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A young man committing a comedy of errors you can see him pocketing cigars at the .34 and 2:05 mark of the video
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Owning a humidor is a true sign of a cigar aficionado. There is a common misconception that humidors are large and often expensive. Yes, you can buy large, even walk-in humidors that will cost you a year’s salary, but that it unnecessary unless you have enough cigars to fill a humidor that large!

The fact is that if you enjoy a cigar every now and then or even several times a day, you may want to consider purchasing a humidor. These handy containers keep every cigar at just the right temperature and humidity. This ensures that your entire stock stays fresh so that you can enjoy them when you are ready.

When you decide that you are ready to purchase your own humidor, you need to consider a few things. How many cigars would you ideally like to store? How many cigars do you think you will actually have on hand at any given time? The reason that this is important is because there should not be too much dead space in your humidor. This can throw off the humidity and temperature level.

Those walk-in humidors are most often seen in a cigar store or specialty bar, although some more wealthy people may have one as a status symbol. The majority of enthusiasts will choose to purchase a tabletop humidor. These generally hold up to three hundred cigars. In addition, you can purchase a travel humidor if you want to bring some with you.

As a cigar enthusiast, you want to get the best possible flavor every time you smoke. It is believed that aging in a humidor for up to ten years will heighten the flavor continually. While you may balk at the idea of waiting ten years to smoke a cigar, remember that it is entirely up to you whether you even choose to explore the aging process. Not everyone with a humidor chooses to age their cigars significantly, but the purpose of a humidor is to keep your stock as flavorful as possible.

If you do decide to endeavor into the aging process, then you should be aware of a few things. Not all are going to taste better with age. This is a personal preference and is not easily figured out without some experimentation. Cheaper cigars may not need to be aged at all, while some will greatly benefit from aging. Again, this is trial and error. A harshly flavored cigar will likely mellow in flavor the longer it is aged. If you don’t like the taste of a cigar, then aging it will not have any effect on your preference. As long as you understand that a humidor is not going to magically transform your cigars in a few simple months or years, you should be pleasantly surprised at your own findings.

A true cigar enthusiast will choose a humidor that meets his or her specific needs.

Do you consider yourself as a cigar aficionado? If yes, then you surely appreciate the flavour of a matured cigar. This is the reason why you require a humidor for preserving the cigar in an efficient manner. Quality humidors prevent the onset of moisture and also the entry of insects or worms. Following are some of the factors to consider when you buy cigar humidors.

Tips for a cigar aficionado

Large versus Small Humidors

Decide if you will be using a single brand of cigar or different brands. Avoid storing different types of cigars in a single humidor as it can affect the flavour of other cigars as well. Thus, it is better to purchase a large humidor in this case so that you can store cigars in their original boxes. Similarly, if you are planning to purchase less number of cigars then opt for a smaller humidor.

Temperature

Ensure that your cigar humidor can provide the ideal temperature required for your brand of cigars. Ideally, you should store cigars in humidors which can maintain around 65 to 70 degrees temperature. It is better to select humidors that can sustain this temperature.

Humidity

As mentioned earlier, the humidity factor plays an important role in the preserving of cigars. Experts recommend that a humidity level of 70 percent should be maintained for preserving cigars. Less amount of humidity will affect the flavour of the cigar. Similarly, too much humidity content will result into the developing of an acidic flavour. Therefore, to avoid this, cigars should be equipped with a hygrometer. This device can measure the humidity inside the humidor. In addition, ensure that the humidor is provided with an airtight seal.

Types of Humidors

Humidors are available in many different types. Desktop humidors and designer humidors are some of the popular types of humidors available. Desktop humidors are known for their large storage capacity as they can contain around hundreds of cigars. They are also sturdy in nature and rather expensive than the designer humidors. Designer humidors are popular among elite cigar aficionados.

Cigar smoking is all about shared pleasure. After all, it swept Victorian England and became a national pastime in part because it gave men something to do with their hands while they talked after dinner. And it took off during the so-called “cigar boom” of the 1990s in part because new publications, online forums, cigar clubs, and other social venues allowed cigar smokers to talk about their passion.

So it’s no surprise to find cigar-related events all over the social calendar of smokers around the world. In addition to the lavish, expensive Big Smoke conventions put on by Cigar Aficionado magazine – at least two a year, in Las Vegas and New York City – there’s the Ybor City festival in Tampa, Florida, free and open to the public. And that’s just November. Check out a few other, more-exotic possibilities from all over the globe.

The Dominican Republic is the world’s largest source of premium cigars, surpassing even Cuba (from which many of the country’s cigar-making families and technologies emigrated during the years after Castro). La Aurora, Davidoff, Arturo Fuente, and La Gloria Cubana, among many others, all operate there, and as of 2007, it has its own yearly cigar festival as well! Taking place in Santiago, the two-day Procigar Festival (the first of which took place March 5-7, 2008) featured cigar factory tours, visits to tobacco fields, chances to hobnob with some of the world’s greatest cigar makers, and cigar-and-liquor matchups. Companies such as La Aurora, General Cigar Co., and Tabacalera de Garcia, among others, participated, and the inaugural bow was successful enough to motivate a second – to be held February 16-20, 2009.

While you’re there, if you go, you may want to check out some of the other sights offered by this important Latin American cultural capital. The Dominican Republic was the first place permanently settled by Europeans anywhere in either American continent – the oldest cathedrals, universities, and European-made roads can all be found there. Santo Domingo, the country’s capital, butts up against its southern coast, offering breathtaking views (the Procigar Festival takes place far further north, in Santiago, but the country is not super-large in total area). Four mountain ranges decorate the country; the Cordillera Central (“Central Mountain Range”) approaches Santiago, so visitors to the Procigar Festival could also schedule a day trip to see Pico Duarte, the jewel of the Cordillera Central and the highest peak in the West Indies (over 3000 meters). And, of course, Santiago is itself located in the Cibao valley – between the Cordillera Central and Corillera Septentrional (“Northern Mountain Range”), which run parallel to each other – and it’s this rich and fertile area that houses most of the country’s farms, including its tobacco farms.

Or you could follow in author James Joyce’s footsteps and visit Zurich, Switzerland, where the expatriate Irish modernist polymath-writer completed large sections of his surreal novel Finnegans Wake, and where the Whiskyship sails every November. (What is it with November and cigar events?) This whisky-tasting event, which also offers three hundred premium cigars for the sampling, allows those with sharp noses and tastebuds to enjoy single malt whiskies from all over the world, and to enjoy the companies of folks with similar tastes. The 2008 Whiskyship will be the tenth such event. Switzerland, of course, features all sorts of other attractions – among other things, there’s the James Joyce Foundation, but also, you know, mountains and pristine lakes and thousands of years’ worth of European scenery – and would be worth a visit regardless.

Another possibility – albeit somewhat closer to home, at least for North American smokers – is the Nebraska Cigar Festival in Lincoln. Taking place in late November (which pits it against the Ybor City Festival and the two CA Big Smokes in drawing the attention of Midwestern cigar fanatics who don’t feel like going to Zurich), the one-evening event brings in cigars, munchies and a pair of drink tickets for those willing to shell out the admission fees and deal with early-winter Midwestern cold.