Whether you’re a neophyte stepping into the cigar game with virgin tastebuds and a nearly empty wallet, or the ultra-experienced bon vivant willing to spend the equivalent of a secondhand Porsche on a place to keep their smokes, we detail which storage space is likely best for you.
by Nick Kolakowski , Ken York
Because this magazine needs an advice column, we plan on devoting a few pages per issue to that most pressing of cigar-lover concerns — not looking like a total idiot as you engage in the lifestyle. This issue, the topic of discussion is humidors.
Much as it pains us to say it, new cigar smokers occasionally don’t stick with the lifestyle. No matter how exciting your brand-new stogie lifestyle, refrain from investing your children’s college fund in a desktop box until you’re sure this is a lifetime affair.
When it comes to starter humidors, it pays to perform a simple test — take a dollar bill and close it over the lid. Go on; give it a yank to make sure the fit is snug. All good? Next, select a humidor that will hold all the cigars you expect to have on-hand, plus room for one more box. It pays to err on the side of having more room. You’ll want a Spanish cedar-lined humidor, although Zino makes a fun and inexpensive series from acrylic (ranging from $210–$310). Xikar also makes a series of not-so-expensive humidors, crafted from more exotic woods such as Amboina, Bocote and Cocobolo, retailing from $369.99 for a 30-count, to $517.99 for a 60-count.
Whichever you choose, your humidor should have an accurate hygrometer to measure the humidor’s humidity, which should be kept at 70 to 75 percent. Test your analog hygrometer for accuracy by placing it in a large ZipLoc bag with a small jar lid holding a paste of salt and distilled water. After 8–12 hours, the meter should read 75 percent relative humidity. If it’s off by more than three percent, either adjust it or throw it away. I personally prefer a digital hygrometer, which you can get for about $20. An internal humidifier replenishes the moisture in the humidor.
Depending on the humidor, it’s recommended that you add either distilled water or a Propylene Glycol/distilled water mixture when the humidity drops below the desired level. Don’t use tap water. The distilled water, available in most pharmacies or auto parts stores, should be sodium-free.
If we said to name the best luxury cars in the world, Rolls Royce and Bugatti would undoubtedly be at the top of the list. For best humidors, the list must include Elie Bleu and Ashton Manning. A PG Cigar Elie Bleu humidor that holds 110 cigars goes for about $2,500, at least at the moment — as with any humidors from European manufacturers, pay attention for the current dollar-to-Euro ratio before purchase, just to ensure you don’t get unduly walloped by a currency fluctuation. More experienced connoisseurs are equally passionate about the Ashton Manning series, produced by John Harding, owner of Manning of Ireland, which became the exclusive manufacturer of Ashton humidors in 2004. All Ashton humidors are exquisitely handcrafted in both classical styles and contemporary designs, utilizing traditional techniques and the finest materials in the world. One of their largest number, of holding 150-plus cigars, costs about $1,450.
Of course, the Avo and Griffin humidors from Davidoff are also top-quality. The Avo Uvezian handcrafted humidors ensure optimum storage conditions through an integral Avo humidifier system (and retails for around $1,800), while the Griffin humidors, which also feature a self-regulating humidifying system, cost about $1,340. Best of all for those wanting to make their cigars a centerpiece, the humidors effectively double as excellent objets d’art.
In the first issue of The Cigar Report, we covered the humidor equivalents of the S65 AMG — the ultra-ultra-fine cases you’d be willing to drop a small fortune on. Those included the $14,500 Davidoff of Geneva Giant, with its exotic woods and painstakingly rendered box imagery, and the $12,000 alligator-skin Duret — monogrammed in gold, if you so desire. But the true cigar lover, the kind who could smoke RoboCop, Peter Weller (big ‘gar gangster), under the table before tackling the Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger (even bigger ‘gar gangster), sometimes requires tailor-made luxury. The kind obtainable only when money is no object – the raison d’etre for Filias Custom Built-In Humidor Design, which can transform virtually anything in your home into a humidor. “It’s my design that takes all the humidor components and separates them so they can be placed in a certain area,” says Greg Filias, a former partner of Vigilant Cigar Humidors, which also did custom work before branching out on his own. Early clients have included Campion Platt, the renowned New York architect, who had a Lucite cigar cabinet installed in the Esquire North Show House in New York (before moving it into his own casa). For the privilege of being able to turn virtually any household surface into glass-fronted Cuban storage, prepare to pay up to five figures and up for components, design and construction. Just make sure you clear it with the rest of the household before you start converting entire rooms into hideaways for your stogies.