When asked the difference between a cigarette and a cigar, cigar aficionados answer that the former is an addiction while the latter is a passion! Truth be told, the cigar is a wonder for the connoisseur who is interested in the notion of tasting and the cultivation of cigars which ultimately consists of collecting or owning superior tobacco products, which is as important to connoisseurs as the making an excellent cigar. Indeed, as any aficionado will assert, whatever the passion, whether it's wine, collecting vintage comics, good cigars, or even stamps, owning some rare and expensive items. can provide certain happiness as much to watch them in the humidor to prepare and taste them.
As the cigar aficionado, philatelist, wine connoisseur, or collector of rare comics will attest, preserving these treasures from environmental damage is a top priority for those who have managed to acquire the perfect cigar, stamp, merlot or the first edition of the Superman comic book.
For the cigar lover, the top priority is the purchase of a cigar humidor. With over a century of development, cigar humidors have become very important in ensuring that cigars keep for as long as possible after purchase. From cigar humidors whose size can sometimes reach tens of square meters (they are then called Walking-Humidor) to portable humidor models for cigar lovers who like to take them everywhere, these humidors regulate efficiently the storage conditions for cigars.
We recommend buying it from http://cigarlounge.crownhumidors.com they offer a great cigar humidor quality.
The joy of a quality cigar
Smoking a cigar knows no boundaries. It is the search for pleasure, for a moment of relaxation awakening the senses of sight, smell, touch, and taste.
The cigars or cigarillos traded over the counters of countless stores are largely machine made. These machine-rolled cigars are made from chopped pieces of tobacco used as a garnish and wrapped using tobacco leaf or paper. Conversely, handmade cigars (echo a mano), rolled with tobacco leaves filling the entire length of the cigar, which cigar aficionados appreciate for their rich flavors and superior taste, require a higher investment for them. keep fresh.
Each hand-rolled cigar is made up of three parts that influence its taste. The interior which is known as the cigar guts, which largely provides the tobacco mixture of the cigar and gives some of its flavor and strength. Wider leaves called a wrapper, are wrapped around the tripe and give the cigar its shape. The undercoat is protected by another sheet called a cape. It is of superior quality, free of spots, holes and sunspots to give the cigar a flawless exterior appearance. The vast majority of flavors enjoyed by the smoker are emitted by the tripe and part of the coaster. The wrapper gives the visual appearance of the cigar and has a small influence on the taste of the cigar but is nowhere near as important as the assembly of the tripe.
Cigar manufacturers use a variety of tobacco leaves in the manufacture of hand-rolled cigars. Frequently, cigar makers will use a different envelope on identical tripe, which sometimes wrongly conditions some manufacturers who will see for example a Maduro wrapper on one side thinking that the cigar will be stronger, unlike another cigar with a claro wrapper but with the same blend which will seem smoother for some amateurs. The packaging of products has always been the opinion of consumers and tasters, so cigars are no exception.
Some of the more common wrappers feature a light-colored foil, known as Connecticut, which conditions the consumer to a lighter taste while cigar aficionados looking for a fuller flavor may be drawn to a black wrapper known as Maduro's name. As stated earlier, the wrapper ultimately does not represent most of the taste and aroma of a cigar. This is why judging the taste and potency of a cigar just by visualizing its wrapper can be misleading.
Starting from the principle of this blend, from the origins of the different tobacco for cigars , it is easy to guess that the collection of exceptional cigars can be very fun and deserves to be accompanied by a good cigar humidor.
What is a cigar humidor for?
The origins of the humidor are shrouded in mystery. There is no doubt that the jars, boxes and cases were used to preserve the freshness of newly purchased cigars for years; the concept of the modern humidor is generally attributed to Irish craftsman Terrance Manning. Indeed, Manning, a commercial furniture maker, began making finely crafted cigar humidors in 1887 and was responsible for distributing the first known examples of humidors on the market.
Built of fine wood, the first humidors were quite expensive. However, with modern manufacturing processes and the availability of cheaper materials in the market today humidors come in a wider price range to suit any budget. Modern humidors are usually made of metal, wood, MDF or acrylic glass.
The optimum storage condition for cigars is between 70-75% relative humidity with an ambient temperature of 21 ° C. Tobacco stored outside this range is subject to serious degradation in quality. For example, cigar tobacco stored in an environment with 60% humidity will dry out. The cape will be the first to succumb by cracking in places, resulting in poor draft. The tripe and the cloak will soon suffer the same fate. The draw of a dried out cigar will be difficult and unpleasant.
Conversely, if the relative humidity reaches 90% when storing cigars, the reverse phenomenon occurs: the cigars begin to swell due to the excess humidity. Assuming the wrapper does not split from the swelling, the tobacco inside will compress so much that it becomes almost impossible to pull out. In addition, when relative humidity is around 80%, mold can attack both the humidor and the cigars enclosed in it.
Regulating this environment is the job that humidors or humidors normally do. Some enthusiasts who buy more cigars than they can hope to smoke in a single day need to own a cigar humidor, which allows flexibility that allows them to expand their cigar collection and take the time. savor the fruit. With a fully functional humidor at their fingertips, collectors know full well that their quality cigars will stay fresh, even six months after purchasing them.
Another undeniable advantage that humidors bring is that from an aesthetic standpoint, modern humidors come in a myriad of styles designed to suit any interior. As mentioned earlier, cigar humidors come in a variety of sizes and shapes. It is then very easy to match the size of your humidor to the number of cigars you keep permanently.
If you are a novice or a beginner and want to start slowly filling your humidor with your first cigars, you can read our article dedicated to cigars for beginners.
Buy your first cigar humidor
The novice collector looking for his first humidor will have to consider several factors before making his purchase. The universal advice any new cigar aficionado will hear from a discerning cigar aficionado is to always buy a humidor that is larger in size than they expect to use. As mentioned above, the number of cigars stored tends to grow rapidly. As a result, the purchased humidor will quickly exceed its storage capacity, forcing the hobbyist to buy another in a short time. Although at the start of a collection it may seem excessive to invest in a large humidor, having to buy a second one in a short period of time can be even more frustrating for someone who didn't think they had one. as much.
From an aesthetic point of view, there are as many styles of humidors as there are personal tastes when choosing a humidor. It can range from simple rectangular boxes to richly decorated models featuring rounded edges, beveled glassware and artistic flourishes. The range of models available is simply impressive! As such, when deciding on a certain model, you need to choose the most attractive model that fits both your interior and your budget. However, always keep in mind to ensure the quality of the cellar and its equipment (hygrometer + quality humidifier).
As stated above, there is a wide variety of humidors. Among the exterior appearances used for cigar humidors, we can find cherry wood, walnut, mahogany, oak, pine and maple. In any case, for the interior of the humidor, Spanish cedar will be essential to effectively regulate the relative humidity of the cellar, but also to avoid all odors outside cigars. Not only does Spanish cedar look good, it is also very functional. To put it simply, Spanish cedar can withstand moisture levels that would cause deformation of humidors made from other woods and lose their shape over time.
Some decide to make their own cigar humidor. You can then consult our article dedicated to the manufacture of a cigar humidor.
A final factor to consider when choosing a new humidor is how easy it is to consult the ambient humidity of the cellar without having to systematically open it. Being able to see if the humidity is stable without having to open the humidor will not disturb the stability of the ambient humidity inside. It will therefore be necessary either to favor a cover equipped with a glazed part or to go on a humidor with a hygrometer visible on the front.
We recommend buying it from http://cigarlounge.crownhumidors.com they offer a great cigar humidor quality.