Informations about Cigar.

 https://www.newair.com/blogs/learn/how-moisture-and-humidity-affect-your-cigars

Informations about Cigar.

Dangers of Excess Moisture

Damp cigars are caused by storing or exposing cigars to excessive humidity, usually anything above 70-72 percent, which is the point at which cigars begin absorbing moisture rather than losing it to the surrounding air. Humidity is highest early in the morning when the temperature is closest to the dew point – the temperature where water vapor condenses into liquid. Humidity peaks during summer and falls during winter. Humidity also varies greatly depending on location. The average humidity in Las Vegas is only 30 percent, while in New Orleans, it’s 76 percent. During the summer, humidity there can reach 90 percent. Inclement weather is also a danger. Cigars absorb moisture very quickly in heavy rain, even if you’re standing under an awning. As little as five minutes in a rainstorm is enough to ruin an otherwise fine cigar.

When cigars become damp, the tobacco leaves swell and it becomes difficult to draw smoke through them. The excess moisture also affects the burn rate. Instead of slowing down, often one side of the cigar will burn faster than the other, a phenomenon known as “tunneling.” An even burn is important because most cigars contain more than one type of tobacco, normally dispersed throughout the cigar in layers to add flavor. Cigars might start out light, become rich, then earthy, or nutty, or spicy as the more of the cigar is smoked. When tunneling occurs, your draw becomes uneven. Flavors mix when they weren’t intended to or the taste of one tobacco overwhelms the rest. Instead of a rich, multifaceted experience, your smoke become one-dimensional and dull.

A damp cigar also emits considerably more smoke than one with proper moisture. The thicker smoke not only clings to you more strongly, stinking up your clothes, but it can overload your sense of smell. A good smoke relies as much on your nose as it does on your taste buds. Cigar maker E.P. Carrillo considers the two to be inseparable. Your taste buds are only capable of detecting four different flavors – sour, salty, sweet, and bitter. Everything else is detected by your nose, and the two work in harmony to provide richness to everything you eat, drink, and smoke. When your olfactory senses become overloaded, your ability to enjoy a cigar is effectively deadened.

How to Tell if Your Cigar is Too Dry or Too Damp

You can tell if your cigar has been damaged by excessive or insufficient humidity by rolling it between your fingers. Dry cigars are very brittle, so if you hear any cracking, then you know the cigar is too dry. If the cigar feels spongy and soft, then it’s too damp. Cigars should feel firm and resilient, similar to how your finger feels when you squeeze it. If you see any cracks or ripples on the outside, it means the cigar has been exposed to fluctuating humidity levels, which harm the cigar’s internal composition. A good cigar will have a smooth, slightly oily texture. Tobacco secretes oil at 70-72 percent humidity, so a little oil on the outside is a sure indication it’s been properly stored.

Other obvious signs cigars have been exposed to excess humidity are white mold or holes left by tobacco beetles. Mold grows in cigar humidors only when conditions are damp and overly humid. Tobacco beetles hatch in the exact same conditions, so if you find evidence of either, throw the cigar away. If you got them from a humidor, it it needs to be cleaned out and its humidity levels reset.