Freezing a box of cigars

Monday, November 29 1999

Q. Can you store cigars in their original sealed box in the freezer to keep them fresh?
- Vinnie D.

A. Although I'm not a big proponent of freezing cigars, yes, you can, but you must THAW them SLOWLY. Move them to the fridge for 24 hours, then let them "warm-up" at room temp for another day before putting the cigars in your humidor. Allowing them to rest in your humidor for a couple of weeks should give them enough time to settle and smoke nicely, too.

That said, IMHO, I would try to avoid putting them in the freezer if at all possible. A cool, dark space should keep a sealed, cellophaned factory box fresh for about three weeks, or more, depending on the RH of the storage space.