Cedar inserts and other storage nuances

[Benson]

I just received some beautiful Medio Siglo and Siglo V tubes from our esteemed host, and wanted to put them down for a few years. These are my first tubos as I’m pretty new to the CC scene, I never realized they have a slim cedar insert inside. My thinking is that these might have more of an affect on flavor than a cab insert, just due to proximity to the cigar and ratio of wood/cigar inside the closed environment.

As with many aspects of this hobby, there’s no right answer, but I just wanted to see what others do: keep the cedar? Pitch it? How about the slip inside the cab?

And while I’m nitpicking, how about long term storage in cardboard packaging? Do you seek an alternative or just leave it in the box?

I’m sure I’ve fully wandered off into the deep end of overthinking it but again I just wanted to see if others had any opinion

Cheers gents and enjoy the weekend!

 

[Markspring1978]

Leave the cedar in the Tubos. 

When you are talking about cardboard packaging, are you talking about dress boxes? 

My preference is to store all Habanos in their original packaging. I prefer wood SLB to dress boxes for that reason. 

[IanMcLean68]

43 minutes ago, Markspring1978 said:

Leave the cedar in the Tubos. 

When you are talking about cardboard packaging, are you talking about dress boxes? 

My preference is to store all Habanos in their original packaging. I prefer wood SLB to dress boxes for that reason. 

^^This, but with two exceptions.

Firstly, I remove the cardboard from non-tubos 3 & 5 packs and similar, like these on Siglo II. These would get transferred to an old cab, SLB or other wooden box, or put loose in my singles tray.

And also secondly, the cardboard outer boxes on varnished boxes, for example, Partagas 898 and Cohiba Lanceros.

 

These are stored in their inner varnished boxes.

Anything else, dress boxes, cabs, slbs, tubos, etc., is stored in its original packaging. The reason I remove the cardboard as mentioned above is because I find that the cardboard starts to ferment and smell funky after a period of time, and/or imparts a cardboard taste when in direct contact with the cigars. Dress boxes don't contain cardboard, they are made of wood and paper. If the cardboard outer boxes on the varnished boxes ever gets damp or wet, they will invariably start to go mouldy and then they will smell bad. Also the cardboard outer boxes make the boxes bigger and take up more unnecessary storage space.

[Markspring1978]

100% agree with ^^^. Great comments @IanMcLean68

I would consider these to be additions rather than exceptions. A couple other thoughts...

The cardboard non-tubo singles aren’t my favorite. In fact, they aren’t removed and stored in cabs, they seem to taste like cardboard with little flavor. Most of the time I avoid them because they aren’t the greatest aging candidates. 

As to the outer cardboard boxes on varnished boxes, I make sure to use a piece of blue masking tape to record the box code on the bottom of the varnished box that goes in my humidor cabinet. After a while, you will have quite a collection of outer cardboard boxes, and you won’t remember which goes with which. 

[IanMcLean68]

34 minutes ago, Markspring1978 said:

As to the outer cardboard boxes on varnished boxes, I make sure to use a piece of blue masking tape to record the box code on the bottom of the varnished box that goes in my humidor cabinet. After a while, you will have quite a collection of outer cardboard boxes, and you won’t remember which goes with which. 

Excellent point! Sometimes the box code is also recorded on the bottom of the varnished box, sometimes it isn't and is only on the cardboard outer box.

I also agree with your points on cardboard non-tubos singles. I tend to avoid them for the same reasons.

[Benson]

Perfect, yes I was referring to actual cardboard like the Siglo II IanMaclean pictured

I have two packs of Siglo IV that I’ve been considering transferring to an older box so thanks for validating that. They definitely have much less scent coming off the wrapper than my cab robustos ?

[bbguardsp]

Tubos with long term age will have a more pronounced cedar note to them compared to 25 count boxes.   There are anecdotes that aged tubos are TOO cedary so I would let your palate decide.  If you like cedar, keep them in tubos.  If not, store without.  Paper carton packs can do the same thing and introduce "papery" flavors.  I'm not aware of any good arguments to store cigars long term in the carton packs as that paper taste is a far cry from cedar to most palates.

