Cigar lovers worldwide have these questions in their minds “Do cigars expire” and “How long do they last”. Well, in this article you will get the answers to these questions. Cigars have been a tradition in royal families, and people from such backgrounds love to smoke them. It is not that easy to store cigars without a humidor for quite a long time. There are some specific ways in which cigars have to be stored.
The environment in which these cigars are stored matters the most when it comes to their expiration. They can last for even longer than a decade if the humidity and temperature are maintained according to the cigar’s requirement. Maintaining both of them is not as easy as it seems to be. An individual requires a humidor for the maintenance of temperature and humidity.
There are various methods that people adopt to store their cigars but their method doesn’t need to be right. They try to store cigars in a Tupperware box, or a sealed plastic bag and use other such methods. It might be able to last their cigars for about a week but after that either the flavor will start altering or the tobacco would not even catch fire and the cigar will be ruined.
Though these methods which are listed above can be proved effective with one condition that the individual is having a humidification source like a humidity pouch. A humidity pouch will ensure that the cigar is getting the required humidity from the humidity pouch.
Cigar Anatomy 101
Contents
Unlike any other tobacco product cigars are very premium and hand-crafted products. Highly skilled cigar rollers are the people who spend years getting command of this technique. Cigars are manufactured with very specific components which might arrive from different countries whose combination lands us with a premium cigar. Fermented tobacco grown in a precise region or maybe a blend of various tobaccos grown in distinct regions to form a classy cigar.
Majorly there are 3 components of cigar tobacco or a blend also known as a filler, the binder, and the wrapper leaf. To deliver specific tastes specific components have to be decided which is done by master cigar makers. These master cigar makers are professionals who have got extensive training in the same domain and are responsible for making the best hand-crafted cigar pieces in the world.
Can Cigars Go Bad?
The prime components of a cigar are the leaf that is the wrapper in which the tobacco has been wrapped, and the blend or the filling of tobacco used for the cigar. The leaves hold humidity, which is an integral part of a cigar. This humidity is responsible for keeping the cigar fresh. Moisture plays a prime role in a cigar. If a cigar dries out, then it might lose its original essence, the leaf can get torn, or it may get cracks on it.
Similarly, if a cigar is humidified extensively due to any reason then it might get saggy, the tobacco lost its taste, and the cigar might don’t even light. Only cigar humidors are the best possible thing which can keep cigars in the best possible condition. It is crucial to keep the oxygen circulating for the cigar. This also contributes to keeping the cigar fresh.
Why Do Cigars Go Bad?
Too little humidity or too much humidity is why cigars go bad. When they are stored in normal boxes or plastic bags without a humidification source that point they might get ruined. Well, if your cigar has been dried there is still a possibility to bring it back to life, but there is no assurance of how long it can take, it might take a few days or even months.
It depends on what the current condition of the cigar is. It can be done by using a wet towel and a plastic bag. Keep a wet towel and the dried-out cigar in the plastic bag. The cigar might get back to life within a short period.
Well, this does not mean that one may put the cigar in a place where there is the presence of intense moisture. It is not a good way to bring cigars back to life. It is just a way even to ruin them more. A dried-out cigar does not need intense moisture rather it needs a gradual amount of humidity and moisture to get back to its old condition.
There is a possibility that if one has put the cigar in an extensive amount of moisture, then bacteria might start making their place in it after which the cigar will not be in a stage to get consumed so while trying to make the cigar better, be careful not to ruin it more.
Popular Misconceptions About Aging Cigars
When cigars are stored for a quite long period, then they show the presence of small white crystal-like structures, which are known as “plumes”. The process which is responsible for the development of a “plume” is known as “bloom.” People have this misconception that the development of this plume means that the cigar might have got ruined and is not aged correctly. In reality, it is just the opposite. The development of these plumes means that the cigar has aged right and is now in its best state to be consumed. One just needs to remove the plumes from the cigar and consume it to get the best out of it.
How Can You Tell The Difference Between Cigar Plume And Cigar Mold?
This is again a widespread question that arises in an individual’s mind after learning about the concept of plumes. There is a lot of difference between cigar plume and cigar mold. One just needs to know how to differentiate between the two. Cigar Mold appears bluish or green. It does not get off quickly from the cigars as easily as cigar plumes. Mold can also grow on the humidor’s body if one uses tap water to fill it instead of distilled water.
Recommended – Cigar Plume Vs. Cigar Mold
Why Does Cigar Mold Grow?
There is a simple reason why Cigar Mold grows on the cigar. Using tap water for humidifying the cigars. Let it be in any way. Either it is the plastic bag with a wet towel, or it is the humidor if the towel is wet due to the tap water and the humidor is filled with the tap water then there is a possibility that the cigar mold will make its place on the cigar.
This can be prevented if one uses distilled water instead of tap water. This will not let the cigar mold make its place on the cigar. One should always keep in mind that using tap water to keep humidify the cigar then it can lead to a worsening of the cigar.
How Long Do Cigars Last?
There is no particular limit for cigars to last. It is all about the condition in which one is storing their cigar and if it is getting affected by the environment. If one can store their cigar in such a way that the change in surrounding temperature can affect the cigar, then the cigar can be stored for a very long period. Some people have over 50 years old cigars with them that too in new condition. Generally, the cigar gets matures within 3-6 months after getting manufactured, and it will give the best taste in that case.
There is also a difference between cigars that machines and hand-crafted ones manufactured. if you know how a particular cigar is made, then you might be able to predict something about its lifespan.
The cigars which are hand-crafted need more attention and care to be in the best possible state. The ones which are manufactured but not crafted the cigar that is made using machines can stay fresh even after keeping them without a humidor.
They can also last for an extended period without much care and still taste the same as they should. When a cigar is getting matured, at that time the taste of the cigar gets bloomed. The cigar kind of develops to taste best.
Some people like to customize even the maturing process that is some like their cigar after a maturing period of about 3 months, and others might like it after the cigar has matured for about 8 months. Cigar lovers can only understand this difference in taste. The strength of the cigar also depends on maturing time. Hence one might need to explore, their taste if they are new to cigars.
Conclusion
I hope that your questions have been answered from all perspectives and now you have more information regarding all the aspects of cigars. You can bring the best out of cigars if you follow all the instructions listed in this article. You know when to say that your cigar has expired or it has matured completely. Based on your storage method, you know how long your cigar will last.