Resting

[CentralTimeSmoke]

Personally, I’ve learned over the years that resting cigars is an important part of my cigar experience. Cigars are often stored at too high of an RH for me, whether from an online retailer or B&M. Resting allows them to acclimate. Most importantly, this helps them burn truer, and it also removes unwanted flavors. Nearly all of my cigars rest for at least three months. It’s a habit I picked up from The Cigar Forum That Shall Not Be Named. The thought being, three months should bring even the most humid of cigars down to my target of 65. This is hard to do at first, but I dedicated a tax return a couple years ago to build up my stash so that I always have plenty of well-rested stogies on-hand and it just doesn’t make sense to sacrifice a ROTT bitter bomb when I’ve got something with six months on it.

I’ve essentially eliminated burn issues from my cigars, except for those that are simply roller-error, and that’s still pretty rare. It’s a tried and true method that many veterans I know use. That’s why I’m always surprised when I see guys like Steve Saka say this:



He’s far from the only industry guy that I’ve seen say this. In fact, people like me are likely the exception, not the rule. But I can’t tell Steve Saka, who has been blending and smoking fine cigars for longer than I’ve been alive, that he’s wrong. He’s a genius when it comes to cigars. His entire line is probably in my top 5. But I also don’t think it’s a matter of opinion that cigars burn terribly and have off flavors when they’re stored at retailers’ preferred RH of 70 (or even above!) - and I also think it takes way longer than a few days to fully bring down the RH of a cigar. So, what say you, bums? What’s your experience with resting, what’s your preferred technique and RH and why do you think veterans like Saka aren’t on board?

[Tombstone]

Personally my acceptable rh range is 58-70ish. You can usually feel when a cigar is over humidified then I let them sit. Other than that I smoke away. I do not live in an overly humid or dry climate so that helps. If you live in one of the extreme then I find it matters more.

[Emperor Zurg]

I don't care what Steve Saka (or, for that matter, Zino Davidoff) says about cigars and humidity. I've long since stopped worrying about what other people say I should store my cigars at. I've smoked cigars stored at 70% and I've smoked cigars stored in the low 60s. I like the flavor and burn of the low 60s cigars better. That's all there is to it. Probably if Steve Saka smoked one of my Undercrowns stored at 62% he wouldn't like it. So be it.

[Cigarer]

I try to let them rest unless I get anxious to try a cigar. Not all cigars are better with a long rest, imo. However a few weeks I wiuld think be enough time to acclimate to your desired humidity

I do get burn issues once and awhile (usually my fault for not having hygrometer in humi), and if I have a cigar unravel or crack I won't even touch a cigar on my humidor for weeks.



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[Scott W.]

I let them rest for one week for every day in transit from the vendor unless I’m dying to try them. Oldest cigar I’ve smoked was 85 years old

[Brimy]

Unless I'm really anxious about trying something new, I'll let mine rest. Most that I've read do as @Scott W. said 1 week/day in transit. But being in the NE and not brave enough to don the war gear to go outside and smoke from late fall to early spring, resting my stash is easy.
I could be way off base here, but I think Saka and most of the manufacturers look at how they store their cigars before shipping when they say that the cigar should be good to go in a couple of days. I believe that they are hoping, believing that retailers are not over humidifying the cigar. And as you eluded to, unless you are living in an extremely humid/arid area, the cigars are not going to deviate too much from the time they left the factory. Especially with retailers shipping with some form of humidification. I would hope that the manufacturers ship with some sort of humidification or vacuum seal too.

[FidelCastro]

I've never let Saka make definitive statements that I know to be wrong ...affect me. He's dead wrong on his assumption and I can name a dozen Manufacturers that would tell him to his face that's he's wrong about resting. Does that discount other statements that he's made that are correct.....nope, it don't. He's not a Cigar God...he's a fallible person and when it comes to cigars he's not the authority on resting of cigars. I could go on with thesis material on what is considered accuracy but either one knows and researched this or they haven't and if a person wants to smoke a cigar without resting then so be it....I like my steaks at medium rare with KerryGold Butter melted on it.....but then again I love a good tasting steak.

[WNYTONY]

I let things rest, but I have built up a stock of things to smoke while they're resting. Generally I let them go 4-6 weeks but that's not to say I won't break into one if I'm anxious to try that particular smoke. I am definitely lower than 70/70. I try to keep it right around 65% and being the bulk of my sticks are in my basement storage facility they are usually south of 70 degrees. Smoke what you like and store them so that they smoke good for you.

[allusred]

I let things rest, but I have built up a stock of things to smoke while they're resting. Generally I let them go 4-6 weeks but that's not to say I won't break into one if I'm anxious to try that particular smoke. I am definitely lower than 70/70. I try to keep it right around 65% and being the bulk of my sticks are in my basement storage facility they are usually south of 70 degrees. Smoke what you like and store them so that they smoke good for you.

" Smoke what you like and store them so that they smoke good for you."
Clear & Concise.
Perfect.

[CentralTimeSmoke]

" Smoke what you like and store them so that they smoke good for you."
Clear & Concise.
Perfect.

I like that, too!

Lots of great answers here. Of course, it all comes down to personal preference. Some guys prefer cigars right off the B&M shelves. I’ll never understand it, as I personally see the patrons opening and closing that damn door 20 times an hour and I know there’s no telling what RH they’re at. 60 in the winter? 80 in the summer? But I truly don’t judge. It’s silly to tell someone who’s clearly enjoying a cigar, “excuse me, you could ACTUALLY be enjoying that cigar a lot more with 3 months rest.” To them, it’s perfect. So whatever floats your boat.

I’m also fully onboard with the fact that there’s such thing as too much rest, and every cigar is different. If I buy a box of something, I smoke them in intervals and hit it pretty hard when I they start to come out of their shell. That could be six months or two years. I bought some Espinosa Habanos off a FB marketplace with four years rest and they tasted like stale popcorn.

Thanks for entertaining me, bums!