What to look for in a cigar and humidor?
Monday, February 20th, 2012 at
12:14 am
I’m planning on getting my finace’ a humidor for a wedding gift. Along with cigars, of course. I want to get a quality humidor that will last a long time. Unfortuantely, I have no clue what to look for in a humidor. What should I make sure it includes? What things are a no-no? CAn anyone help me out with this?
And also, the cigars. What brands/flavors/etc. are good and bad? What are your favorite cigars? And if you purchase online or in or around CT, where’s a good place to buy from?
Thanks!
Tagged with: Cigar • Humidor • look
Filed under: Humidor For Cigars
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The purpose of the humidor is to keep the cigars from drying out so it has to seal really well. Your local tobacconist should have a variety of them as well as cigars to offer. Ask your fiance what kind of cigars he likes and what kind he’d like to try. That should give you some guidance on the cigar front.
Have a long and happy marriage.
I wish I was your fiancé! It’s hard to find a good women that also enjoys a good cigar, and allows me to smoke ‘em in the house.
Anyhoo, a humidor is a very important investment for anyone that plans on storing cigars for any length of time. It absolutely must maintain a precise humid environment for the cigars to stay fresh. Both humidity and temperature are essential, not only for freshness, but also to help prevent a tobacco beetle infestation. It can be an extravagant box made out of exotic woods with elegant inlays and solid brass hardware costing thousands of dollars, to a good quality freezer bag with a piece of moistened florist’s foam inside. (which I still use every now & then, and they work amazingly well)
There’s a lot to consider; Does it have a perfect seal?, Does the seller guarantee the product so you can return it without hassle?, Does it come with a humidification element?, Does it come with a hygrometer? (humidity/temp. monitor) and is it pre-calibrated?, Is the humidor pre-seasoned? (the interior cedar properly moistened) All of this is necessary for a good functioning humidor so make sure to ask these questions before making your purchase.
I know that it can seem a bit overwhelming at first, but it’s really quite simple. E-mail me and I’ll be able to help you better. (just click on the image by my name to get to my profile) I’ll need to know more about your fiancés smoking habits to be able to properly advise you on all your questions.
Taste is subjective, so I need to know if he likes a mild or robust cigar. Usually cigars with very dark wrappers are the most robust, while the very light wrappers usually indicate a mild cigar. Which does he smoke? What size does he like?
There are 100′s of brands, all with different strengths, sizes and shapes.
My favorite vitola (size/shape) is 5.0″ x 50(ring size). A few brands that are known for quality and consistency are: Cohiba, Bolivar, Fonseca, H. Upmann, Hoyo de Monterrey, Montecristo, Partagas, Punch, Romeo y Julieta, Saint Luis Rey, Trinidad, Ashton, Avo, Davidoff… The list goes on & on!
I usually don’t like buying humidors online because I like to inspect it myself before buying, but I’ve received an excellent humidor from Cuban Crafters. Very good quality control, customer service, and reasonable prices. http://www.cubancrafters.com/accessories_list.php/catid/27/category/CUBAN+CRAFTERS+HUMIDORS
There are MANY different websites where you can purchase humidors, but this is a company I trust from personal experience.
Cigars are everywhere on the web. I’d suggest going to a well established local tobacconist for the cigars. You can’t beat personal face-to-face customer service. They will also be able to answer your questions about cigars and humidors.
I have bought many cigars online and would recommend these sites:
- http://www.cigar.com/index.asp
- http://www.famous-smoke.com/
- http://www.cigarsinternational.com/index.asp
- http://www.thompsoncigar.com/default.aspx?sid=i25hzfrlhjgey255odwh0qz4
I own four digital and three analog hygrometers, and this is the most accurate of the bunch: http://www.cigarextras.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=108
However, my favorite is this one: http://www.famous-smoke.com/cigars/search/accstats.cfm/inum/17919
My personal preference for humidification: http://heartfeltindustries.com/products.asp?cat=15
A bit of humidor & cigar info:
- http://www.cigargroup.com/faq/
- http://www.cigarextras.com/index.asp?-PageAction=Custom&ID=1
- http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Features/CA_Cigar101/0,2760,,00.html
- http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/Graphics/SpecialFeature/Cigar101/fp398.html
- http://www.stogiefresh.com/firstbox.htm
I’m getting tired of typing, and I’m sure that you’re getting tired of reading, so send me an e-mail with as much info as you can get on what your fiancé likes in a cigar, and how many he’s likely to store, and I’ll try my best to steer you in the right direction.
Congratulations and best of luck in the years ahead,
-vertigo