Monday, November 29 1999
Q. How long can you keep a sealed
box of cigars before they go bad? I'm serving in the U.S. Navy and currently stationed in Honolulu, All the cigar guys on my ship want to know the answer. It will help us decide whether we buy boxes when we pull into a port.
- David Axtell (Menifee, CA.)
A. If the cigars are kept in a properly humidified atmosphere, indefinitely. If not, about 30 days (average) before they will begin to show the effects of drying-out. That said, in some cases the cellos can keep the cigars fresh even longer. Under normal, un-humidified conditions, anywhere from 45-60 days could spell almost certain death.
If you keep the box in a cool, dark space, that will help, but you still need some humidity. Since you're at sea most of the time, you probably have pretty favorable conditions in terms of humidity, so that could be a plus in terms of your box's lifespan.
The best solution outside of buying a cigar humidor would be to store the box in a Tupperware-type container or a large sealable plastic bag. You might also want to add a piece of sponge dampened with distilled water, or a small humidifier.
Once you open the box, the telltale sign that your cigars are fresh is they will feel supple when you pinch them in their cellos. If the cigars are dried-out, or just about, they will feel hard like real sticks.
In many cases, dry cigars can be re-humidified. However, if they become too dry the leaves lose their "essential" oils. These oils are what give cured tobacco its flavor. So even if you succeed in bringing the cigars back to life, they will have lost most of their flavor, too. At that point, you're probably better off feeding them to the sharks.
One additional word of advice for both seamen and landlubbers. Never store your cigars in a bathroom with a shower, or a refrigerator. The former will provide too much humidity, while the latter won't provide enough.
Finally, an FYI: Famous Smoke Shop ships cigars to military bases all over the world.
~ G.K.
