Cigar humidors come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from a pocket-sized tube kept in your jacket to a walk in cigar oasis in your home. In this piece, we’ll establish the need to always keep cigars fresh, and we’ll look at the various humidification options available today to do so.
We’ll also profile Henry Khachikan.
Henry is very avid Canadian BOTL (Brother Of The Leaf) with a serious penchant for Cuban cigars. Recently he elevated his humidification game with the construction of his own custom walk in humidor. We’ll ask Henry about the steps he has taken to humidify his evolving cigar collection over the years, and why he ultimately decided to build an entire room devoted to them.
Henry Khachikan: A BOTL on a mission
However, before we outline the storage and humidification options available for cigars, let’s first look at the reasons why cigars must be properly humidified in the first place.
The Need To Maintain The Freshness Of A Cigar
Though it’s well understood by many, it’s still necessary to spell out the basic need to keep cigars protected and adequately moist at all times.
Cigars and the tobacco they’re constructed from typically come from warm, humid geographical regions such as Cuba, Indonesia, The Dominican Republic and other places with similar climates. It’s in places like these where the natural climate – though often hot and sweaty – is generally ideal for keeping cigars fresh. Here a cigar can be left outside of a humidor for longer durations (if not permanently), as the environment itself is basically like an all-encompassing humidor.
A Honduran tobacco field
In other parts of the world where temperatures get colder and the climate is more commonly dry, greater measures must be implemented to ensure the constant freshness of a stored cigar. Failure to do so can (and likely will) result in a less than optimal cigar smoking experience.
Here is the mistake that so many make early on: they try a cigar somewhere (like while on vacation), enjoy the experience, then decide to buy some and then soon forget all about them, leaving them to either dry up or worse – become infested with mold.
For a proper smoking experience, this is no bueno.
Early into the hobby it’s easy to forget to check on your cigars regularly. However, as your frequency and knowledge of cigar smoking increases, you’ll find that you become much more cognizant of their existence within your house, and as a result will tend to their upkeep more frequently.
A cigar’s composition is primarily tobacco and water and thus proper humidity is necessary to sustain the right H2O balance within the cigar. Though you may find some discrepancies within people’s personal preferences, it is commonly agreed upon that a consistent 70% relative humidity is ideal for a cigar in storage.
As a result, common humidification resources such as humidors, humidification bars, humidification crystals, humidification paks, a proper hygrometer (to measure moisture) and good ol’ distilled water are generally put to work around-the-clock to maintain proper moisture at all times. NOTE: Tap water or non-distilled water will cause mold in cigars and are to be avoided at all costs. As a substitute to distilled water, some prefer the use of a propelyne glycol solution.
HENRY: “For humidification, I’ve used humidity packs for short term solutions and temporary storage, but other than that, I’ve always used distilled water and have always been happy with the outcome.”
Early into the hobby it’s easy to forget to check on your cigars regularly. However, as your frequency and knowledge of cigar smoking increases, you’ll find that you become much more cognizant of their existence within your house, and as a result will tend to their upkeep more frequently.”
Common Humidor Options For A Cigar Enthusiast
Sealable Household Items
When someone is brand-spanking new to cigars, cigar humidification often begins without an actual humidor at all. It is often accomplished by using a simple Ziploc bag with a humidity packet inside. To effectively maintain the freshness of a cigar, an object must be sealable and air-tight. If not constructed from Spanish cedar (like most conventional humidors), it must ideally be made of neutral composition so as to not negatively impact the taste of a cigar via transference. Thus, without a proper humidor, a simple Ziploc bag can actually serve as a makeshift humidor if need be.
In addition to this, simple unused plastic containers that are traditionally used to store food can also work if in a pinch. These are often referred to as ‘Tuperdors’. Some enthusiasts rely exclusively on Tuppedors, as they are a simple affordable option and have a non-porous surface which means they can be more air-tight than a humidor constructed of wood.
But after awhile, you’ll find that a Ziploc bag or a Rubbermaid household item just won’t cut it anymore. The cigars can still get damaged in a bag and besides – it kinda comes off as pretty Bush League and basic. As your love affair with cigars begins to unfold, you’ll quickly realize that you likely need a humidor, proper.
HENRY: “My first humidor came to me in my 20s. It was a cheap souvenir from a tourist market in Cuba where I stored a couple of Romeo y Julieta No2s and some Guntanameras along with a wet sponge. Didn’t take me long to realize the humidor was not made of proper material and was not holding proper humidity. After some research, I was introduced to Boveda packs and a Tupperware option. They did the job in short run. However, as I always look at cigars as one of life’s luxuries, it’s partly about aesthetics and a beautiful presentation. So I started looking for the next option.”
Travel Humidors and Small Desktop Humidors
Travel Humidors and Small Desktop Humidors are often a first step beyond the simple MacGyvering of household items for cigar storage and freshness assurance. Travel humidors are compact and durable and made for someone on the go. For many enthusiasts, travel humidors are an everyday part of their cigar experience.
Small Desktop Humidors are often the first foray in using a Spanish cedar wood-lined environment that will actually improve the taste of your cigars over time. They typically store up to 20 cigars (depending on cigar size), aren’t a big financial commitment, and look nice too.