[Tstew75]

I'm not a huge Tubos fan anyways, but I do find the cedar inserts overkill. Don't think I'd want that much cedar hugging cigars in the long term.

RE: cardboard packs, I like leaving them in OG packaging if even for purely organizational reasons. I see that some commenters above have said CB packs don't age as well (less flavor), but I'm sure if anyone short of 20+ year collectors would have substantial evidence of this. I'd love to hear more opinions...

I like the cardboard outers on varnished boxes & leave them all on long term. That said I don't 'display' any of my collection so don't care about the visuals.

I keep all cedar inserts as additions to all my tupperdors. Handy little boogers.

 

[The Squiggler]

12 minutes ago, bdw1984 said:

There's a reason that they are in that packaging to begin with.

only sometimes, as with the cardboard singles and boxes of 5, the reason is more commercial than functional.  I'd say leave them in their original packaging excepting the cardboard packaging as stated above, and maybe experiment with the tubos---(if you happen to have enough) store a few outside of the tubes and leave the rest in the tubes and then see if you can tell a difference down the line.  Cigars seem to age differently inside of cedar lined tubes, and sometimes the results can be quite nice IMO.

[The Squiggler]

1 minute ago, bdw1984 said:

Have you ever aged cigars in cardboard?

I haven't, and admittedly I'm not in a position to make any claim from experience one way or the other. 

I've just heard many people say that the essence of the cardboard can permeate the tobacco over time, so I tend to remove any cardboard that comes into direct contact with the cigars.  That said, it stands to reason that the cardboard boxes are designed for individual/5-pack retail sale and short-term transport with no consideration paid to how the packaging will affect the quality of the cigars over time.  The same might be said about tubos if they weren't also designed to mimic the environment of a cedar box or humidor (sans proper air seal).  Aging cigars in cedar lined tubes (inside a humidor/climate controlled environment) seems to work out well in my experience so long as the storage environment is ideal and/or you keep a keen eye out for mold. 

Have you experienced good results aging in cardboard?  I'm genuinely curious because I have my eye on some aged 5 packs (which in all likelihood have never been removed from their original packaging).

[Nico]

I’ve read many times that people claim cardboard packaging makes the cigars taste weird. I’ve tried both older and newer cigars from cardboard and never tasted anything out of the ordinary that I can blame on the cardboard. But you guys have scared me to death about the flavor impact so nowadays I always remove it because I’m to neurotic that it will change the flavor.
Tubos are another thing tho. They have a little ceder note sometimes (more or less depending on the blend I guess). The only time I tasted something out the ordinary is the ceder wrapped cigars like RyJ cedros de luxe 1, 2, 3. No only do they look ugly with the ceder wrapping but they taste quite ugly too. And for the love of good, don’t remind me to take the ceder of before lighting it

[TheCigarslayer]

I mostly store loose because my wine coolers are packed to the gills as it is. It’s a nightmare trying to keep track of box codes so I try to keep the grouped and labeled then singles drawers are smoke em whatever. 

[Mikeltee]

I honestly dont think that it matters. The humidity is not high enough to break down the medium and impart flavor. As far as cedar is concerned, the first time it hits your lips its going to rub off. They wrap Fonsecas in wax paper and no one has ever complained about an aged Fonseca tasting like wax paper to my knowledge. I do however remove the cardboard boxes on my LCG MdO4s. Hopefully I will get a chance to do the same with some CoLas in the near future. 

 

They are only cigars... dont sweat the details. Just keep your CCs at 62-65 rH and 60-70 F and they will smoke great. If they are young and you have burn issues, drybox in a tupperdor with a 58 Boveda for a couple weeks or if in a hurry, no boveda 3 days and then 58 boveda 3 days. 

[rcarlson]

14 hours ago, Mikeltee said:

They are only cigars... dont sweat the details. 

Good God, man!  If we did that we'd have nothing to talk about around here.  ?