Storing & Aging Cigars
The most important consideration for your cigars is how you're going to be storing them.
Creating the proper environment
The sole function of a humidor is to preserve the character in cigars and to also create an environment that allows the cigars to improve with age.
For this to happen, it’s a requirement to eliminate the fluctuations and cycles in humidity—something normal humidifiers can not do. Humidifiers give off water whether your humidor needs it or not. This causes the humidity to climb higher when the device is full of water and gradually drop as the device’s water level lowers. It’s from these fluctuating cycles that cigars lose their essential oils, sugars and flavor—and limits the cigar’s ability to improve with age.
What makes cigars improve with age?
The natural oils and sugars contained in good tobacco are the heart and soul of a cigar, providing all the flavor and the foundation for improving with age. Good cigars are loaded with these oils and sugars and when aged properly the tobaccos will shed their harsher characteristics while allowing the oils and sugars to blossom into amazingly rich and pleasing flavors that will give you an unparalleled smoking experience.
The benefits of two-way humidity control
Bóveda utilizes Humidipak’s patented two-way humidity control technology to constantly react to the changes in ambient temperature and humidity to eliminate the fluctuations and cycles in humidity—preserving the oils, sugars and character in cigars and allowing them to improve with age.
Also, since two-way humidity control evenly distributes the humidity and holds the moisture-content in each cigar, you’ll experience a more even burn that’s not harsh but cool and pleasing on the palate.
How much money do I need to spend on my humidor?
After more than six years of testing and research, Humidipak has found that the price of a humidor doesn't always mean the humidor will have a better ability to hold moisture/humidity. As a matter of fact, models from the same humidor manufacturer have even shown variation. Two-way humidity control will compensate for the characteristics unique to each humidor. In other words, the humidor doesn't matter (in most cases). What does matter is whether or not your humidor is maintained with two-way humidity control or not. The one exception, however, are humidors made in China. China-made humidors are built very, very well on all sides except the bottoms, where a thin piece of board is covered with felt rather than any moisture barrier. As a general rule for China-made humidors, Bóveda will hold the relative humidity at three to four points lower than the level stated on the packet while it will hold other non-China-made humidors at two to three points lower.
The only way to ensure that your humidor will maintain your desired level of RH (without fluctuating/cycling humidity) is to use two-way humidity control.