Yikes. How can I NOT argue with them? I don't keep my smokes at 70% either (not that I'm going to say it's WRONG), but suggesting I keep them at higher than 70%? Not a chance in hell. Gotta say I'm very surprised to see such a mainstream manufacturer suggesting such a thing. I've certainly heard some persuasive arguments for storing at around 70% for aging (higher RH for aging versus storage), but never for anything approaching 80%.
Cello: Yea or Nea?
- Thread starter djs134
- Start date
Hoser45, my personal preference is to remove cellophane over all. I can't think of a reason why I would keep the cellophane wrap on a box. That being said, I don't believe it will harm the cigars.
Ask yourself this: is there a reason I want to leave the cellophane wrap on the box?
If you can give yourself a good enough answer, go ahead. I'm not sure what that might be
wink, but again, I don't believe you will harm anything.
Again, my personal preference is to unwrap everything all the way around, unless we are talking about individual cigars that are going to be stored somewhere that I am going to be rummaging through on a regular basis. Then I might leave the wrap on to help protect the wrapper.
All of that being said, I have some individual cigars in my humidors with their wraps on for no other reason than that I was too lazy to take them off. I don't really worry about it. I've yet to unwrap the individual cigars on the boxes of BOTL Small Batch I received either. I plan to, but again, I don't stress over it.
Ask yourself this: is there a reason I want to leave the cellophane wrap on the box?
If you can give yourself a good enough answer, go ahead. I'm not sure what that might be
wink, but again, I don't believe you will harm anything.Again, my personal preference is to unwrap everything all the way around, unless we are talking about individual cigars that are going to be stored somewhere that I am going to be rummaging through on a regular basis. Then I might leave the wrap on to help protect the wrapper.
All of that being said, I have some individual cigars in my humidors with their wraps on for no other reason than that I was too lazy to take them off. I don't really worry about it. I've yet to unwrap the individual cigars on the boxes of BOTL Small Batch I received either. I plan to, but again, I don't stress over it.
Only reason is that perhaps it would age differently. But I have no info on it, just inner thoughts.
Oh, and keep out beetles?!
AND, to keep me from being tempted to pull out a cigar too early because I'm impatient! :crosseyed
Oh, and keep out beetles?!
AND, to keep me from being tempted to pull out a cigar too early because I'm impatient! :crosseyed
Cello is not airtight, or a vapor barrier of any kind. Bettles will eat right thru cello, with out a 2nd thought. I would take it off the box, but only so I could check the condition of the sticks before storing them.
See Dprice's post above. They'll breath fine with the cello on. I wouldn't go so far as to say "the same" as they would naked, only because I've not done thorough research on the matter. But my understanding is that cello is plenty porous and therefor not a big factor in "breathing". That being said, there is a reason that cigars stored in cello for the long term end up with "yellow cello", not to be confused with the drink of a similar name ( :wink: ).
More pure speculation: To me, that yellowing of the cello seems to suggest that the particulate within the evaporated essential oils from the cigar is ending up on/in the cello rather than spreading around to other nearby cigars. If aging singles amongst each other I suppose this might be something one would want. However, if you are talking about a box of cigars being aged together, I would see it as a downside, keeping the flavors from fully marrying throughout the box.
More pure speculation: To me, that yellowing of the cello seems to suggest that the particulate within the evaporated essential oils from the cigar is ending up on/in the cello rather than spreading around to other nearby cigars. If aging singles amongst each other I suppose this might be something one would want. However, if you are talking about a box of cigars being aged together, I would see it as a downside, keeping the flavors from fully marrying throughout the box.
Interesting speculation. Never thought about yellowing on cello being potential good oil to spread. I would be aging some full boxes. Does it take a long time for oils to spread? I'm not sure I'd be resting or aging for 10 years! I'd be smokin' em by then!
Anyone know if aging boxes with out cello is a better idea based on this "theory"?
Hoser, if the theory is correct, you would want them out of the cello for aging so as to marry the flavors throughout the box. HOWEVER, there are caveats (as with everything).
For instance, take cigars En Tubos (In Tubes). These usually have a cedar sleeve within the tube which adds to the equation, but still, these cigars are just as good aged as their counterparts shipped in a box...JUST DIFFERENT. Now, like I said, the cedar certainly affects that as you end up with more cedar taste/aroma because of the sealed environment and close quarters, but the cigar still goes through the aging process as all of the individual leaves used meld together as essential oils are spread throughout the cigar. So there is still some aging, just in a slightly different manner. So with a box, you get all of the cigars evening out together, whereas with a tubo you get the individual cigar evening out the tobacco in that particular cigar. Hopefully I was able to communicate that well enough and it makes some sense.
