
    
                        
                                BKDogBKDog
                        

                        
                            Posts: 1,229 ✭✭✭✭✭                        
                    
    
                    
    
                        
                                                   
                                                                    
    
                                                        
    
                
    
                    
    
                        
    
                            
    I have a B&M up here that I went into and most of the racks were filled to capacity with crumbling cigars...I had a scowl on my face as I left and I couldn't even bring myself to say a word about it. Back about 20 years ago when I lived in SW Florida, I had the privilege of having an amazing B&M just across the street from where I lived, so I could buy any cigar I wanted on a whim. 

    I'd like to add my two cents by saying it also depends on who you're buying from online. Some places will ship UPS and not have it dropped off at the post office, while other places may not even send you tracking. That's one of the reasons I joined this forum, C.com is one of the good ones. My local UPS driver knows me well, and we have a simple guideline he follows perfectly. He was a little scared of me at first when I answered with a .45 on my hip, but he warmed right up after the 3rd visit, especially once he realized I didn't actually own a killer mastiff because of the chewed up boots on the back porch and the 'beware of killer dog' sign. Anyway, if you get the cigars inside and out of the weather and into an environmentally controlled room, the better luck you will have (this only really counts for extremes in weather conditions as cigars typically aren't affected by normal climate variances for short a duration). I think some folks tend to think cigars will explode or fall apart too easily, but if they are packed and shipped decently enough and you don't live in the far extreme climate zones (which some do), there's no huge risk at all. And then there's online vendors who just plain suck at everything and they send you garbage to begin with...

                            
    
                        
    "Love is a dung heap, Betty and I am but a c.o.c.k. that climbs upon it to crow."
                      
                        
    
                
    
            
    
        
    • 
                
  • 
            
    

                                                    
    
                                            
    
                                                
    
                                                            
    
                        
                                jd50aejd50ae
                        

                        
                            Posts: 7,900 ✭✭✭✭✭                        
                    
    
                    
    
                        
                                                   
                                                                    
    
                                                        
    
                
    
                    
    
                        
    
                            
    
  
    Hawkeye said:
    
  
    Thanks guys.  My wife said, if the humidor is full, I don't need anymore... but I am working on her.  Hopefully this isn't something I will have to deal with for much longer :)


    

    
Tell your wife 2 humidors is mandatory. One for resting, and one for ready to smoke.
    It is a rule.                        
    
                        
                      
                        
    
                
    
            
    
        
    • 
                
  • 
            
    

                                                    
    
                                            
    
                                                
    
                                                            
    
                        
                                HawkeyeHawkeye
                        

                        
                            Posts: 246 ✭✭✭✭                        
                    
    
                    
    
                        
                                                   
                                                                    
    
                                                        
    
                
    
                    
    
                        
    
                            Well, I have my wood humidor and 2 "travel" humidors that are about full at the house now.... along with my locker at the B&M that has a handful of singles and 3 boxes in it.  I have a 52Q cooler and some other stuff in my Amazon cart just waiting for a moment of "weakness".                        
    
                        
    Despite the high cost of living, it remains popular.
                      
                        
    
                
    
            
    
        
    • 
                
  • 
            
    

                                                    
    
                                            
    
                                                
    
                                                            
    
                        
                                ForMudForMud
                        

                        
                            Posts: 2,336 ✭✭✭✭✭                        
                    
    
                    
    
                        
                                                   
                                                                    
    
                                                        
    
                
    
                    
    
                        
    
                            Good thing I never fell down this slope that fast........                        
    
                        
                      
                        
    
                
    
            
    
        
    • 
                
                
  • 
            
    

                                                    
    
                                            
    
                                                
    
                                                            
    
                        
                                EgoBoundaryEgoBoundary
                        

                        
                            Posts: 2,238 ✭✭✭✭✭                        
                    
    
                    
    
                        
                                                   
                                                                    
    
                                                        
    
                
    
                    
    
                        
    
                            
    Not all online places are created equal... cigar.com is great. There are very popular places that do not put in the extra care. There are a good sites too, but I will leave that to your imagination out of respect for our host.
    
                        
    
                        
                      
                        
    
                
    
            
    
        
    • 
                    

            
                    

                        
Sign In or Register to comment.