September 08, 2016

How Do You Keep Cigars Fresh?

Here at Tabanero Cigars we often get asked the question, “how do you keep cigars fresh?” We love this question because it’s an important one. We are passionate about cigars and maintaining the quality of our cigars once they leave our factory is important. In this post, we also discuss the importance of buying cigars directly from boutique factories rather than purchasing them from large cigar retailers. We hope this article will help answer your questions related to maintaining the quality of your cigars.

Tabanero Cigars - Keeping a Great Cigar Fresh

Two Factors For Fresh Cigars

There are two key factors to keep in mind when keeping cigars fresh; temperature and humidity.

Our cigars rolled here in our Tabanero factory in Ybor City, Tampa, FL use premium tobacco. This kind of tobacco is best when the temperature and humidity are controlled. This is important because in order to maintain its richness and taste from when it was rolled the temperature and humidity levels need to be controlled. When this premium tobacco burns, it releases sugars and oils stored in its leaves. These two elements of cigar tobacco contribute largely to the taste and flavor of the cigar. Here at Tabanero we spend a significant amount of time blending different tobacco together to achieve a certain flavor profile that we believe our customers will enjoy. If cigars are not properly maintained it will adversely affect the flavor profile of the cigar.

Temperature and humidity also affect how the cigar burns when it is smoked. Often times a cigar that has become too damp will burn too fast on a particular side. This phenomenon is called “tunneling”. The burn of the cigar will become uneven and will create flavors that were not intended when cigar was blended.

So, How Do You Protect the Flavor and Burn of a Cigar?

Great question! Cigars need to be stored in a container where you can properly control the temperature and humidity. There are many different options for storing cigars. Many cigar aficionados use humidors or other containers that are air tight and lined with Spanish cedar. These containers should provide good air flow to ensure humidity and temperature levels are maintained.

Tabanero Cigars Milano Glass Top Rosewood Humidor - The best thing for keeping your cigars fresh.

What is the Optimal Temperature and Humidity Level to Keep Cigars Fresh?

You will find many articles out on the internet and other sources that suggest 68-72% humidity and a temperature of 70-72F degrees. This is generally a good rule of thumb HOWEVER, the real answer is, it depends. For example, the optimal humidity level for your cigars may be lower than 68 degrees if you live in a climate with high humidity levels such as Florida. If you live in a drier climate then you may find that your humidor needs to be kept slightly above 72%. Here at the Tabanero Factory we keep our humidity levels between 63-65%. We have found that for our Florida location this is the optimal level of humidity for aging and keeping our tobacco fresh to ensure our customers receive a quality product.

There are many different humidification systems that can be purchased to help control humidity levels. For example, you can purchase humidity beads or humi-packs to help regulate and maintain your cigars. It’s also a good idea to purchase a digital hygrometer which measures both the temperature and humidity of your cigars. It’s very important to check your cigars from time to time. If the cigars feel spongy then your humidity levels are likely too high. If you can hear a crackling sound when gently rolling the cigars between your fingers then the environment is likely too dry. Maintaining the cigar’s humidity and temperature are vital when it comes to maintaining the quality and freshness of a cigar.

Purchase Quality to Ensure Quality

All of the information that has been provided in the article assumes one thing; that the product you received has been properly cared for before it is delivered to you. When purchasing cigars, it’s critical that you purchase them from a company that you can trust. This can be a challenge when buying cigars from a large retailer. When purchasing cigars from a large US based retailer you must consider the amount of time it takes for cigars to be transported from cigar manufacturers located in Central and South America and the Caribbean. These cigars are not kept in properly humidified containers during shipping and transport. Cigars begin to lose their humidity when the leave the manufacturer. It could be several weeks by the time cigars are sent from the manufacturer and received by the cigar retailer and placed in proper humidification systems. By this point, cigars have lost a significant amount of humidification. This is why it is important to buy your cigars directly from the factory. Here at Tabanero all of our tobacco and rolled cigars are kept in large humidors where the humidity is carefully and properly maintained. Humidity levels are monitored throughout the day to ensure the cigars remain fresh. We also use priority 2-day shipping to deliver cigars to our customers to help minimize the impact of loss humidity.

Hand-Rolling Cigars at Tabanero Cigar Factory in Ybor City, FL

Enjoy!

We hope that you have found this article to be helpful in maintaining the freshness and quality of your cigars. We also hope that this article has provided useful information to help inform your purchase decisions when buying cigars from a large retailer versus buying cigars direct from US based factories. We are so confident that you will receive a quality product from us that we offer a no questions asked 100% return policy when buying cigars from our Tabanero Factory. So sit back and relax and Hava-Taba!