Spanish Cedar - Rejuvenate

[Jason55555]

Recently I bought a new 6ft cabinet humidor it was used and was neglected, I could tell sometimes bit to much humidification was used and then not any at all. Still it was in great condition and I bought it the price was too good to pass up.    

I'm currently giving the humidor a facelift (COVID times so something to pass the time).

My question is with the Spanish cedar inside of it, when I stick my face in the humidor I smell the spicy Spanish cedar...but not the level I want it. I've been reading that a quick sanding using a 400 grit sandpaper should bring back the smell but when I tested a shelf I got no such luck. I don't smell a thing. ***Plz note the whole humidor is Spanish cedar lined so I'm careful not to sand to much or to hard. I also pulled a old small Cohiba Spanish cedar insert and tried sanding it too in order to get a smell...but another goose egg no smell.

Sooooo now I'm thinking maybe I need the humidification to start running inside the humidor and then get the RH up to get that Spanish cedar smell really going. Is there anyone that can back up this theory up or maybe give insight on how to rejuvenate Spanish cedar?

Thanks!

[MrBirdman]

Two observations from my own experience:

1) Humidified cedar is definitely more aromatic than dried out. 
2) Cedar’s aroma gradually weakens over a (very) long time depending on its thickness and quality. But at the end of the day that lovely smell comes from volatile compounds that won’t last forever. I’ve never had it disappear entirely, but older humidors don’t have quite the same intensity that had young (which is fine by me since too much cedar is not to my taste). 

How old do you estimate the cabinet is?

[djrey]

Honestly I think you are worrying about getting that smell too much. I’m with you, it smells absolutely fantastic but you don’t want to turn it into a cedar closet and over power your sticks. I’d just make sure it’s good and clean in there and load it up with boxes of cigars. You’ll have the perfect smell in no time, believe me. My humidor is a marine cooler. 30 or 40 boxes and it stinks of cedar and tobacco.

[MrBirdman]

I’ll second @djrey and add that you can always put in fresh cedar planks. But get it up to the proper RH before buying anything else. 

[Jason55555]

11 hours ago, MrBirdman said:

 

How old do you estimate the cabinet is?

I would say pushing 10+ years