There is a somewhat common occurrence in the world of premium cigars, and it often sends an unknowing owner into a panic. The way it pans out is that they usually open their humidor, and in the midst of reaching for a smoke they notice that a batch of cigars appear to have accumulated a noticeable “dust” on their surface. Is it mold? Did the cigars begin to rot in the humidity? No, actually this dust is known as cigar bloom and it is a very good sign that conditions in the box are ideal.

Cigar bloom is actually the visible appearance of the oils in the cigar, which usually happens only after the oils have been kept at a very sustained level for a lengthy period of time. This is something often found on aged or vintage stogies and is a highly desirable result. In fact, many enthusiasts prefer to smoke cigars with plume or bloom on their surface.

Had it actually been mold, the looks of the surface would have been noticeably different and rather than a generally dusty appearance, the surface of the cigar would have splotches of blue or grey discoloration. Though there are some ways to cure this, it is best to prevent it altogether by keeping a very constant eye on the level of humidity inside the box. It is also important to remember that a cigar that develops mold has probably also left spores behind in the box as well, and all possible steps to kill this mold without harming the box should be taken.

Why do cigars develop this bloom? Cigars are made from organic materials, mainly tobacco, and this is a substance that contains volatile oils. When the oils receive a regular level of humidity and air they can evenly disperse throughout the cigar, and when they reach the surface of the outer wrapping they crystallize and provide that overall dusty appearance.

Other than the viewable dust or powder, does bloom have any other effects on a cigar? Most experts agree that the bloom itself has no detectable taste, nor does it change the bouquet of the unlit cigar. What most do agree upon is that it provides visible evidence that the cigar has been aged properly and under the finest conditions possible. Remembering that most people age cigars in order mellow or enhance the flavors of the tobacco means that bloom can be used as a clear sign that a cigar is ripe for the sampling.

If you are in the market for a cigar humidor you are going to have a seemingly endless array of options. You will quickly find boxes of all sizes, and you can even find travel boxes and furniture-style choices too. There are a few things to remember when selecting them however, and these can easily make the difference between success and failure.

A major issue of concern with humidors is the type of wood used to line their interiors. The only realistic option is cedar, and this is for several major reasons. Firstly, cedar is a very aromatic wood that enhances the natural flavors of almost any cigar. Secondly, it is an extremely porous wood that allows the interior of the box to attain a very balanced level of humidity. Lastly, it is a wood that is not prone to the development of mold or mildew, which can often lead to the loss of an entire selection of cigars.

The next area of concern is the way in which the owner can monitor conditions inside of the box. For example, many small desktop models are constructed entirely of wood and do not allow the owner to have a view of the contents inside. These are ideal humidors for short-term storage because they would ask the owner hoping to age their cigars to constantly open and close the box to read the hygrometer (humidity gauge) which would cause destructive fluctuations inside. This means that a major characteristic of a good humidor is that it should provide a good way to check conditions inside without needing to also open the box to do so.

Does this mean that a solid wood box is not a good option? No, it means that anyone aging premium cigars should do so only in those boxes that allow an easy view of the gauge.  A solid box is a great solution for a small collection of cigars that will be smoked in a short period of time after being placed inside, or for those enthusiasts who will keep a high-quality supply within easy reach. The thing to remember is that such boxes shouldn’t be positioned in direct sunlight or anywhere the ambient temperature will fluctuate wildly.

A last factor to consider where humidors are concerned is their exteriors, and these must be easily maintained and have a good finish. This finish is going to help the cedar lining to maintain the optimal conditions inside, and allow the owner to keep the box looking its very best.

Are you interested in cigars? If so, you probably already know about the many different accessories and items needed to pursue your interest. For example, you know that you will need special clippers, a good and reliable lighter with a controllable flame length, and at least one cigar humidor. The humidor is going to provide your premium smokes with an ideal home, but only if you make sure of this yourself. This is one of the most common misperceptions about humidors – that they are purchased in the “ready-made” condition.

While you can reasonably expect to never put one of these lovely cigar boxes together on your own, you will have to prepare it properly for the best storage results. Let’s first consider humidors and cigars and the materials from which they are made. Both the lining of the boxes and the cigars themselves are constructed of materials that lose and absorb moisture, both materials are also sensitive to temperatures, and will readily absorb scents and aromas from nearby objects.

