Pics from a cigar forum that Jamie turned me onto. Some of these are jaw dropping.

 

Third pic down . . . wow! Looks like a wine cellar. Optimal wine cellar temp/humidity is what, ~ 60F/60-65%? This is pretty good for cigar storage too?

 

So why do you need sooo many cigars? Do they age?

 

Optimal storage for cigars is around 65F and 65% RH. Optimal storage for red wine storage is similar - 55F and 65% RH. Some people will store their wine at a slightly higher temp with their cigars at around 58-60F.

The problem with storing wine at higher temps is that it ages faster. For example, storing wine at room temp (73F) will cause your wine to age 2x as fast as if it were stored at 55F. But 58-60F is probably ok. I'm sure that 58-60 is ok for cigars because I read about a notable collector who stores his at 57-59F because he was paranoid about cigar beetles. You really never want to store cigars above around 72F because of the risk of beetles (the eggs can hatch at 75F). Supposedly, Habanos SA freezes all of their cigars before they are shipped in order to eliminate any beetles or their eggs, but most people don't want to take the chance.

 

Yes they do, to a point. Ideally, you want to age fine cigars a couple years before smoking them. But some people will age them much longer, such as 5-6 years, before cracking open a box. Supposedly, they will last a very long time if stored properly. For example, some people collect pre-Castro cubans that have been around 50+ years. But I once read that you really want to smoke them within 15 yrs or the flavor can start to dissipate.

 

Interesting... I always just buy em and smoke em... I've wanted to purchase a Humidor to have a few on hand, but figured I can just pick them out of the humidor at my local cigar shop when I want one... I dont smoke (cigars) all that often (1-2 a month)

 

Interesting stuff about the beetles.

Any cigar recommendations for a novice on an intern's budget?

 

picked up a humidor on the way home from work and find this...yippe!

 

Of course, I forgot to mention that the other issue with improper temperature storage is mold. If your cigars are well humidified, but the temp is high then you're risking mold/fungus forming on your cigars. This is another reason why you want to keep the temp down below 72F. If the mold is white, you can just brush it off and smoke away. But if it's blue/green, the cigars are toast.

Overall, proper cigar storage is a delicate balance. I would guess that all of the humidors pictured above are both temp and humidity controlled. If you keep the temp and RH at 65-70, you're good. But too much above that and you can start getting all sorts of issues. And too little humidity and the cigars will dry out and become harsh and non-smokeable and may crack.

 

Why have such a stock though? Can you re-sell an "aged" cigar? Seems like most of those collections, if smoked by one person, would never get through them all... Especially if your constantly buying more smokes. I can understand keeping 20-40 while smoking 2-4 per week, and constantly buying new additions.