Some of the answers are pretty accurate. Keeping our cigars in a proper environment is "key"...a lot of hobbyists tend to let their new cigars marinate less than a month and then expect them to smoke perfectly after that time frame. It's been discussed many times that it takes about a week for a 1% rise in RH...example... you buy a 5 pak of cigars and immediately put it in a 65% humidor...the theory is that your cigar should be ready to smoke within a week....you'd be wrong ,,,
Cigars are hygroscopic in nature. In lay terms, this means that they will, over time, dry out in a dry climate or absorb moisture in a humid one. And they will continue to do so until their
own moisture content matches that of the ambient climate around them. It's vital that you leave your cigars in the best possible environment for them to thrive at the RH you choose. Leaving them at the very least of a month or two is advisable but not written in stone..depending on ones taste. When you take that 65% stored cigar out into a 45 degree climate then you're defying the Cigar Gods and possibly will see your wrapper split...esp. if the cigar was a little damp.
A damp cigar will not burn properly. Not only will it be difficult to keep lit, but also difficult to draw on. The smoke may become too dense, leaving the smoker with a sour taste and a rank odor. Also, over-moist cigars will frequently split their wrappers as has been noted. A lot of aficionados are picky when it comes to "when to smoke a cigar" and I tend to be picky and it's been at least 5 years since the last cigar burst the wrapper. I like a 60-80 degree environment to smoke in outside...and keep my stash at 65% and I rarely will smoke a stored cigar w/o at least 2 months of rest. JMHO