Now for the other caveat: it depends on if we are talking about non-cuban cigars or cuban cigars, the aging process is again different between the two because of how they are manufactured. Historically, Cuba has used young, mostly un-aged tobacco to produce their cigars and they don't tend to hold on to the cigars for aging once rolled, they are shipped out pretty much right away. This means that the aging that the cigars go through is more drastic, and in some ways, more important, than that of rolled non-cuban cigars. Now, on the flip side, non-cuban cigars historically used well aged leaves to roll their cigars and many add to this a further aging step where the rolled cigars are aged before ever being shipped out into the distribution channel. This means that you will see a more pronounced aging process in Cuban cigars than you will in (most) non-cuban cigars (the most because I don't know that there aren't NC's being rolled with unaged tobacco).
So, to get back to your original question. I don't know how long it takes oils to spread honestly. When talking about Cubans and young leaf, the typical aging time-frame thrown around is about 5 years. Certainly people smoke them earlier, but that tends to be the benchmark for getting into "well-aged". For NC's, it's a much different story because the tobacco has already been aged for some period of time and it will depend how long the leaf was aged before rolling and how long the sticks were aged before being shipped. I know, not the most helpful answer in the world. :wink:
For instance, take cigars En Tubos (In Tubes). These usually have a cedar sleeve within the tube which adds to the equation, but still, these cigars are just as good aged as their counterparts shipped in a box...JUST DIFFERENT. Now, like I said, the cedar certainly affects that as you end up with more cedar taste/aroma because of the sealed environment and close quarters, but the cigar still goes through the aging process as all of the individual leaves used meld together as essential oils are spread throughout the cigar. So there is still some aging, just in a slightly different manner. So with a box, you get all of the cigars evening out together, whereas with a tubo you get the individual cigar evening out the tobacco in that particular cigar. Hopefully I was able to communicate that well enough and it makes some sense.
Now for the other caveat: it depends on if we are talking about non-cuban cigars or cuban cigars, the aging process is again different between the two because of how they are manufactured. Historically, Cuba has used young, mostly un-aged tobacco to produce their cigars and they don't tend to hold on to the cigars for aging once rolled, they are shipped out pretty much right away. This means that the aging that the cigars go through is more drastic, and in some ways, more important, than that of rolled non-cuban cigars. Now, on the flip side, non-cuban cigars historically used well aged leaves to roll their cigars and many add to this a further aging step where the rolled cigars are aged before ever being shipped out into the distribution channel. This means that you will see a more pronounced aging process in Cuban cigars than you will in (most) non-cuban cigars (the most because I don't know that there aren't NC's being rolled with unaged tobacco).
So, to get back to your original question. I don't know how long it takes oils to spread honestly. When talking about Cubans and young leaf, the typical aging time-frame thrown around is about 5 years. Certainly people smoke them earlier, but that tends to be the benchmark for getting into "well-aged". For NC's, it's a much different story because the tobacco has already been aged for some period of time and it will depend how long the leaf was aged before rolling and how long the sticks were aged before being shipped. I know, not the most helpful answer in the world. :wink:
Once again, it would depend. First and foremost, it is rare to find cello on Cuban cigars. So really, most times, this is a mute point. Beyond that, if they were individual cigars being stored in a desktop, I might not, just to protect the wrapper. If it was a full box of cigars, I probably would. Then again, I might not if I were being lazy or if I wanted to keep the box intact on the off chance I was going to use it for trade/sale fodder at some point.
Sorry, I realize my answers are not the most definitive, but understand that I fully believe that this is 99% a personal preference issue without a HUGE effect on the cigars. I just find it interesting to discuss the possible differences.
Sorry, I realize my answers are not the most definitive, but understand that I fully believe that this is 99% a personal preference issue without a HUGE effect on the cigars. I just find it interesting to discuss the possible differences.
Great, now your discussing. When it was the two of us it was arguing... I see where I stand..:stickbeat:
I always leave it on. For several reasons:
1) It make the cigar easier to light.
2) The melting cellophane melds with the wrapper protecting the cigar in case I drop it.
3) The combination of Cello and tobacco produces a really nice hallucinogenic effect.
Plaid monkeys. Ah yes, it's good to see you again my friends...
RW
1) It make the cigar easier to light.
2) The melting cellophane melds with the wrapper protecting the cigar in case I drop it.
3) The combination of Cello and tobacco produces a really nice hallucinogenic effect.
Plaid monkeys. Ah yes, it's good to see you again my friends...
RW