What does all of this mean to the cigar enthusiast? It means that you will not need to assemble the humidor, but you will need to consider how it is prepared. First you will have to install the hygrometer and the humidifier and perform a re-humidifying process. Even if you bought a box advertised as pre-seasoned, you can never guarantee that the wood lining is at the right humidity level. This can lead to a constant struggle for balance because the cigars and the wood are competing for all available humidity. Instead, you can make sure the wood is properly humidified and then add the cigars.

The hygrometer should be placed in the box and left for at least six hours to determine what the current conditions inside of the box are. If you have only just purchased the gauge you must calibrate it and then allow it to remain in the box for up to a week in order to stabilize it properly.

It is vitally important that the humidifier and the hygrometer are installed in the right ways, and this translates to calibrating the hygrometer before putting it in the box, and making sure that the humidifier is properly secured and contains the right mixture of water and PG. The standard humidifier will need to be secured using the plate and glue that came with it. Do not substitute any sort of fixative for this glue because the strong odors from most commercial solutions will actually cause the wood and the cigars to absorb the strong chemical smells and make both unusable.

When someone purchases a humidor they tend to focus first on its good looks and how it might fit into their existing style of décor. If they already own several humidors they might want to purchase them in coordinating or matching styles. Additionally, they might consider the size and special features such as several trays and areas for humidifiers. What they might next consider is the manner in which the box closes, for example, there are many styles that close with a nice strong magnetic clasp to ensure that no air escapes or humidity leaves the container.

There are several other key factors that most people tend to ignore, and which can make a great deal of difference in their results. For one thing, there are all kinds of solid wood boxes, and then there are those with glass windows built into the tops. Though some might consider this option more of a personal decorator preference, the glass can come in very handy for those who are concerned about the conditions inside of the box.

For example, let’s say that you are trying to age a full box of cigars. You will have already taken the time to ensure that the container is large enough to allow proper circulation around all of the cigars. You will also have “seasoned” this box to ensure that it is at a level of at least 70% humidity before adding any cigars to it, and you will have ensured that the hygrometer you will use is functioning and calibrated properly. You will then add the humidifier to the proper location to help maintain optimal conditions.

So, how will you see the readings? A standard, solid wood box is going to require the owner to lift the lid and look at the hygrometer, but if they have opted for a glass-topped box they will be able to just take a peek at the readings through the clear window. This is all well and fine, but there is one common problem with this scenario – quite often the humidity inside of a long-term storage container causes the humidifier and the hygrometer to fail to stick in place.

The solution to this problem requires the use of a safe and entirely odor free glue. Remember that you cannot have the humidifier lying on top of the cigars, nor can you get accurate readings unless all devices are properly installed. Should your equipment fail to stick in place, you must simply find an odor free glue to position it properly.

Anyone who has purchased cigars from a tobacconist’s shop will know that they are usually stored in specialized cabinets that maintain a balanced temperature and steady level of humidity. Basically, such a cabinet or container is just a commercially sized humidor which operates in many of the same ways that the smaller, cedar boxes do. These individually sized containers often provide remarkably efficient ways to age and maintain cigars under optimal conditions, but they do require some regular effort and care.

Why do cigars need humidity at all? Well, all cigars are made of cut tobacco and full tobacco leaves (which serve as their wrappers) and these are just like all dried plants – they are susceptible to the conditions around them. Drop a dried leaf in a puddle of water and it will absorb the moisture, leave the same leaf in the sun and it will shrivel up and crumble to dust. Tobacco operates in the same ways, and for a cigar to be enjoyable it must receive balanced humidity and a steady amount of heat or cold.

Interestingly enough the humidors are the same because they are made from soft, cedar woods that can lose their moisture if not taken care of properly. This means that there are some challenges to creating the right conditions for storing cigars in their special containers. The first thing to do, before adding cigars to long-term storage containers, is to ensure that they are fully seasoned or humidified. This is a very simple process that involves the boxes, a device known as a hygrometer, and a small humidifier for each.

The owner must put the boxes where they will be stored permanently, which should be in a somewhat controlled area out of direct sunlight. They should then close the box and put the hygrometer inside of it. This should be left alone for several hours to get an accurate reading. Anything less than 70% humidity means that the box itself will need to be re-humidified before cigars can be safely added. This is done by adding the humidifier and leaving the box alone until the right levels are obtained.

It is important to note that many boxes will need upwards of a full week to become fully restored, and a cigar owner is going to have to become quite proficient at managing their humidifying devices. This is because they will need to balance the distilled water and the Propylene Glycol formula (or PG) that allows water to escape at a much slower rate of evaporation, thus humidifying the environment properly.

