Monday, November 29 1999
That really is the question. So here's
the 411 on cellophane wrappers: Being the 100% natural product they
are, ideally, cigars should not be kept wrapped in cellophane, although
some may subscribe to the belief that it makes no difference. This
is true if you smoke through your cigars quickly. Some brands do come
boxed naked, but most cigars are packaged in cello wrappers mainly
to protect the wrappers from damage and nothing more.
The rule of thumb is, if you have a good quality
humidor that keeps
the environment at a relative 65-70% humidity and about 63-68 degrees
temperature, your cigars can be safely stored without the cello wrappers.
This allows them to "breathe" and age properly. If you often
take cigars out with you, leave the cello on, but it's always good
to store a few without the cello so they can mellow out. This is also
a good way to "test" whether the unwrapped cigars taste
better (but give them at least a month to six weeks before smoking).
You can also try putting some of your "take-out" smokes
in the humidor with the cello
wrapper "open" at the end
which will allow some air to circulate through them.
When storing your cigars without the wrappers, be sure you carefully
remove the cello so you don't tear the wrapper leaf and gently rotate
your cigars to a different part of the humidor every few weeks, too.
