Note: This article has been revised from its original content on May, 12, 2012.
Mmmm, cello on or cello off? An age old question but one that continues to crop up each time we buy cigars. Dominick wants to know if he should remove the cellophane from the cigars to which he was just gifted. The answer to this question depends on many factors, i.e. the strength of the cigars, when he is planning on smoking them, and the quality of flavor he prefers. Cigars stored in cellophane retain a freshness longer than those stored “naked”. If you like the way cigars taste right out of the cello then, by all means, store your sticks in the cellophane. But if you like your cigars to mellow and have it’s flavors meld and compress, then cello off would be the way to go; although cigars will mellow within the cellophane, but at a much slower rate. I like my sticks to mellow and have a flavor meld before they are smoked.
I used to remove the cello from all the cigars I planned to age. But now that my collection has grown, I’m leaving the cello on to slow the aging process. But when I buy a box, I take the cello off a few sticks and leave the rest as is. By doing so I will have some cigars ready to smoke with the remainder protected for long term storage.
Dominick, I hope this has helped clarify your issue. If you are still unsure what to do, I suggest you remove the cello from all your sticks. I’ve never regretted storing my cigars naked, and have found that most cigars benefit from aging. The exception being the Cameroon sticks, but even then, the flavor diminished only after many years of storage.
Cello on for long term, cello off for current smoking rotation.
Very nice site, Joe. I’ll light one up to that!
I had heard that by leaving the cellophane on one could also protect against the spread of bugs or mildew should either somehow get into your stash. I leave them on but for no real reason, except maybe too lazy to remove them. Cigars that come without them already smoke and taste, no different then than the ones covered. I guess like everything else with cigars, it’s personal preference.
Iv’e found that removing or keeping on cello can help to adjust my large (250 ct. ) humidors RH level I also cut the sealed end of a few I plan to transport. Iv’e been smoking several brands of Dbl. claros and they all seem to be a bit more delacate than others so I leave them all on and the ends opened up the ones I try to age ( I find myself sneaking one or two some weekends ) in my other humidor they all come off.
Hi Joe,
Great Job on this site; it’s really informative! Love the closet too.
My first year cigar journey.
I first started off buying desktop humidors and cigar boxes. The cigar boxes I would throw away and store the cigars without the cello in the humidors. The point of this process was to condition the cigars for a few months before smoking them. I would keep the puros by themselves in individual humidors and have 2 to 3 brands of multi leaf cigars in the other humidors. I then decided I wanted to start aging my cigars after reading and realizing the true flavors of most cigars come out after 1-3 years. At this point I also realized I wanted to do it by the box, so I bought my first humidor foot closet to start storing them in ( hopefully later, Ill be able to follow your foot steps to a closet , but one step at a time).
I have a few questions for you as I set it up. Presently, a cigar oasis humidification unit is running inside the humidor and I’ve also placed a xikar 100count humidifier to charge it. While this is charging, I am trying to find the correct way to store my cigars. My main questions revolve around the cigar boxes. Are there any factory boxes which should not be used to age the cigars? ( some boxes have a panel lined with felt, so this got me thinking- how could humidity penetrate this scenario?, does it even matter since its only one side?, Do thicker boxes stop the humidity?, Do varnished boxes stop the humidity? , etc). Should I open the boxes monthly to let the cigars breath for a day- while still keeping them in the closet? Should I rotate them? Should I leave the boxes and never open them until its been aged for at least a year? I’ve read so many different things and points of view, but I’d like your opinion. The topics you’ve discussed on your site thus far make sense, so I am hoping you could make sense of aging – the dos, the don’ts, etc for a novice.
Thank you very much and good luck with any future endeavors you may embark on.
Alex.
Alex, glad to hear you are enjoying Robustojoe.com! I appreciate the kind words.
And welcome to the world of cigar aging and storage. It’s a challenging place, but the rewards are great. I see you have done your research and all your intentions look good. Based on my experiences (which started out looking much like yours), I can make a few recommendations/suggestions:
Cello – I’ve gone around and around about cello on, cello off. I’m now keeping the cello on all the cigars I plan to age. I do, however, always keep a few “naked” in anticipation of smoking. I don’t like smoking cigars right out of the cello. I like a week or two of “naked conditioning” before ignition.
Cigar boxes – I don’t worry about what box the cigars are in. As long as there are some cigars keeping each other “warm” (touching like a pack of sleeping dogs), then I’m okay. But I don’t store cigars alone in coffin boxes. I think the wood to cigar ratio causes the cigar to lose flavor.
Cigar box thickness – Here too, I don’t worry. Wood breaths and will pass moisture. Cigars in plastic containers will need internal humidification. My cigar closet contains loose cigars, cigars in cigar boxes of all kinds (wood, cardboard), and a few desk top humidors. I keep a hygrometer inside the humidors and the humidors have maintained the same RH as the rest of the closet.
Cigar rotation – I don’t think you need to rotate your cigars. But I highly recommend a small fan to circulate the air in any large humidor or cigar closet/room. That is crucial in keeping all the cigars properly conditioned. Opening the boxes once a month is a good idea. The cigars will not only exchange air, but you always need to inspect cigars for mold. Mold can happen at any RH above 50% (that’s what the mold expert told me).
Smoking aged cigars – I recommend smoking one cigar soon after buying a box. If it tastes great, then smoke some more, then put the box away for a few months. Then periodically smoke another cigar. At some point a cigar in storage will reach it’s peak flavor. After that, the flavor will start to diminish. So If you find that, over time, a certain box of cigars has really started to bloom, then smoke them all. I’ve waited too long in the hope that more time will make the cigars even better. Only to be disappointed that I overshot the cigars flavor peak.
I hope this has answered some of your questions.
Good luck and enjoy your cigars!
Arthur