Aging Cigars for Optimal Results | Lifestyle

by DaveSabot

Many people wonder if aging cigars is always mandatory for the best flavors, and the answer is simply "no". Not all tobacco will improve with age, and in the end it also comes down to a smoker's personal preferences. While it is relatively easy to find pre-aged or vintage cigars from specialty vendors, it is also just as easy to age your own cigars at home. It does call for some basic management and organization, but can produce some wonderful results.

Is this the only way to age a cigar properly? Yes, the controlled humidity and temperatures inside of these cedar boxes allows the tobacco to remain at a very level status, and will also preserve the condition of the wrapper. Should the owner allow the humidity to increase or drop below a certain percentage, or if the box is kept in an area of wildly fluctuating temperatures the process will be pointless. This is the most important factor in getting good results from cigar aging.

As stated, it all begins with a humidor. Now, you could feasibly argue that a regular consumer cigar box should be a good place to keep those that you have purchased, but they are not often made of aromatic wood or designed to prevent too much air or moisture from entering and leaving the individual cigars. While most will arrive inside of a box and in an individual cellophane sleeve, this is still not the right way to age them. Instead, a cedar humidor with its hygrometer (gauge to indicate the current level of humidity) and humidifier is often the only way to keep cigars at optimal conditions.

What are these conditions? Well, most experts state that aging is a bit tricky and will advise anyone attempting the process to aim at the seventy-seventy status. This is a humidity level of seventy percent within the humidor, and an ambient temperature of seventy degrees Fahrenheit outside of it too. Should the humidity sink too far beneath this figure the wrapper may dry out and crumble during smoking, but too far above it and mold or mildew can develop. Wildly fluctuating conditions are the death knell to fresh and aging cigars, and the humidor is often the only way to create the most stable environment.

Of course the aging process means that time must pass before the conditions can work their magic. Usually, the cigar owner is going to have to wait a full calendar year before the effects of the cedar wood and the well-managed humidity will have their effects.

DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as information only and is not to be taken as financial advice.

Dave Sabot is the owner of an online specialty cigar lighters store. With expert knowledge of cigar accessories, including torch lighters, Dave also owns a premier online humidors store.