Tuesday, December 14, 2010

An Overview Of Top Quality Cigar Humidors

By Doug Baker


Cigars first came into being some time during the 1400s, and quickly became a favored choice in tobacco enjoyment. It could be said that cigar collecting has evolved into an art form. Because of the nature of tobacco, it was necessary to develop a means of storing them for future pleasure, and that resulted in building the humidor. These units are crucial to the art of cigars and a collector must have a good choice of Top Quality Cigar Humidors.

Because tobacco is cured to be a dried product, it is necessary to provide a specified amount of moisture to prevent it from falling apart, and it can even become bitter and lose its taste. A humidor offsets this problem by maintaining the desired humidity with the assistance of a hygrometer. This device is built into the box and allows a visual inspection of the inside conditions of the humidor for quality results.

Depending on the preferences of the cigar enthusiast, humidors are available from desktop size for a few cigars, to full sized cabinets for hundreds of cigars. You can even get a smaller one that fits in the shirt pocket, as well as have them custom made for any unique interests. However, the type of wood used is the most important issue for providing flavor and consistent moisture.

Spanish Cedar is thought to be superior to other types of cedar because it absorbs more humidity, and gives off a stronger aroma. However, don't assume that it is a tree that grows in Spain, when it is actually imported from Brazil. If the wood is carefully dried before being used in manufacturing, there will not be any resin formation to contend with.

Another wood that is often used as a replacement for Spanish Cedar is the more common American Cedar. This wood is much cheaper and more easily obtained, but is not quite as good at absorbing moisture as its counterpart. However, cedar is a wood that is easily worked, and can result in some very beautiful carvings for decorating the outside of the humidor.

Honduran mahogany is sometimes used in place of Spanish Cedar, because it has a good absorption rate, too. But, there are issues as to where and how it is grown that involve worm infestations which make most of the wood useless for making a controlled environment for moisture. It does not deliver as much quality of flavor as the Spanish Cedar, but if this mahogany is used for a lining it should not be treated with any chemicals.

Attempting to make a choice between a solid wooden cabinet and one that is lined with a veneer is not as important in humidors as one might think. Actually, due to how much solid wood tends to swell with moisture, it can cause problems of creating leaks at the seams of box construction. Therefore, a nice veneer can be a better choice while still delivering the desired taste and aroma.

Proper care and storage of cigars depends a lot on where the tobacco was grown and the environment in which it was first harvested and cured. Knowing those details allow the user to manage the humidity content of the humidor to match the best possible settings. When buying a Top Quality Cigar Humidor you should only purchase a unit that is equipped with a good hygrometer built in so that the humidity can be properly monitored.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment