Aging cigars isn’t for everyone. It’s a process that requires a fair bit of attention; much like aging wine or beer, it requires a certain set of factors to properly develop. While it’s a passive process for the most part, these factors play a massive role in determining how well a cigar will age. Here are a few tips to ensure that your cigars will age beautifully and develop complexities that are guaranteed to impress.
Season Your Humidor
- Seasoning your humidor is imperative when aging cigars. It ensures an ideal environment in which the tobacco can properly develop into something truly great. To season your humidor, dampen an unscented sponge with distilled water (NOT tap water) and wipe the interior down. Leave the sponge in the humidor on plastic wrap or in a bag so it doesn’t come in contact with the wood, and close it for 24 hours (or overnight). Remove the sponge the following day and allow it to rest closed for another day. Following this period of time, you’ll be ready to age your cigars in the perfect environment.
Remove the Cellophane
- Whether or not to keep cellophane on a cigar while its aging is a debate that will continue for quite some time. Strong arguments exist on both sides of the spectrum, but at the end of the day, cellophane slows the aging process quite a bit. Of course, this isn’t a problem for many cigar smokers, but for the sake of developing new complexities, removing the cellophane is the way to go. Again, it comes down to personal preference. For the sake of consistency, leave it on, but for aging, take it off and let it evolve.
Follow the 70/70 Rule
- The 70/70 rule is one of the simplest ways to keep your cigars healthy and happy while the age. Temperature and humidity are the two most important factors, and maintaining the right numbers seems much more confusing than it really is. Keeping a steady 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 70% humidity creates an ideal environment for your cigars. As these factors sway and change, they can warp the wrappers and alter the aging process for the worse. Following the 70/70 rule, though, is the easiest way to avoid these common issues.
