What should I do to properly handle these cigars?

Question

A little over a month ago, I allowed my uncle to borrow my car while he was in town for his homecoming. Today I found an opened factor box of Padrón Series 3000 Maduro cigars. They are still in their plastic sleeves, and as I have said, have been in my car for a little over a month. I live in Ohio, so I know humidity will be a problem for the cigars. What would be the best procedure to follow, without having to buy an expensive humidor I wouldn't plan on using again, to prepare these cigars to be smoke?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Whatever you do, do NOT place them in EITHER the freezer or refrigerator!

Unfortunately, having them in the car for over a month is not a good thing as they will now be dry but not unsalvageable. The cellophane wrapper does nothing to protect moisture loss as they sleeve the cigar to protect them from physical damage - they are porous and allow for gas exchange.

The key is to re-humdify them but slowly. Tobacco, being hygroscopic, will absorb as much moisture as are available but being composed of different types of leaves, introducing too much at one time will cause them to 'explode' as the wrapper, binder and filler will be rehydrated at different rates. Placing these sticks in a baggy with a wet paper towel will cause that to happen.

One down side to dry cigars is that the essential oils that make up a cigar's flavor has evaporated. That is not the case here, although there will be some compromise. There are a couple of ways of rehydrating these cigars (which are very good, BTW) but will take a bit of work.. One is to buy a drymistat tube at a tobacco shop (~$10) and filling it no more than one-third way with distilled water and then placing it in the box and double bag it in Ziplock baggys. Another is to purchase 'cigar juice' and watering it down by half.. The juice is a 50/50 solution of distilled water and propylene glycol which will stabilize an enclosed environment (humidor) at 70% rh, which is too high in your situation. Then wet (not saturate) some live floral foam with it and place it in the baggy but outside of the box of cigars. A better container would be something airtight (like a Rubbermaid or Tupperware container) but make sure that it is not too large, otherwise you will be humidifying a lot of empty space.

In either method, it will take a few weeks to rehydrate and then you can use the drymistat or cigar juice as normal for storage. The key here is patience. The cigars should be ready when you gently squeeze the middle of the stick and you hear a slight rustiling (not crunching) and the body springs back. Cigars that are too dry will smoke very harshly and draw too freely. Too wet and they will be difficult to light and draw.

Padron 3K's are very good robustos, especially in maduro. They are full bodied but not spicy. Make sure you smoke them after a good, heavy meal if you are not a regular smoker.

Good luck!

Source(s):

16+ year, 3-a-day handrolled cigar smoker with 1400+ cigars in my home humis/coolers

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Thanks! I was looking into purchasing a drymistat tube, this has just made the decision much easier.

Answer 2

Freeze them for a day (or however long you need to, as long as they are in a freezer bag) and then let them defrost- then smoke.

Source(s):

Those are some good cigars!

Answer 3

Don't freeze them. That is the quickest way to remove what is most important to a cigar......Moisture. If you don't have or cannot afford a humidor, get a large plastic bag. then get a paper towel. Soak it in water and then ring it out real well so that mostly all the water has been rung out. Place the paper towel in the bottom of the bag and fold it once. then put the cigars in the bag so they will not touch the paper towel. Seal the bag and place in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days and they should be fine

Source(s):

Bartended 10 years in a five diamond five star hotal bar that sold cigars that started at $15.00 each up to $50.00 each.