If there is one tragedy where a box of high-quality cigars is concerned it would be in their being ignored and going stale. While many people wrongly believe that a sealed box of cigars is impervious to many common problems, the fact of the matter is that they are not packaged to retain their best qualities. This is the reason that the best tobacconists keep their cigars in proper storage cabinets with humidifiers and hygrometers fully engaged.

Something to always consider when buying or receiving cigars is that they are extremely sensitive to environmental conditions and even when only recently removed from the store shelf they may be unsatisfactory for smoking right away. This might be due to the way they were stored in the tobacco shop, the conditions that existed during shipping, or the way your friend or family member kept them before giving them to you.

So, is there a way to improve the condition of cigars after they have been abused or neglected? Yes, with a well-balanced humidor and a few insider tips anyone can get a cigar back into excellent smoking condition. It actually begins outside of a highly controlled environment and requires the use of a plastic bag or non-humidified cigar box. The cigars should be put into the container and left in a place where overall conditions will remain steady for a period of three to four days. After that they will need to have a damp sponge, saturated by distilled water only, placed into the container for a period of seven to ten additional days. This will bring the dehydrated cigars very slowly back to life and allow the outer tobacco leaf wrapper to re-humidify without bursting.

Once the two-week period of slow hydration has come to an end, the cigars can safely be put into a humidified cedar box for permanent storage or aging. They should not yet be smoked, however, and should enjoy at least another thirty days of mellowing to allow them to reach optimal smoking condition.

The basic issue where restoring dehydrated cigars is concerned is the time issue. This is something that simply cannot be rushed, if you try to do so you will simply watch the wrappers begin to crack and burst, and see all of the cigars go quickly to waste. If you introduce too much humidity over the process in order to avoid the additional month in the cedar box, you can also see the cigars develop unpleasant and mildew flavors too. This means that patience is its own reward where cigar restoration is concerned.

Many people wonder if aging cigars is always mandatory for the best flavors, and the answer is simply “no”. Not all tobacco will improve with age, and in the end it also comes down to a smoker’s personal preferences. While it is relatively easy to find pre-aged or vintage cigars from specialty vendors, it is also just as easy to age your own cigars at home. It does call for some basic management and organization, but can produce some wonderful results.

The first thing to understand is that you should aim at aging a full box of cigars and you may want to consider using a single humidor per variety. This is because all cigars are made differently and may require varied conditions to age in the best ways possible. Consider that most experts would point to the larger ring gauge cigars as ideal subjects for the aging process because they rely on a blend of tobaccos that will blend nicely and mellow with age in the controlled climate of the cigar box.

It is significant to note, however, that even the right choice of cigar will go bad if the conditions are not monitored closely. For example, wide fluctuations in temperature and humidity will cause the tobacco and the wrapper to expand and contract, which leads to cracking and spoilage. For this reason it is a good idea to decide upon the mix of humidity and temperatures to be used for the long-term storage process, and then monitor these settings as closely as possible. Most enthusiasts hope to keep cigars at seventy percent humidity in a seventy degree setting for at least one full year to get the best results.

Is there any special material that the boxes should be made from in order to get the finest results possible? Most would point to the unlined, cedar boxes. This is because the wood is already very aromatic and will allow the cellophane wrappers around the cigars to provide just enough opportunity for the fragrant oils and aromas of both items to come together. This is the essence of subtlety and is the exact type of results that the aging process should be aimed at producing.

Are there any varieties that should not be aged? Any cigar that has an overwhelming aroma might greatly benefit from an aging and mellowing process, but the Maduros types with their cured wrappers tend to be impervious to all efforts at aging and mellowing. It is always advisable to sample one or two fresh cigars from any box to determine whether an aging process might be of some benefit.

If there is one very common question posed by those who enjoy buying and smoking high-quality cigars it is “Do you remove the plastic wrapper when storing in a humidor?” Unfortunately, this is a question that doesn’t have an authoritative answer. Many experts would simply reply that it is a matter of preference, but there are some benefits in choosing to use the humidor AND leaving the cigars in their wrappers while inside the well controlled environment.

Let’s first look at cigar wrappers in general and understand how they can be of tremendous benefit to a true aficionado. Firstly, they are made of a material known as cellophane. This has the feel of traditional plastic, with the great exception that it is actually a porous or breathable material. Cellophane can prevent the actual wrapper or leaf of the cigar from sustaining damages, and will also deliver a host of other beneficial services. For instance, if you leave a cigar in its wrapper outside of a controlled-environment it will go stale and be completely ruined in only a matter of days. This is because the air and moisture of the environment can travel in an out of the pores of the wrapper and leave it open to flavor and moisture loss unless it is put into a humid and controlled environment.

