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Humidor/Cigar Update
DHD
Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 1,531 
Did some updating to my humidor to try to figure out a way to make humidification easier and stupid-proof, because I was spending WAY too much time messing with, and worrying about, my stash going bad. It's supposed to be fun, not stressful.
So, I bought some acrylic Boveda mini-humidors to put inside of my bigger cabinet. They have been GREAT! Best purchase I've ever made as far as cigars go. The Boveda packs fit in the bottom of each individual case and they've kept my smokes perfect and I only have to attend to them about once every three months. Stress-free and stupid-proof.
Here are some pics, and some comments on some stuff that I'm currently smoking ...
Top shelf, from left ...
Zino Platinum Scepters: Tubed (tops off for storage), great smoke, spendy, people seem impressed when given one of these
Perdomo 10th and 20th Anniversary: One of my current favs, smooth, consistent and Fox Cigar has a weekly special on them as a 5 pack, best value for quality cigars that I've found
Camacho Variety: Was never a big fan, but they've sorta' re-branded and I gave them another shot and I've been very pleased, and they look good in the humidor (that's part of the fun)
Cohiba Red Dot: Meh. Inconsistent. A bit disappointing. First one was harsh. Second one, much better. Gonna' let them sit for a bit and see if that helps.
Caldwells: Absolutely fantastic. My best current cigar(s) in my humidor. Perfection. Smooth, consistent. Smoke these until they burn my fingers. Blown away by how good these are. Currently have 'The King is Dead", "The King is Dead, Jalapeno" and "Savages". All are wonderful. I can't recommend these strongly enough ... OUTSTANDING.
JP Carillo Inch: Another really quality smoke. Was a freebie thrown in by Fox in one of my orders and I ended up buying more. Hearty and consistent.
Camacho: Good, but can be a bit strong. Gotta be in the right mood to light one of these up.
Second row, from left:
LaBomba 601 Napalm: Got these because they're kind of a novelty smoke (long twisted cap, which doesn't show well in the pic) but they've actually turned out to be pretty good. Robust, but tasty.
Drew Estate Larutan: Has been a favorite for a long time, mainly due to consistency and taste, but these seem to be a bit more bland than I remember. Still good as a casual smoke.
Rocky Patel Howitzer: Got these entirely as a novelty. Fun to pack one of these and show off when people who don't smoke are around. 7 inches by 74 ring gauge. Like smoking a baseball bat. They're ok for awhile, but ... you'll wear out before getting half way through. Good conversation starter though.
Fuente: Feels like every humidor should have a couple of these, so I do. Good smokes, always consistent.
Montecristo White: One of my go-to smokes for a lazy afternoon. Not overwhelming, consistent and predictable. I always keep a constant supply of these around.
Bottom row, from left:
Far left mix: Various infused cigars. Usually for when people who don't smoke a lot visit, and a nice change of pace.
Middle: Drew Estate "Toast" and "Plush". Also infused and frankly, very good. Usually grab one or two of these a week, mainly just as a palate cleanser, but they're actually very good. Great for friends who rarely smoke cigars. They don't taste like perfume, like some infused cigars do.
Right: CAO Vanilla. Disappointed in these. Vanilla flavor is almost non-existent and the smoke itself is pretty bland. Was a nice experiment, but mostly a fail.
Undercrown Sungrown: Really good. Smooth, consistent and needing to be re-stocked!
Buenaventura Pralines: This was a Fox freebie that turned into an order. Chunky, strong and consistent.
Warped GR88: Inconsistent, but not disappointing when good. Mild, but not lacking flavor. Burn has been inconsistent though, which is frustrating.
So, I bought some acrylic Boveda mini-humidors to put inside of my bigger cabinet. They have been GREAT! Best purchase I've ever made as far as cigars go. The Boveda packs fit in the bottom of each individual case and they've kept my smokes perfect and I only have to attend to them about once every three months. Stress-free and stupid-proof.
Here are some pics, and some comments on some stuff that I'm currently smoking ...
Top shelf, from left ...
Zino Platinum Scepters: Tubed (tops off for storage), great smoke, spendy, people seem impressed when given one of these
Perdomo 10th and 20th Anniversary: One of my current favs, smooth, consistent and Fox Cigar has a weekly special on them as a 5 pack, best value for quality cigars that I've found
Camacho Variety: Was never a big fan, but they've sorta' re-branded and I gave them another shot and I've been very pleased, and they look good in the humidor (that's part of the fun)
Cohiba Red Dot: Meh. Inconsistent. A bit disappointing. First one was harsh. Second one, much better. Gonna' let them sit for a bit and see if that helps.
Caldwells: Absolutely fantastic. My best current cigar(s) in my humidor. Perfection. Smooth, consistent. Smoke these until they burn my fingers. Blown away by how good these are. Currently have 'The King is Dead", "The King is Dead, Jalapeno" and "Savages". All are wonderful. I can't recommend these strongly enough ... OUTSTANDING.
JP Carillo Inch: Another really quality smoke. Was a freebie thrown in by Fox in one of my orders and I ended up buying more. Hearty and consistent.
Camacho: Good, but can be a bit strong. Gotta be in the right mood to light one of these up.
