Can You Mix Brands in a Humidor

A commonly asked question in the cigar world is: can you mix cigar brands in a humidor? We take a look at some of the arguments and answers behind this question.

Can You Mix Cigar Brands in a Humidor?

Cigars absorb the aroma and taste of what is around them, so when you store cigars in a humidor together, their flavour profiles tend to mingle. The longer the cigars are stored together, the more likely they are to exchange tastes.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – a lot of cigar smokers love this effect as it adds extra complexity and interest to your smoke. However, some of the more fanatical cigar aficionados will tell you that under no circumstance should you put cigars from different brands, or of different blends, into the same humidor, as they will infuse with one another and alter the specifically crafted tastes.

Ultimately, it is down to personal preference and what you feel is right for your cigar collection.

Is Mixing Cigars in a Humidor Beneficial?

Some smokers argue that if cigars do spread their aromas when mixed, this may actually be a good thing. For one, the strongest flavoured cigars tend to be the best, the oldest, or most expensive, so adding some of that taste to the milder or cheaper cigars may actually be welcomed.

Secondly, the cigars in your humidor, which have been kicking around in there for a few years, are likely to have begun to dry out a little over time. When mixed with newer cigars in a humidor, the oils from fresher smokes can help to rejuvenate the older sticks.

Can You Put Flavoured Cigars in a Humidor?

We would not recommend storing artificially flavoured cigars in your humidor with non-flavoured cigars. If you come to be the owner of a selection of flavoured or scented cigars, then these can have an impact on the flavour of your regular cigars if they are left together in a humidor.

Flavoured cigars are infused with oils that can overwhelm the non-flavoured cigars they are kept around. Even one single flavoured cigar kept in a humidor for a short period of time can cause all of your cigars to taste like that one flavoured cigar. Further, your humidor itself can be impacted by the flavoured cigar, absorbing the taste and passing it on to any cigars you store there in the future.

If you exclusively smoke flavoured cigars, then it is ok to store them together, but if you only have a couple, keep your flavoured cigars separate in a ziplock bag or Tupperware container with a humidity pouch.

How to Separate Cigars in a Humidor?

One way to compromise is to separate your cigars into different sections within your humidor so that different strengths or flavours can be kept apart. Dividers can be added in either lengthways or widthways to add sections to your humidor.

If your humidor includes a tray or an interior divider, you can always separate different brands with a barrier. Or, you can organize your cigars according to their wrapper varietal or country of origin.

You can also get some cedar dividers for your humidor to keep certain cigars apart. Cedar wood is good for use as dividers in your humidor as it is absorbent and helps to maintain the right humidity.

This can be useful in differentiating between milder cigars and more full-bodied smokes so that you can easily remember which is which and won’t end up having your strongest when you only wanted a mild stogie with your morning coffee!

How to Stack Cigars in a Humidor?

Stacking cigars is also an option for those who have a fairly extensive collection (or a fairly small humidor!).

Stacking cigars can be especially useful if you are storing and ageing a full box of sticks, as this will be all the same brand, avoiding the risk of aromas and flavours mingling over time.

If you have no option other than to stack different brands in the same humidor, then adding a cedar board layer to separate the stack can prevent any potential flavour bleeds.

When stacking cigars, remember to rotate them every week or so to ensure that they are being humidified evenly. Move the cigars from the top rows to the bottom rows and vice versa.

Should Cigars in a Humidor be Wrapped or Unwrapped?

The answer to this question is mostly down to personal preference. Keeping the wrapper on your cigar shouldn’t cause any damage to the smoking experience, but it will usually slow down the ageing process.

A cellophane wrapper will reduce the amount of flavour mixing between cigars, so if you want to avoid sharing the flavour and aroma between your cigars, then keeping the cellophane wrapper on can help to prevent them from mixing over time.

In general, it is usually considered better to take the wrapper off to allow the cigars to age and exchange oils and aromas.

If you frequently travel with cigars, though, it can be better to leave the wrappers on to keep them protected.

Whether you decide to mix your cigars together in your humidor is all up to you (and the cigar space you have available!). If you are looking to upgrade your humidor now, then take a look at the range of humidors available online at Havana House.

Image Credit: Alex Brown