Next, cellophane may allow air and moisture to readily transfer away from or directly into the cigar, but it does impact the transfer of scents and flavors too. This means that you will be able to limit the amount of flavor mixtures that would occur inside the box were the wrappers removed. While some experts point out that you would have to be extremely knowledgeable about cigars to notice any transfers, it is still not worth the risk of ruining an expensive box of cigars due to one overpowering scent tainting them all.

So, leaving a cigar in its cellophane wrapping protects it from harm, reduces the amount of flavor that is exchanged with neighboring cigars, and it also preserves the life of the cigar cutter blades. That’s right; when someone keeps their cigars in their wrappers during the cutting process the blades stay a bit cleaner and sharper, enjoying a significantly longer life span.

This all adds up to a somewhat clear-cut answer, which is to opt for leaving the cigar in its original cellophane wrapper whether it remains in the box in which it was purchased or in a climate controlled environment instead.

If there is a single phrase that brings about a universal groan whenever it is seen or heard it is “some assembly required”. Sure, you can often save some money by purchasing items that require you to put on some finishing touches or even put them together in their entirety, but it is important to consider the impact on the quality. Assembling a table or chair is something easily done by most consumers, but there are other items that should never come in a kit format.

For example, consider the humidor. If you buy one that asks you to assemble it upon arrival you are not likely to get the best ongoing results with it. Why? A good cigar box is going to be somewhat air tight, well-sealing, and flawlessly designed, and an average consumer may not have the tools or the skills to deliver such results.

Consider the way that most humidors are made – they have magnetic or tightly-closing wooden lids, their joinery is supposed to be flawless, and they cannot use all kinds of glues and fixatives that might somehow taint the contents of the box. They also tend to have trays and special inserts that would be very difficult for an average consumer to craft or assemble on their own. This all adds up to the fact that a DIY cigar storage box is not a good idea.

Realistically, however, a consumer could be required to install the humidifier and hygrometer on their own without any concerns for the quality of the results. This is because both items are inserted into a completed box. The only real necessities are the proper usage of the fixatives for the items. It is somewhat important for the humidifier to be installed properly because it often contains a measurable amount of fluid that is intended to be slowly added to the air inside of the box. Should this humidifier somehow tip over or spill its contents, the wood inside of the box and the cigars it holds would all be destroyed.

When looking at humidors, the consumer can find them in all kinds of styles. They come in small, medium, and large designs, and some even have see-through glass tops. There are styles meant for portability and travel, and there are also many outlets selling what are known as “imperfects” which are models that have noticeable flaws in their finish or paint. It is never advisable to purchase any with cracked lids or warping as both will make managing the interior conditions virtually impossible.

If you look at the basic necessities of premium cigars it would seem like they are actually trying to develop mold. For instance, the list of common cigar accessories includes the tightly-closing box known as the humidor, the humidifier, and the hygrometer to ensure that moisture levels are at the best range possible. Consider that cigars thrive in the same conditions that their tobacco was grown – hot and humid – and that this environment is then contained inside of a wooden box. The reason that mold is not a very common problem has to do with the properties of the wood and the tobacco itself.

Cedar wood is the only one used to create the trays and lining of the boxes and it is a very aromatic and oily wood. The oils in the wood are known as volatile and are a serious impediment to most bacteria. The same things can be said of tobacco leaves which are also acidic and inhospitable to mold as well. Then, you might ask, how does mold manage to appear inside boxes and on cigars? This is due to several very understandable problems.

The first common problem is the water inside of the box. More often than not this water is managed by a humidifier. The humidifier can be attached to any area of the interior of the box, but it can also often become blocked by too many cigars or by a tray without any slats for aeration. This leads to an over accumulation of water in a single area, which could mean that cigars are soaking wet or that the wood of the trays is saturated. This will then lead to mold, especially if the box is not opened on a regular basis.

If water is not the culprit, it is usually bacteria on the trays or the cigars themselves. Like many other activities in life, it is best to thoroughly wash the hands before opening and handling cigars. If not, the oils, bacteria, or even the dirt and food residue which cannot be seen by the eye can find a home on the surface of the object and then begin to thrive in the dark, warm and moist conditions of the humidor.

There are many common and workable cures for such a problem, but one of the best is to simply remove all trays, cigars and humidifiers from the box and treat it with Isopropyl Alcohol while the wood still retains its humidity. All of the trays should be treated in the same manner and the box should then be left to dry out completely before being rehydrated and used again.