Here is my newbe question. After purchasing cigars online is there a "rule of thumb" on how long to keep them in the humidore (at the proper humidity) before smoking them? It seems I hear some say they have had them stored for a year or so. Well I certainly don't want to wait that long to smoke a cigar I bought and figured there must be a rule of thumb regarding that issue. Appreciate any comments.
How long to store before smoking
- Thread starter rvc79
- Start date
I'll usually give a week or two with new purchases I've never tried before to make sure I'm getting the right experience. With stuff I've had before I don't usually wait. But it's personal preference, and depends on what humidity you keep your cigars at in general, the general humidity in your area and such.
javajunkie
BoM July '12
i recommend a week at least. whether bought from a B&M or online, letting it acclimate to your stash, runnign at your preferred humidity, will help dial the experience in. your stash, your smoke, your call.
Rest and age are different animals.
Rest is a week to a few months.
Age is a year to a few years.
Rest is a week to a few months.
Age is a year to a few years.
Great point. The resting time will depend entirely on the particular cigar you have. Some brands and lines require more or less rest with some being great rott
Cigars are living breathing things. If someone put you in a box, moved you in a hot truck, jostled you, pressurized you and finally dumped you on a doorstep, you would be a little out of sorts. It may take you a day or a week to calm down. Look at cigars the same way. The taste is definitely affected if you let them rest a week or two. As was also stated, aging, works the same as wine; start out with good stuff and it just gets better to a point.
javajunkie
BoM July '12
sounds like something i would have to work my wife up to in stages...
EDIT: joys of being a bachelor, craig? o)
StogieNinja
Derek | BoM June 2014
It depends on a variety of factors:
-How long was it at the vendor?
-Does the vendor keep them at smokable rH, or at a higher rH to help protect the cigars during shipment?
-How far away is the vendor, and what was the travel time?
-What were the conditions like during that travel?
-Is the weather hot or cold, humid or dry where they were shipped from/to?
-How were they packaged?
All of that can play a factor in how the cigars arrive to you. My rule of thumb is at least a week of rest per day the cigar was in transit. No scientific reason, and probably overkill. If it came from one of the big boys and is a massive production cigar likely to have been in their warehouse for a while, I let it rest a good couple months at a minimum for the rH to acclimate down from the warehouse rH (likely 70%+) to where I like to smoke (62%-65%).
Additionally, many cigars perform a lot better after 6 months of resting, gets rid of the initial sick period/ammonia buildup/whatever, so for many cigars, I don't even bother with them for at least that long regardless of where they came from. Things like AJ Fernandez blends, Ramon Buesos, the 601 blues back when I used to buy those, etc.
-How long was it at the vendor?
-Does the vendor keep them at smokable rH, or at a higher rH to help protect the cigars during shipment?
-How far away is the vendor, and what was the travel time?
-What were the conditions like during that travel?
-Is the weather hot or cold, humid or dry where they were shipped from/to?
-How were they packaged?
All of that can play a factor in how the cigars arrive to you. My rule of thumb is at least a week of rest per day the cigar was in transit. No scientific reason, and probably overkill. If it came from one of the big boys and is a massive production cigar likely to have been in their warehouse for a while, I let it rest a good couple months at a minimum for the rH to acclimate down from the warehouse rH (likely 70%+) to where I like to smoke (62%-65%).
Additionally, many cigars perform a lot better after 6 months of resting, gets rid of the initial sick period/ammonia buildup/whatever, so for many cigars, I don't even bother with them for at least that long regardless of where they came from. Things like AJ Fernandez blends, Ramon Buesos, the 601 blues back when I used to buy those, etc.
You could put a couple of them in a zip lock bag with a calibrated digital barometer for a couple of hours upon receiving them to see their current rh. I keep my cigars at 65. I have been told a good rule of thumb to acclimate is 1 week for every % of desired rh change. Once you get a stash built up it is pretty easy most of the time to let them rest a little while.
If these are the only cigars you currently have, go ahead and fire one up. You may have trouble with it and you may not. Enjoy!
If these are the only cigars you currently have, go ahead and fire one up. You may have trouble with it and you may not. Enjoy!