How to Store your Cigars: Cellophane vs. no Cellophane
It’s common knowledge that many cigar brands package their individual cigars in cellophane within each respective box. This begs the question: Should I keep my cigars in cellophane?
Here’s what some of the Cigar World’s Behind the Band team, Sean Williams, Laurel Tilley, and Rick Rodriguez, have to say.
Sean Williams - Cohiba
If aging, ditch the cellophane.
Take how you will be smoking into consideration; Is this a cigar you will smoke to appreciate the flavors fully, or are you just having a stogie with your buddies on the golf course? If your goal is to age it long-term in your humidor to enhance flavor, take it out of the cellophane.
Laurel Tilley - Macanudo
Consider damage control.
If you have a system for taking good care of your cigars outside of the cellophane, go ahead and take them out. Without the cellophane, your cigar is far more susceptible to damage, so take damage control into consideration.
Rick Rodriguez - CAO
Every situation is different.
The best way to store and age your cigars will always be without cellophane. BUT, take into account that different tobaccos, when stored together, will marry flavors. Unless you can guarantee that they will only touch the exact same cigar (i.e., in a box), keep them in the cellophane so as not to ruin the cigars.
And Remember:
Never store flavored cigars with the rest of your collection.
Behind the Band
If you found this helpful, be sure to catch Behind The Band every Tuesday at 7 pm EST for tons of expert insights and more useful tips like these.
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Comments
3 Chewbacca Big Papa
(3 years ago)Very informative! After reading this article I'll definitely be taking the wrapper off of most my cigars! I have a couple of humidors so I may keep the ones with the cello on in one, and the ones I take off in another! Toke On Boys!
1 RadRacer
(4 years ago)Only remove cello if you're box aging. Most folks don't even have proper humidor space for 100 cigars let alone actual space for longterm aging (3-8 years). Besides, cellophane traps in moisture. A loose cigar that's not wrapped in cellophane only stays fresh for about a day or two in ambient humidity but you've got about a weeks worth of time if you store your cigars in ambient humidity with cellophane.
2 MattS
(4 years ago)Thank you I keep my cellophane cigars in one divider of my humidor, mainly to give to friends that may want to try something they hadn’t had before.
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