What smokes best at 70%?

[icehog3]

62%-65% ftw

And if all your cigars are kept at, say 65%, how do you know some of them wouldn't be even better at 70%?

Not advocating anything here, just asking the question.

For me, I know because it was an evolution. When I first started smoking and "collecting" premium cigars, I read that 70% humidity was the standard, so that's where I kept my humidors.

As time went on, I met more experienced people (in person and on the boards), and smoked gifted cigars that were kept at an RH lower than 70%...and found I preferred them. So I lowered my humidors to 65%.

More time, more knowledge, and experience smoking cigars stored at 61-63%, and preferred those to the ones at 65%. So I dropped down to 61-62%.

At this point, I have many boxes of cigars that I have aged for years, bought when they were "fresh"...and they taste and smoke wonderfully. So I have found that 61-62% is where I prefer to store and age my cigars.

As others have said, it's all about personal preference, and that is mine. And that is how I know that I (and I alone) would not like them better at 70%...because I've had them at 70%.

 

[NHaze]

Nice when you're thread gets hijacked isn't it?

Just trying to keep it on track

To directly answer your question I would say that I like cameroon wrappered sticks at 68-70% for smoking and some particularly smooth connecticut shade wrappered ones around 68%. That way, I feel more comfortable about avoiding cracks in the thinner wrappers as they burn and are handled.

I've noticed the couple of candela wrapped cigars I have at 65% seem to be a bit extra-delicate. I wonder if they wouldn't benefit from a little higher humidity...

 

[NHaze]

As others have said, it's all about personal preference, and that is mine. And that is how I know that I (and I alone) would not like them better at 70%...because I've had them at 70%.

And that's a great answer to the question, as were everyone else's so far :thumbup:

 

[CasualStogie]

I've noticed the couple of candela wrapped cigars I have at 65% seem to be a bit extra-delicate. I wonder if they wouldn't benefit from a little higher humidity...[/QUOTE]

It's possible. :dunno: I don't have a lot of experience with candelas but, from looking at how they're made it very well may be better to keep them up around 70 rh. When a candela wrapper is dried in the curing barn (doghouse) it becomes super fragile. It has to be re-humidified before being taken out for use.