Frequently Asked Questions for Humidors

Q17: Is it all right for cigars to comingle in my humidor?


A: While some purists say no, conventional wisdom says yes.

When cigars are comingled, the rich scents and oils of the older and best cigars will marry their with the younger ones, improving their bouquet. It might seem a trifle metaphysical and impractical, but the great cigars always throw off their aromas and oils into other cigars, as well as the cedar lining. The older, drier benefit from comingling as well, absorbing moisture from the younger smokes.

Purists, however, believe that keeping sticks separate preserves the signature aroma associated with each cigar. This belief is most prevalent with Habanos purists, but with the tobacco traveling that is prevalent today, (i.e., Dominican tobacco used in cigars from Honduras, Nicaraguan cigars containing Mexican tobacco, and--of course--Connecticut wrappers used worldwide) cigars today have less distinction than cigars in years past.

This is a reprint of the article in the "Tip of the Week" section of the website
of Cigar Aficionado ( www.cigaraficionado.com ) in the week of November 30, 1998.