What's new

Cigar Long Term Storage

I am not a consistant cigar smoker. Every so often I'll pick up a cigar and either smoke right away or put in my humidor. I have about 8 cigars that are several years old. The humidor hasn't always been kept at the proper humidity and the cigars look dried. I recharged my humidor and have the cigars in there at around 70%. My question is, are they still good to smoke? What should I look for to determine if they are ok?
Is there any issue with smoking old cigars?
 

Hirsute

Used to have fun with Commander Yellow Pantyhose
I'd say rehydrate and try one. What do you have to lose? At best, it will smoke OK and taste fine. At worst, it will taste flat and bland and stale, but it won't hurt you.
 
As long as they aren't moldy or bug ridden (you'd know...) you can at least try to rehydrate them, but I wouldn't expect any miracles.

If you plan on continuing to store a small amount of cigars for occassional use, I recommend getting a food storage container with a good seal (I am using Sistema containers) and a couple boveda packs (65% or so). Its a small upfront cost that will go a long way to preventing the potential loss you've experienced here. If you open the container once every month or two, you shouldn't have any issues. I have both wood humidors and tupperdors, and honestly (I hate admitting this) the tupperdors just work better.

Good luck!
 

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
A cheap effective cigar storage system that doesn’t cost hundreds of dollars? Impossible!!!!

;).
 
Cheap humidor:
A zip-lock baggie with a 2-inch square piece of damp, not wet, paper towel inside (ensure paper towel does not touch cigars without cellophane).
 
Thank you all for the great tips. I will hesitatingly, try one. It’s unfortunate as they really were nice cigars. Well, now I know what to do for any future purchases.
 

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
You will be able to tell when you do a prelight sniff. Dried out cigars smell of musty/dusty. Like a sock left behind the sofa for a few months.
 

Alacrity59

Wanting for wisdom
How often should you check your humidor? Clearly if you are smoking everyday you can see the humidity level everyday. I'm new to this. Mine has settled down into a constant 71% . . . in a spot that is 60-70 degrees F all year.
 
How often should you check your humidor? Clearly if you are smoking everyday you can see the humidity level everyday. I'm new to this. Mine has settled down into a constant 71% . . . in a spot that is 60-70 degrees F all year.

My desktop Humi has a glass pane on the lid, so I can see the Hygrometer without opening the lid. The Fridgedor has a remote display Humicare humidifier. Its amazing how fast the humidity drops when you open the door. Most experts say 70 degrees and 70% are best, but in some parts of the world, it only gets down to 70 degrees in the winter. LOL I worry more about moisture.
 
Top Bottom