HENRY: “When I got more interested in collecting different types of cigars and started visiting my local brick and mortar more often, I bought my first desktop. Pretty soon one desktop turned into five. The five desktops soon turned into a credenza shape side table humidor”.
For a cigar enthusiast, it’s common to have multiple humidors working at any given time.
Larger Desktop Humidors and Furniture Humidors
Once you begin to buy individual cigars at an accelerated rate or a box at a time, it’s time to likely step up your humidor game. Lager desktop humidors hold 25-75 cigars (again, depending on cigar size) and are generally lined with Spanish cedar to improve taste over time as the cigars age.
Sometimes desktop humidors are made of acrylic glass or metal. Though personally we prefer a traditional model composed of Spanish cedar (to enhance flavor from the wood), it all comes down to personal preference of course.
Other options include Furniture Humidors that serve the dual purpose of a coffee table or side table with cigars stored inside. When executed properly, these are certainly an eye catching and functional option for a cigar lover.
With these humidors, you’ll be likely removing your cigars from the boxes they came in and placing them within your humidor. These humidors are typically quite elegant and intricate in presentation, and with a little luck, something your wife may actually approve of among the household decor instead of banishing it to a mancave.
Fingers crossed.
Small desktop humidors are often the first foray in using a Spanish cedar wood-lined environment that will actually improve the taste of your cigars over time.“
Coolidors
Coolidors are unique and can also be when things start to get a little more digital and high tech when it comes to cigar humidification. These are great for the DIY type who wants to tread a different path to storing larger quantities. They range from basic camping coolers (Coleman, Igloo etc.), to converted wine fridges, and are for some the first step in being able to leave cigars in their original boxes to be placed within the unit.
An electric cigar Coolidor
The downside to Coolidors (like Tupperdors) is that the construction of the interior is not made of Spanish cedar and instead uses materials like plastic, glass or rubber, which over time can possibly affect the taste of a cigar. However, unlike a cedar-lined humidor, Coolidors – as long as they are air-tight – are generally not porous and can require much less maintenance in keeping humidity levels in check.
HENRY: ” Shortly after I bought the side table humidor I added a Coleman cooler as my supply was growing fast. Not long after that I stumbled on a great deal for a single wall cabinet tower – so I also added that to the family.”
Wall Cabinet Humidors
Wall cabinet humidors are the often the final step before converting an entire room into a walk in humidor – if you ultimately decide to take that step. When buying multiple boxes at a time like Henry does, Wall Cabinet Humidors are an elegant option to store and effectively display boxes of opened cigars (like at a tobacconist or lounge) to allow quick and easy access to grabbing a stick to smoke. Some wall cabinet models are illuminated inside and certainly can add an additional visual allure to your collection.
Wall Cabinet Humidors come as stand-alone units or sometimes as a unit that can be affixed to a wall, or built directly into a wall.
Walk In Humidors
Walk in humidors are a cigar lover’s oasis and represent an ultimate ‘vault’ for your beloved collection.
With a walk in humidor, the same rules apply as with all other humidor units – it must be air-tight and with a precise temperature and humidity level. Given the size of the environment, this certainly becomes more challenging, but can be very rewarding.
Cubans a-plenty: Henry’s walk in room is lined with boxes of cigars
HENRY: “Finally, at some point I realized that for me, cigars are a going to be a lifelong passion. It’s likely not going away anytime soon. So I decided to build a complete walk in humidor in my basement. I completed that project a year ago and now I’m finally able to age and store all of my cigars in the same humidor, under the same conditions. Huge game changer.
To build it, I framed a 8′ x 6′ room in a corner of my basement. I used all mold resistant drywall, installed lighting and used an exterior grade door. After finishing the room, I lined all the walls with Spanish cedar which helps hold the humidity longer and always gives that nice cedar smell. I ordered MDF shelving from a cabinet maker and mounted them with basic brackets. The humidity system is a simple cool mist humidifier. The kind that are often used in bedrooms. These work with a couple of fans for air circulation. I t all works with sensors and timers. Was it costly? [laughs] Define costly! As I’m a DIY guy, I’ll say it was less than 2k from A to Z. “
Smoking cigars from the same box once every few months, walks you through the evolution and maturation process and helps you appreciate what a well aged cigar can offer.” – Henry Khachikan
CONCLUSIONS
Having a dry, poorly humidified cigar to smoke is the equivalent of someone handing you a warm, flat beer: it’s simply no fun to consume.
With the regular ease and enjoyment of cigars comes with a little responsibility at times. This means caring for them and having them primed to be enjoyed for any occasion, whether planned or entirely impromptu.
We’ve run the gamut here for you in terms of the humidor options that are available to us today. For many of us, Henry’s elaborate setup is certainly something to strive for. However for now, simply having a proper well maintained humidor for your collection is key, no matter what stage of this wonderful hobby you’re at.
– Kurt Bradley
Follow Henry on Instagram here. To see an ultimate home cigar smoking room setup, click here.
Kurt Bradley is the founder of The Gentleman’s Flavor, to which he is also a contributing editor, host and curator.
Kurt is a certified Whisky Ambassador accredited by The Scotch Whisky Association and has achieved Level 2 Award in Wine & Spirits Education Trust with distinction.
He aspires to build a walk in humidor in his basement. If his wife will let him.
