How to Age Cigars in a Humidor
A frequent smoker will always want increased enjoyment while taking a smoke. If we talk about cigar smokers, then they especially want improved quality every time they take a puff. To do so, they buy more expensive and higher quality cigars with different exotic flavors to get the kick.
But what if you wouldn’t need to stock up on high-quality cigars? What if you can improve their quality at home? We aren’t talking about a magical spell; the process is simply called aging. Interested yet? If yes, then check out these tips and tricks on why and how to age cigar in a humidor.
Why Do You Need to Age Cigars?
Yes, why indeed. Why would you age a perfectly good cigar that already undergoes all the necessary processes and steps before being put on the shelves of different stores? Before answering this question, you must first understand the aging process. As the term suggests, aging is a process that allows the ingredients within the prepared product to mature and blend to perfection.
The process is similar to wine aging because the older the wine, the better it tastes. Cigars consist of organic ingredients such as tobacco leaves, which are fermented for long periods to enhance the taste of the product.
Every manufacturer thoroughly ages, cures, and seasons their cigars before they are shipped off to consumers. However, already being aged doesn’t mean there is no room for improvement, because almost every cigar will benefit from age. Here’s how aging will change your cigar for the better.
- A well-aged cigar burns better
- It elevates the flavor by bringing out the finer ones
- It dissipates the bitter taste by taking away harsh flavors
- It distributed the flavors evenly throughout the cigar
- It helps in proper blending while giving a more balanced smoke
Aging is a continuous process that begins long before the cigar is rolled. A typical cigar-making process includes harvesting the tobacco, which is then dried for about a month for removing chlorophyll from the leaves.
Afterward, the air-dried tobacco is hung from wooden beams, which are called lathes. Tobacco that is kiln-dried is dried over natural gas or charcoal to give the leaves their rich brown color. This is called curing, after which the leaves are taken down, sorted and stacked for the next process which is called fermentation.
During this process, the structure of the leaves breaks down to release tobacco’s natural aromas and flavors. The cigars are then rolled, aged, and shipped off to market.
Why You Should Age Cigars in a Humidor
In simple words, a humidor is basically a container for keeping cigars or tobacco. It is an airtight humidity-controlled box that keeps cigars, cigarettes, and pipe tobacco moist. When you age cigars in a humidor, it is called “box aging” as it can improve the taste, quality, and flavors of tobacco.
But why use a humidor? Why not just store the cigars in any container for a period? If you are an avid cigar smoker, then you know that cigars require very specific environmental conditions to age and reach that particular level of freshness. They need particular humidity and temperature levels to last long, and this is where a humidor comes in.
Your humidor works to control the humidity levels for the tobacco leaves to naturally expand and blend even more. A humidor will prevent the cigars from getting too dry, so they don’t taste bitter and burn too hot, and also from getting too humid, so they don’t rot.
How Does a Humidor Work?
A humidor is made up of three main parts: humidifier, hygrometer, and thermostat. The humidifier is responsible for adding humidity to the cigars and preserving their flavors. Your humidor may contain different humidifiers such as crystal gel, silica beads, sponges, electronic humidifier, humidipaks, and floral foams.
The next part of the humidification system is a hygrometer, which lets you know about the humidity levels inside the container. It tells you whether you need to absorb excess moisture or add it. Next is the thermostat that provides steady temperature levels throughout aging.
Your cigars typically need to be kept between 60 to 72 degrees to remain in top-notch condition. There’s a difference between storing and aging cigars.
Final Thoughts
For consuming those blissful aromas and flavors, a humidor with Spanish cedar should be every cigar smoker’s best friend. It is guaranteed to give you the height of perfection. That answers the question of how to age cigars in a humidor — happy aging!