Monday, November 29 1999
Q. I know it depends on the ambient conditions, but how long can a cigar be left out of the
humidor before it loses an "acceptable" amount of humidity?
- C.J. in Yardley, PA
A. It really depends on where you live, and as you pointed out, the ambient conditions. If you take a cigar out of your humidor and leave it in a room that is especially warm (and dry), or air-conditioned, it could dry out in as little as an hour. But normally it will stay fresh for the better part of the day or even up to 24 hours, depending also on whether you removed the cello wrapper from the cigar.
If you're outside and the conditions are very windy, or sunny and hot, a cigar can dry out within a couple of hours. Many golfers have written to me about this happening to their cigars on the course.
