Handcrafted cigars are luxury products that come with a wide range of flavors and aromas. If you want to preserve their quality and boost their features, you need to store and age them in the perfect spot. Below, you’ll get to explore the best ways to store and age your handcrafted cigars to make certain that you get the best experience out of your purchase.
Why Temperature and Humidity Are Vital
Cigar producers make them from natural tobacco leaves. These tobacco leaves are sensitive to environmental conditions. Nevertheless, the most vital factors include humidity and temperature. The best humidity level to store your cigars in is 65-70%. The best temperature level for handcrafted cigars is around 68-70°F.
Controlling Humidity
Handcrafted cigars need to be stored in environments within the optimal humidity level to prevent the tobacco from drying out and becoming brittle. On the other hand, the humidity must not be too much to prevent them from becoming moldy or developing non-uniformity when they get burned.
You can get a humidor to keep the handcrafted cigar at an optimal humidity level. A humidor is a box that several consider the best choice for storing cigars.
Nevertheless, not all humidors are the same. Before you choose a humidor, you need to check its size, seal quality, and type of humidification system. The ideal humidor comes with a tight seal that prevents humidity from escaping the box.
You can also get humidity packs and beads to ensure you maintain the right humidity level. You can even place the beads or packs inside your humidor to release or absorb moisture.
Controlling Temperature
Just like humidity, temperature is also vital. A high temperature can dry out the handcrafted cigar. The high temperature will ruin the cigar’s aging process. If you reside in an area with high temperatures all year round, you can get a cooler humidor to help with a stable temperature.
The Cigar Aging Process
Just like wine, cigars can age to become a better version of itself. Anyone who has smoked an aged cigar will attest to the improved smoking experience. To age cigars, you need to go for higher-quality handcrafted cigars with a combination of tobacco blends. Next, you need to store the cigars in a humidor.
Depending on how old you like your cigars, you can age them for as low as two years or as high as a decade. If you’re aging several cigars, you need to rotate them occasionally to make certain that they age well.