Smoke Time

[basil]

Smoking a cigar right out of a new box is a temptation I nearly always give in to. Sometimes they are fine, sometimes too wet. I agree with BWA, 70 is too wet. I'm pretty sure I've received boxes that are significantly wetter, and they don't smoke worth a shit.

I live in a dry area, and I think local climate needs to be considered. We have one B&M here and while they have a decent selection, they don't smoke cigars and they don't know shit about taking care of them. So, cigars that don't sell quickly - within a month or so - may be dry enough to necessitate re-humidifying before they can be enjoyed. Left in that store long enough, they are ruined.

So, I'm pretty careful at home. The ambient rh is nearly always lower than 65%, so I check my hydros at least a coupla times a week. When cigars come in that are too wet (and I don't plan to sit on them for a while), I have to give them as long as 3-4 months before they (slowly) come down to something smokable.

[ashauler]

I keep my humidor at smoking rh, which I agree is in the lower/mid 60's for me. Like BWA I have absolutely no idea what I'm gonna smoke until I open the humi so its for sure grab and go for me.

As far as new purchases and aging, I have two coolers, 1 big one for aging/relatively long term storage around 70%, and a smaller one to quarantine my new purchases in. I quarantine the new cigars for at least 2 weeks at the same rh as my storage cooler. At the end of two weeks I usually put a couple sticks in the humi and the box in the storage cooler.

Like Basil, I can usually never resist the urge to smoke one right off the truck either and usually they are too wet to smoke well, but I still do it.

[bigwhiteash]

I'd like to add that I will always smoke one right out of the new box. not only due to the temptation, but it gives me a base to compare against when I smoke one next year.