Storing your cigars in their boxes makes them taste better?

[CaptainQuintero]

I read recently that aging cigars in their boxes results in a better taste, as opposed to the taste you would get if they were taken out of their box and stored.

Really? I'm not an expert by any means but surely that makes no difference what so ever? Infact smelling some of my old boxes, they don't smell particularly nice, no where near as nice as my humidor.

[El Presidente]

I read recently that aging cigars in their boxes results in a better taste, as opposed to the taste you would get if they were taken out of their box and stored.

Really? I'm not an expert by any means but surely that makes no difference what so ever? Infact smelling some of my old boxes, they don't smell particularly nice, no where near as nice as my humidor.

The boxes were invented for Ken to work out which cigars were which

[CaptainQuintero]

Infact smelling some of my old boxes, they don't smell particularly nice

This also means that some smell like a tramps underpants. I don't want my cigars to aquire that particular flavour.

[Colt45]

I don't know that it makes them taste better in the end, but there is something about the aroma that wafts from, let's say, a slide lid box, with the cigars enclosed

and in such proximity to each other, that is intoxicating. I don't always get that same aromatic intensity from cigars loose in a humidor.

[Chelsea8]

I don't know that it makes them taste better in the end, but there is something about the aroma that wafts from, let's say, a slide lid box, with the cigars enclosed

and in such proximity to each other, that is intoxicating. I don't always get that same aromatic intensity from cigars loose in a humidor.

I agree with Colt45 on the aroma. When storing in the boxes, in my humidor, the aroma is just so delicious when opening the box of cigars. Loose in my humidor, I don't experience the same intensity. Also, empty stored boxes seem almost odourless - maybe because the empties are stored in a storeroom rather than in my humidor, for obvious reasons.

[gigabyte056]

I store all of my cigars in boxes, all of them are also stored in wine coolers that tend to reduce the aroma of cigars when they are loose.

It helps organize things and they smell so much more intense that way.

Question to Rob, since that issue with the letters to your wife and you being almost out on the street etc. I guess things are better since you are bashing Ken right and left here.

Seems to me that when the time comes and all hell brakes loose you will be sleeping out on the deck with the python...

[Ryan]

I don't know that it makes them taste better in the end, but there is something about the aroma that wafts from, let's say, a slide lid box, with the cigars enclosed

and in such proximity to each other, that is intoxicating. I don't always get that same aromatic intensity from cigars loose in a humidor.

I think that about sums it up. Whatever molecules are hitting your nose to give you that aroma when you open a box don't go back into the cigars when you close it.

Nearly all my cigars are in boxes and most of those in ziploc bags.

[n2advnture]

In my opinion (and experience), storing in original packaging does help cigars age better. Being a hygroscopic organic material, I am of the opinion that storing them in boxes reduces the amount of moisture and oxygen exchange which in turn slows the deterioration (ie aging) of the cigars. This "slow aging" can lead to more complex and subtle flavors over time.

Just my $.02, take it for what you paid for it - lol

I hope this helps

~Mark

[brian1]

I have noticed with older cigars say 15+ years that they tend to absord the cedar aroma from the box. This may or may not be to one's liking. Personally I do not like the flavor/aroma to be dominated by wood/cedar. I find it can overwhelm the more subtle and delicate flavors of the aged tobacco itself.

I like the idea of the jars and my gut feeling is this storage method may result in more complex and flavorsome tobacco over the long haul as there is much less comingling of cedar/wood with the cigars.

[Colt45]

I like the idea of the jars and my gut feeling is this storage method may result in more complex and flavorsome tobacco over the long haul as there is much less comingling of cedar/wood with the cigars.

Brian, do you think maybe that as jars are airtight-ish, that perhaps they retard the maturation process, keeping the cigar within more "vibrant" for a longer

period of time? I don't have any jars, but aren't some lined with cedar?

[bc8436]

I age my cigars inside boxes. I like the designs of the boxes (not the horror stickers) and they make it easier to organize the humidor.

[Puros Y Vino]

Brian, do you think maybe that as jars are airtight-ish, that perhaps they retard the maturation process, keeping the cigar within more "vibrant" for a longer

period of time? I don't have any jars, but aren't some lined with cedar?

I just bought my first jar. The LGC Deliciosos. And the aroma is unbelievable. There is some cedar resting on the top of the jar, some jars have them on the sides too. I'm wondering if its' worth investing in a few "cigar jars" to do some long term aging?

[SCgarman]

If you have a cabinet humidor such as myself as opposed to a desktop, it makes sense to store cigars in their original boxes and keep the assorted loose ones in a drawer if your humidor has one. Obviously desktop humidors do not allow box storage and I swear by my 60 box capacity cabinet. The only problem I have is having enough cash flow to continuously buy boxes so I can fill the baby to the max.

[CaptainQuintero]

Yeah it's come up in my thinking when thinking about long term storage. Currently I have about 80 cigars in a 100 cap desktop. WHich is fine. But the next step is either get another desktop, or for the same amount invest in a wine cabinet. The issues for that are that temp is not a concern for me (I live in the UK!) so it would purely be a space issue. A desktop looks better to me than a winecooler but it would be juggling the two desktops constantly.

I don't really currently plan on buying say a box a month, at most I can see myself buying two boxes a year. So I'm trying to weigh up the pros and cons of two desktops (probably my current 100 and a new 250) Vs a converted wine cabinet which probably would not be plugged in due to the above temp issue.

any ideas?

[ramon_cojones]

LOL I buy two boxes a month LOL

[Lotusguy]

LOL I buy two boxes a month LOL

Two a week, for me... I have a problem

[Guest 321contact]

I age my cigars inside boxes. I like the designs of the boxes (not the horror stickers) and they make it easier to organize the humidor.

The horror stickers from the austraila boxes are nuts. I was shocked the first time i saw it. German boxes from duty free just have some text.

[zathan]

I tend to believe that CCs are intended to be stored in the packaging they came in. My only exception is the carton boxes. I store those in empty boxes. For the record I have a wine cooler.

[bolivr]

For me, storing in the original boxes just seems the right thing to do

[CaptainQuintero]

The horror stickers from the austraila boxes are nuts. I was shocked the first time i saw it. German boxes from duty free just have some text.

The ones in the UK are pretty bad too, pictures of rotting lungs and diseased livers etc. It's wierd because my car didn't come with a sticker of a dead person stuck on it? Maybe there was an error in quality control.

[ajgagnon]

Brian, do you think maybe that as jars are airtight-ish, that perhaps they retard the maturation process, keeping the cigar within more "vibrant" for a longer

period of time? I don't have any jars, but aren't some lined with cedar?

I'm pretty sure I am aging faster than my cigars...

[ramon_cojones]

Two a week, for me... I have a problem

Actually I bought 7 last week and 5 this week