Resting cigars at home vs b&m

[fabes]

I have a question that I haven't found an answer through quick browsing/searching this forum.

What's the difference - is there really a difference - between buying cigars and storing them in your personal humidor for weeks/months, and cigars you know have been sitting at your local b&m for weeks/months?

I hear a lot of talk about letting cigars age/rest for weeks of months to really bring out the best/better enjoyment, but how is that different than a cigar you have seen for several weeks/months in the b&m just to be purchased and smoked? Assuming that humidity is well kept in both personal humidors and b&m. Maybe it's just a different melding of flavors between b&m with lots of different sticks & personal humidor which might have less differing sticks to meld with.

 

[Agentskull]

it depends on the b&m. some use too much humidity to compensate from people going in an out of their walk ins and travel time. Most people take them home and let them rest because they have dialed in their humidity to their own personal preference.

 

[javajunkie]

a lot of B&M keep their humidity higher, in deference to those who buy a small pile and do NOT have humidors at home. you keep it at like 72%RH, they are less likely to die on the casual guy. the problem is, a lot of US like a substantially lower smoking or storing RH. so, a couple few days or weeks to let them adjust to our own preferences. myself, i like most of mine at about 65%, i have no burn or draw issues, and notice more clarity of flavor. my preference. so, i stash shit until it can "rest".

on a related note, similar reason we rest purchases and trades; allowing time for the fluctuations of temp and humidity to wear off, the sticks to quiet down, before we dig in.

 

[fabes]

Cool. Thanks for the replies it's helpful!

This raises a question of guessing how long it takes to acclimate. Going off just an average of a preferred RH of 65% and a robusto or beli, what is a good waiting period to get from a higher RH from b&m down to your preferred RH at home? A week or two?

 

[Agentskull]

i tend to take a two week or so approach to mine, i am no expert though.

 

[W.B.]

a lot of B&M keep their humidity higher, in deference to those who buy a small pile and do NOT have humidors at home. you keep it at like 72%RH, they are less likely to die on the casual guy. the problem is, a lot of US like a substantially lower smoking or storing RH. so, a couple few days or weeks to let them adjust to our own preferences. myself, i like most of mine at about 65%, i have no burn or draw issues, and notice more clarity of flavor. my preference. so, i stash shit until it can "rest".

on a related note, similar reason we rest purchases and trades; allowing time for the fluctuations of temp and humidity to wear off, the sticks to quiet down, before we dig in.

Well said, great advice indeed as well.

 

[YodisMatt]

Yeah great little write up Java.

 

[thejavaman]

on a related note, similar reason we rest purchases and trades; allowing time for the fluctuations of temp and humidity to wear off, the sticks to quiet down, before we dig in.

Speak for yourself, Sean. :smokingbo

 

[KoreanCowboy]

I definitely find 2 weeks is a minimum to get cigars to my liking. I normally won't touch a stick for 2-3 months once I put it in my humidor.

 

[SquirrelofAnarchy]

Some B&M's humidors are nightmares... I just wanted to put that out there... lol

I was at a place ( will remain nameless ) on the outer wastelands of New Orleans

Upon entering the humidor which was rather large I felt a blast of humid heat am talking 80 or so degrees it was warm in there for me it was like hell but then I turned and noticed Stacks of FFP's, LP40's and dirty rats I went into a frenzy the heat was no longer an issue.. I asked what is the price??? started grabbing the boxes and by the time I retrieved all the boxes I wanted the price hit me 320 for a box of FFP's lol I slowly started putting back all the boxes... Gave the guy a BHK52 and rolled out of there.. Never to return! That is my Humidor story for the month... It was horrifying glorious and shameful.... I will never be the same again...

 

[SDShark]

I like to store my sticks at home in the desktop humi, as well as my coolidor. Not that I don't trust my local B&M, I just like to have that climate control for the most part.

 

[remy swagger]

I'm a two week guy.

 

[Phillsl]

It also depends on if the sticks your getting are "fresh" or have been aged before release. The last couple viaje's I picked up were wet as hell, a week in a dry humi, an then a week in my regular humi, and it was a completely different stick.

 

[UpInSmoke]

It also depends on if the sticks your getting are "fresh" or have been aged before release. The last couple viaje's I picked up were wet as hell, a week in a dry humi, an then a week in my regular humi, and it was a completely different stick.

Dont think Viaje has ever put out a line that was ready to be smoked. Always have to let them have a long rest or drybox or some stupid sh!t.

Usually when I get sticks ill let them sit a month before smoking one. Of course, im a weak man and can usully never wait that long

 

[SquirrelofAnarchy]

It also depends on if the sticks your getting are "fresh" or have been aged before release. The last couple viaje's I picked up were wet as hell, a week in a dry humi, an then a week in my regular humi, and it was a completely different stick.

Dont think Viaje has ever put out a line that was ready to be smoked. Always have to let them have a long rest or drybox or some stupid sh!t.

Usually when I get sticks ill let them sit a month before smoking one. Of course, im a weak man and can usully never wait that long

I tried a shotgun deals ROTT and let's say I couldn't finish it I have some singles I purchased from B&M's I visit ( gotta buy something ) and I dunno what to do with them I will give them a year see how they are...

 

[fabes]

Thanks for all the responses. Good stuff here.

 

[emanb115]

I generally try to give all newly acquired sticks about 3 weeks to a months rest in my humidors, it gives the cigars time to aclimate to my liking which is @ 65-67RH max; I have never had any issues with any cigars by doing so; but sometimes you get some cigars you just cant wait that long for LOL. I always purchase a bare minimum of 2 sticks sometimes 5 depending or reviews of cigars I have never tried or have been wanting to try.

 

[milhouse]

Whenever I get a box, I take one or two out and put them in a tuppadore to be smoked in a couple of weeks. The rest gets frozen, and goes in the cooler and will be revisited in about a month- two months.

I also use the same tuppadore as an "on deck circle" for my freezer.

 

[Donk]

I have to say that is really good advice to let your sticks rest for a few weeks. I have the problem at my local shop that the guys who Own/run the shop have no real idea how to maintain their humidor at all. Picture this a nice big walk in humidor with cigars of every make and size. Ahh, what a sight. I stroll over to the Padron section and start looking at the Anniversary series. I notice one after another are cracked, another, then another. I look down at the floor and these guys are using 2 to 3 little ultrasonic humidifiers. I think to myself that's odd, I've never seen that done before. So I look around to find the hygro and yep sure as shit the damn things read 53% humidity. Really 53% is way way to low for a B&M humidor. And they even to date have never fixed their issue. I think they just don't care. So I buy my uncracked cigars and then proceed to store them at home for several weeks before smoking them. Dumb bastards!

 

[Donk]

Whenever I get a box, I take one or two out and put them in a tuppadore to be smoked in a couple of weeks. The rest gets frozen, and goes in the cooler and will be revisited in about a month- two months.

I also use the same tuppadore as an "on deck circle" for my freezer.

Bro why do you freeze your cigars?