SURVEY: CELLOPHANE REMOVAL/MARRYING OF FLAVORS

[phxkev]

Hello everyone. I'm new to here but it looks like a great community!

I suspect this has been addressed before but please bear with me. I have enjoyed reading many posts about humidity levels in humidors but I am curious as to whether or not you remove cellophane wrappers from your cigars before placing them in a humidor AND whether or not you are concerned about the "marrying" of flavors if cigars in a humidor touch each other for a period of time.

Thanks in advance!

Kevin (Phoenix)

[JMH]

Whether or not you remove the cellophane makes no difference. The flavours aren't going to 'marry' if different cigars are in contact with each other, so you don't need to worry about that either. Oh, and welcome to FOH

[Tampa1257]

Kevin, The only cigars I have in my humidor that have cellophane on them are Cuban Machine Mades. I leave them on.

[El Presidente]

Welcome aboard Kevin.

leave the cellophane on mate. There is something damn sexy about yellowed cellophane :cool:

[Loki]

Welcome.

Its really a matter of preference. Take your choice.

Cello can be damn sexy, it all depends who's wrapped in it.

[DocRKS]

» Welcome aboard Kevin.

»

» leave the cellophane on mate. There is something damn sexy about yellowed

» cellophane :cool:

I used to leave the cello on - but the odor and fumes it gave off when I lit the cigar was really offensive - so now I take the cello off. ;-)

[Tampa1257]

» I used to leave the cello on - but the odor and fumes it gave off when I

» lit the cigar was really offensive - so now I take the cello off. ;-)

Well duh!!!

[smk819]

» » Welcome aboard Kevin.

» »

» » leave the cellophane on mate. There is something damn sexy about

» yellowed

» » cellophane :cool:

»

»

» I used to leave the cello on - but the odor and fumes it gave off when I

» lit the cigar was really offensive - so now I take the cello off. ;-)

I have a similar problem with cedar, it tends to make the cigar burn to hot, so I take it off now.

[TR]

I too am from Phoenix....leave the cello on as it will protect the wrapper.....:-D

[phxkev]

» I too am from Phoenix....leave the cello on as it will protect the

» wrapper.....:-D

TR! I met you in Vegas as we waited in line to get into Saturday's Big Smoke. Nice meeting you! You are the reason I am on this site. You and the gentleman you were with recommened it.

Two words: Whisker biscuit!

[Ginseng]

I remove the cello. There's just something about naked cigars rubbing up against each other that seems to, um, get me excited.

But seriously, I've not had problems with flavors mixing. Of course, the obvious solution would be to buy and store boxes and cabs I wish.

Wilkey

[Van55]

» Hello everyone. I'm new to here but it looks like a great community!

»

» I suspect this has been addressed before but please bear with me. I have

» enjoyed reading many posts about humidity levels in humidors but I am

» curious as to whether or not you remove cellophane wrappers from your

» cigars before placing them in a humidor AND whether or not you are

» concerned about the "marrying" of flavors if cigars in a humidor touch

» each other for a period of time.

»

» Thanks in advance!

» Kevin (Phoenix)

I wonder how many times this question has been asked on the various cigar bulletin boards over the years. Not that there's anything wrong with asking it again. Obviously the fact that it is asked so often indicates that there is an interest in the definitive answer.

There is, however, no definitive answer.

My own practice, for what it's worth, is to store my cigars in the packaging chosen by the manufacturer.

The consensus seems to be that storing cigars in the original cellophane will cause them to improve with age more slowly than clipping the cellophone or removing it, exposing the cigars more directly to air. This is not a bad thing, according to most serious cigar collectors, as slower aging means better aging in their view. Moreover, it seems indisputable that the cellophane provides a bit of extra protection to cigars' delicate wrappers.

As for the un-wrapped cigars sharing flavors and odors with other unwrapped cigars in close proximity, I think most people opine that if that this doesn't happen. I would not be so sure of that. Try storing a few Acid flavor-infused cigars with real cigars for a month (or even less) and tell me that Acid flavors don't permeate and "spoil" the regular cigars. Admittedly, this is an extreme experiment, but it convinces me that cigar odors and flavors do commingle within a humidor, even if the the commingling is too subtle from one regulal cigar to the next for most of us to notice.

I don't know of anyone who has done any kind of controlled test by which to measure the degree, if any, that flavors and aromas marry, nor am I aware of any way in which such a test could be conducted with any scientific validity, given the subjective nature of taste, the inherent differences in taste even in cigars of the same make and size, and given how much the smoking experience can be affected by the circumstances under which a cigar is enjoyed.

Cello on or cello off? Short answer: your choice.

[TR]

» » I too am from Phoenix....leave the cello on as it will protect the

» » wrapper.....:-D

»

» TR! I met you in Vegas as we waited in line to get into Saturday's Big

» Smoke. Nice meeting you! You are the reason I am on this site. You and

» the gentleman you were with recommened it.

»

» Two words: Whisker biscuit!

I must admit Kev that I was well lubricated........I remember now. Maui and I were talking about our favorite vendor......good to see you here. We must get together for a smoke and a cocktail seeing as though we live in the same darn city.

TR

[TR]

oh yeah, wisker biscuit......;-)