subject: Let Them Rest! [print this page] Cigars can be quite finickyCigars can be quite finicky. If they havent been stored properly or allowed to adjust and grow, they can give you a wrong first impression. Many people talk about how little they were impressed when they opened a new box of cigars and smoked a few right away. But as they got deeper into the box, they started to like the sticks more and more until finally, they loved them. This is not because they learned to like the cigar, or due to different blends mixed throughout the box. Its all about the regulation of continuous humidity in the cigars.
When you buy cigars, most will not be at the perfect 62%-65% humidity level. Retailers usually store their cigars at or above 70% humidity to keep them from drying out in the ever-changing conditions the cigars will face before they reach you, the customer. These cigars (I call them wet cigars) may have burning issues, taste issues, and may be hard to draw.
The reason we let our cigars sit for some time is to let the cigar regulate the humidity throughout the entire stick. The wrapper of the cigar may feel great and a bit dry, but that does not mean the inside of the cigar has reached that point. The core, filler tobaccos, may still be too moist to smoke, causing issues with burning. A wet cigar needs at least a few weeks-worth of time to rest in your humidor before it reaches ideal smoking conditions.
So how long should you let them sit? Well, it depends on who you ask. Some say one week, others tell you three weeks, and still others think it poor etiquette to even think about touching a cigar until it has had at least a few months of rest. I usually let mine rest for around a month. That is the point where most cigars, at least in my experience, start to pick up the pace with flavor, taste, and burn.
The idea of resting your cigars makes sense when you think about how a stogie actually works. The foot of a cigar obviously has the highest temperatures. As the smoke moves through the cigar while you puff, it cools and deposits some of the aromatic compounds onto the filler leaves before it reaches your lips. As the burn continues, it changes the dynamics and time it takes for air to pass through the cigar. You will notice along the way that the flavor characteristics of the stogie change. Moist cigars do not allow this process to occur, which leaves you with a dull, unflattering experience.
We all love trying new things, right? But dont blow your money; let your cigars rest! Every time you think about lighting one up too soon, just remember its like wasting your hard-earned pay. That should help resist the urge. Using restraint can be difficult, but to be clich, good things really do come to those who wait.
