How Long Do You Let Them Rest

[El Baton]

I have a couple of questions.

1 - How long do you wait between receiving a stick in the mail and smoking it? Does it make a difference if it is part of an online purchase between BOTL's and a purchase from an online vendor?

2 - Do you recommend a "holding cell" humi? I read the post about Beetles and when I first started smoking, I picked up a stick that was infested and I had to freeze 25 or so sticks. Since then, I have been leery about placing new sticks in with my known sticks.

 

[Volusianator]

Depends on the sticks, some look good, I get them out of the mailbox, open the package, take off the cello and light. I myself have never bought into the rest period they need because of travel. I could be all wrong, but that's just me.

 

[jre]

I think it's a little common sense. If they're coming accross country and you squeeze them and hear rice krispies, you should give em some down time. If they're packed in humidified vacuum sealed bags like NHC, you can probably fire em up right away.

 

[n.olson]

as it comes to beetles, if you can maintain <65 degrees, it's my understanding that they won't cause any problems what so ever

and ditto to previous posters. if i was looking for that particular smoke that just got in, i'd have no fear lighting one up that day

 

[Mast3r_Shake]

I always 'try' and put my smokes in the humi for at least a week. If it is something I really wanna try I may be okay with 2 or 3 days. I would rather make sure my smokes are in the proper condition before I smoke them even if they come packed. I am just OCD like that.

 

[BrooksW]

One week at Least, most times 2...

People are going to have different opinions about this


~brooks

 

[Gordy]

if the stick feels right coming out of the package then chances are i will just smoke it.. i dont like to order cigars until im running low inside the humi but sometimes if i got a lil space i just cant help it :innocent:

 

[daniyal]

I don't worry too much about beetles but I do have an icebox that all my boxes go into before they come into regular rotation.

 

[tubaman]

As far as holding them goes, brooks is right there are varied opinions on this. My opinion is that they should be stored for a few weeks before you smoke them. There are tremendous swings in temp and humidity on a trip across the country that, imo, have a big affect on the taste of a cigar until it settles down. If you want to, try an experiment. Take a couple cigars that you are very familiar with flavor wise. Take a couple and put in different sandwich bags. Leave one outside overnight, leave one laying around somewhere in your house and smoke one. Smoke the others in the next couple days and see how the flavor changes. Someone once said to me "Well I would never leave my cigars laying around like that." but what do you think it's like for cigars to travel through the mail? Even with a water pillow or something like that, the temp swings are pretty great. I'm not saying I've NEVER smoked one ROTT, sometimes my curiosity gets the best of me. But imho, they should be stored for a few weeks.

Regarding beetles, I keep keep fivers and the like in plastic bags for awhile and keep an eye on them for beetles. The vendors I use for boxes freezes all of their cigars so I'm not that concerned about that.

 

[El Baton]

As far as holding them goes, brooks is right there are varied opinions on this. My opinion is that they should be stored for a few weeks before you smoke them. There are tremendous swings in temp and humidity on a trip across the country that, imo, have a big affect on the taste of a cigar until it settles down. If you want to, try an experiment. Take a couple cigars that you are very familiar with flavor wise. Take a couple and put in different sandwich bags. Leave one outside overnight, leave one laying around somewhere in your house and smoke one. Smoke the others in the next couple days and see how the flavor changes. Someone once said to me "Well I would never leave my cigars laying around like that." but what do you think it's like for cigars to travel through the mail? Even with a water pillow or something like that, the temp swings are pretty great. I'm not saying I've NEVER smoked one ROTT, sometimes my curiosity gets the best of me. But imho, they should be stored for a few weeks.

Regarding beetles, I keep keep fivers and the like in plastic bags for awhile and keep an eye on them for beetles. The vendors I use for boxes freezes all of their cigars so I'm not that concerned about that.

Thanks Guys for all your input. I am the curious type so I am gonna try this experiment.

 

[SkinsFanLarry]

Here's a little about the cause of tobacco beetles from CI....


Since it's the hot month of August, it's a good time to discuss the dreaded tobacco beetle. These little monsters are unfortunately a fact of life for manufacturers, retailers and consumers alike, but they can be controlled.

To defeat this enemy, you must first understand him. No bigger than the size of a pinhead, just the mention of this little l'Enfant Terrible is enough to send cigar lovers into a tizzy. In the worst case, it can invade your humidor at home and render it into a pile of dust. These suckers eat like pigs, spread like wildfire, and lives for two things: tobacco and heat. Adult beetles measure about two to three millimeters long and live only 2 to 4 weeks, and thrive in humid climates and hot temperatures above 74 degrees.

Now it's time to address the source of the problem - what caused the beetles to hatch. Your humidor was probably too moist or too hot. Use a digital hygrometer thermometer to get an accurate reading, and consider whether the room that houses your humidor isn't subject to temperature extremes when you're not around. Get it away from heaters, make sure the box is not in direct sunlight, and check your humidification system.

 

[reliefdvm]

I let mine sit for at least 2 weeks - especially when shipped in from overseas. If I don't, I tend to get some draw problems. It is so dry here (yesterday was RH of 8%) that the outer wrapper will be a little crispy no matter where it comes from - so if I let it sit for a week or 2, things get back to normal. So - bottom line, its not just where they come from but what your location is like that will determine if they need to equalize or not.

 

[e-man67]

If I get a box I crack it open and smoke it ROTT...if I get a individual sticks I let them sit for a few days...then smoke.

 

[Cigary43]

I tend to agree with most on here,,,let em rest for at least a week as there is a change in the chemical composition and you can taste the amonia in some of the cigars. If I get a 5 pak ( which I usually do now) I will smoke the first one in the second week, the second one after a month, 3rd one after 3 months, 4th after 6 months and if the cigars are really good I will buy a box.

 

[Gordy]

i usually like to let my cigars sit for a while also but most of the time i end up bringing out my 5ers so me and a few friends can all experience the same smoke and see what we all think of it

 

[CWS]

I try for a week. Rarely make it. The second one is almost always a month out.

 

[Phrankenstein]

When coming across the big pond I wait 4 to 8 weeks. They always improve after resting a few weeks. Better still, 2 years aging. However, I almost always smoke one ROTT just for a sample (I can't help it!) and let the rest wait. I'll even rest NC's for a few weeks to a month before smoking, but I would not call that aging. JMHO.