How to store your cigars

You may be a beginner or perhaps have been smoking cigars for years and are now wanting to build up your own collection, there are many aspects to consider when storing cigars.

Here are some tips to help you in your storage of cigars.

The humidor:
Choose a well crafted humidor lined with unfinished spanish cedar. It should provide twice the capacity of what you will store. Ensure the humidor seals properly, by permitting the lid to fall closed. You should hear a 'whoosh.'

Separate the types:
Most of us like to smoke a range of different types of cigars, in an ideal world this would necessitate a different humidor for each type, rather an expensive option! There is, however, a less costly solution, using dividers. These fit inside your humidor, either lengthwise or widthwise and make compartments, in which you can store different types of cigars. You can put a mild cigar in one section, a full bodied cigar in another and the flavours will be kept apart.

Temperature:
Store cigars between 64 and 70 degrees F, to keep them from aging too quickly or too slowly, they must be stored in an environment that stays relatively temperate.

Monitor the humidity:
Keep your cigars at a relative humidity level of 68 to 74 percent. Less than this and they can dry out and more than this, they may begin to rot.

Keep your humidifier filled with distilled water:
After the initial seasoning, check the water level, at the very least every four weeks.

Rotate your cigars and permit air to circulate:
About once a month rotate your cigars and allow some air circulation.