History of cigar humidors

It is difficult to delve into the history of cigar humidors or to give a date when they were born. Or the name of their inventor. Or what the first humidor in history was like. A simple chest of thick wood, a little decayed, placed in a slightly damp cellar. Something like this could have been the first cigar humidor, as described by Zino Davidoff in his ‘Book of the good cigar smoker’.

It was a piece of furniture that a modest tobacco grower showed him on one of his trips to Cuba. ‘Come and see a piece of furniture belonging to my family in which cigars lose nothing’, the gentleman showed him. And Davidoff himself not only saw the piece of furniture, but was able to verify its preservation qualities. He smoked a cigar that had spent almost 25 years in that chest of that family of growers.

Of course, the Cuban climate is perfect for the preservation of tobacco. That is why the cigar that Zino Davidoff smoked after 25 years in the Cuban family’s cabinet was excellent, as he describes it in his book. ‘The usual aroma of the brand was joined by a remote, discreet perfume, a note of softness, a subtle resonance, like the imprint of time,’ he says.

The history of cigar humidors begins with Zino’s discovery in bringing the first cigars to Europe

The history of cigar humidors begins when Davidoff began importing cigars to Europe and he faced a significant problem. The cigars he brought were in optimal condition in Cuba, but when they arrived in Europe, they found themselves in a much drier environment, which caused them to dry out, negatively affecting their taste and quality. This problem underlined the urgent need to find a solution to keep the cigars in proper condition.

To solve this problem, Davidoff decided to design a humidor that could maintain the right humidity and emulate the absolute humidity environment of the cigar in Cuba. Thus, he created the first humidor that controlled humidity to prevent cigars from drying out.

Davidoff’s solution not only helped preserve his own cigars, but also marked a breakthrough in the way cigars were handled and stored in Europe. His innovation helped improve the quality of tobacco in the European market and laid the groundwork for more refined storage practices.

Humidors, key for countries without a tropical climate

Thus, in countries that do not have a tropical climate, such as in Europe, it is more difficult to keep cigars for so many years. In addition, the sudden changes in temperature, typical of countries with marked seasons, do not favour them. However, it is possible to keep them in humidors for a long time while preserving their characteristics. However, it is important to be aware of the conditions in which the cigars should be kept in the humidor.

It is worth remembering that the most favourable environment for a Havana cigar and any other Premium cigar is:

• Relative humidity between 67 and 72%. The ideal degree of humidity is 70% at 20 degrees.
• Temperature between 20 and 25ºC.

The boxes in which the cigars come help to preserve them. So it is never a bad idea to put them directly into the humidor. However, as well as helping to prevent them from losing their qualities, the humidor enriches the cigars. The flavours settle, the cigars age more and are impregnated with the aroma of the cedar wood in the humidor.

Preserving and aging cigars

Zino Davidoff also explains in his book: ‘I will never tire of repeating that a cigar kept in good conditions not only loses none of its quality, but improves. As it ages, it changes. But that does not make it any less satisfying: it has acquired its full maturity’.

However, it all depends on the tastes of the individual smoker. Just as there are lovers of young wines and lovers of wines with many years of reserve. Moreover, some cigars age worse than others. Therefore, when buying a premium cigar, it is important to be well informed about the type of tobacco in your blend and how long it can be kept for (under the right conditions of humidity and temperature).

Secondly, it is advisable to know whether the product you are buying has already been in the shop for a long time; the period in which the cigar is (fermentation or maturity); whether it can and/or should still be aged; the degree of maturity it is at… All of this is key to knowing how long a cigar can be kept before smoking it.

In any case, humidors are the best places for cigars to rest. ‘Every aficionado should have a humidor at home, i.e. a more or less large place where his cigars can be stored or kept for a few months before being consumed,’ advises Zino Davidoff.