Cigars Local Climate

Imagine that enjoy smoking a dry cigar. Failed attempt, isn't it? However, for quite a long time all cigars supplied to Europe were dry to some extent. A cigar wrapped in the humid Caribbean climate started getting dry the very next moment it left the tropics. Alfred Dunhill was the first to notice the difference. He is often quoted as saying: "A cigar should be smoked under the same conditions it was created."

Though cigars can be smoked even under the European weather condition, much attention should be paid to their storage. Cigars retain their primordial features at the humidity of around 70%. If the humidity is higher a cigar may rot, though it's a rare problem. Much more often the problem is in the opposite - the humidity is too low. If the humidity of the air is lower than 65%, cigars will soon get dry. Tobacco leaves become very fragile and lose their aroma. As a result, a cigar burns faster and hotter and the taste is not as rich as it could be.

Though cigars usually come from hot countries, they hate high temperature. However, cold is no way better. Some smokers make a fatal mistake by keeping their cigars in the fridge. Besides the low temperature itself, cigars are harmed by other smells, as good tobacco is very sensible to any exterior aromas. Considering the temperature – the ideal regime for most cigars is 20-23 C. We are lucky enough to have such temperature range in most of our dwellings. But humidity is our main enemy and in most European countries it rarely goes above 35-40%. And that’s when the humidor enters the stage.

Alfred Dunhill is believed to be the one who invented the humidor. In 1907 he installed a special cabinet in his London shop to store cigars. The cabinet had thick wooden walls and a special reservoir for water. The reservoir was used to provide necessary humidity and thick walls and a door kept the humid air inside. However, this invention didn't become popular at that time as most of cigar aficionados and suppliers preferred keeping cigars in the basements - they were warm enough, but still humid. In the fifties, however, this was no longer the solution, as central heating spread all over Europe.

Under the new conditions, Zino Davidoff was the man to start the process once again. When visiting Cuba he remembered the taste of "fresh" cigars not spoiled by the dry European climate. The first humidor from Davidoff was quite similar to that of Dunhill. Apart from that, Zino also created a small wooden box with a piece of damp cloth. It was much more appropriate for home use. Soon these predecessors of the present day humidors appeared in all tobacco shops that offered Davidoff cigars. The first series of humidors “for the masses" was introduced in 1968. Until that, they were not very popular due to their high price and certain distrust in such kind of tools.