Second row, from left:
LaBomba 601 Napalm: Got these because they're kind of a novelty smoke (long twisted cap, which doesn't show well in the pic) but they've actually turned out to be pretty good. Robust, but tasty.
Drew Estate Larutan: Has been a favorite for a long time, mainly due to consistency and taste, but these seem to be a bit more bland than I remember. Still good as a casual smoke.
Rocky Patel Howitzer: Got these entirely as a novelty. Fun to pack one of these and show off when people who don't smoke are around. 7 inches by 74 ring gauge. Like smoking a baseball bat. They're ok for awhile, but ... you'll wear out before getting half way through. Good conversation starter though.
Fuente: Feels like every humidor should have a couple of these, so I do. Good smokes, always consistent.
Montecristo White: One of my go-to smokes for a lazy afternoon. Not overwhelming, consistent and predictable. I always keep a constant supply of these around.
Bottom row, from left:
Far left mix: Various infused cigars. Usually for when people who don't smoke a lot visit, and a nice change of pace.
Middle: Drew Estate "Toast" and "Plush". Also infused and frankly, very good. Usually grab one or two of these a week, mainly just as a palate cleanser, but they're actually very good. Great for friends who rarely smoke cigars. They don't taste like perfume, like some infused cigars do.
Right: CAO Vanilla. Disappointed in these. Vanilla flavor is almost non-existent and the smoke itself is pretty bland. Was a nice experiment, but mostly a fail.
Undercrown Sungrown: Really good. Smooth, consistent and needing to be re-stocked!
Buenaventura Pralines: This was a Fox freebie that turned into an order. Chunky, strong and consistent.
Warped GR88: Inconsistent, but not disappointing when good. Mild, but not lacking flavor. Burn has been inconsistent though, which is frustrating.
Comments
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Bummer man on the Warped GR 88. Got a five pack from Fox recently based on the CA 94 rating. Haven’t smoked one yet.
@Swaye told me to buy 94 rated cigars. -
Don't sweat. He likely got a rough rolled batch. Can't imagine the #3 cigar last year isn't usually rolled for consistent burn. It happens. I've gotten batches of all kinds of smokes over they years that had draw issues when they usually don't. I've got an entire box of the GR88's aging in one of the humidors upstairs. They better not suck.YellowSnow said:Bummer man on the Warped GR 88. Got a five pack from Fox recently based on the CA 94 rating. Haven’t smoked one yet.
@Swaye told me to buy 94 rated cigars.
I have many thoughts on the OP and will try to get some in later. GREAT POST @DHD -
The Boveda 75 cigar acrylic humidor is my next move. Glad to hear it's kicking ass for you. Right now, I just have the pour people acrylic jar which holds about 25. That alone though was a huge upgrade over my previous hunter/gatherer cigar life style- i.e., roll on down to the local shop every time I needed some sticks.
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While we're discussing putting 7-inch brown shafts in our mouths and sucking, can I also get an honest review of @huskyhooligan's glory hole?
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In the arid high desert keeping it humid is a constant battle against nature at certain times of the year. Two juice boxes and a shot glass of glycerin
Its a job but worth it -
I got this hand-me-down Cartier cutter recently. Cooler than the one @UW_Doog_Bot got me? You be the judge.
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Did you move again?RaceBannon said:In the arid high desert keeping it humid is a constant battle against nature at certain times of the year. Two juice boxes and a shot glass of glycerin
Its a job but worth it -
I haven't moved
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Temecula has a warm Mediterranean climate (Köppen:Csa).[32] August is typically the hottest month of the year with December being the coldest month. Most precipitation occurs from November to March with February being the wettest month. Winter storms generally bring moderate precipitation, but strong winter storms are not uncommon especially during "El Niño" years. The driest month is June. Annual precipitation is 14.14 inches. Morning marine layer is common during May and June. From July to September, Temecula experiences hot, dry weather with the occasional North American monsoonal flow that increases the humidity and brings isolated thunderstorms. Most of the storms tend to be short-lived with little rainfall. During late fall into winter, Temecula experiences dry, windy northeastern Santa Ana winds. Snowfall is rare, but Temecula has experienced traces of snowfall on occasion,[33] some as recently as December 2014.[34] A rare F1 tornado touched down in a Temecula neighborhood on February 19, 2005.[35]RaceBannon said:I haven't moved
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1300 feet
15% humidity most of the year
But I just live here -
I lived there for 11 years. It's a nice climate.RaceBannon said:1300 feet
15% humidity most of the year
But I just live here
Just reporting what I'm seeing out there on the internet. -
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Craves the Rocky Patel Howitzerhuskyhooligan said:
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Just loaded up on Caldwells at cigarpage.com ... great deals for the weekend and I've had good luck with stuff I've gotten at cigarpage.
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Can you will this to me please? ThanksYellowSnow said:I got this hand-me-down Cartier cutter recently. Cooler than the one @UW_Doog_Bot got me? You be the judge.
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This is a GOOD plan. Make it happen.YellowSnow said:The Boveda 75 cigar acrylic humidor is my next move. Glad to hear it's kicking ass for you. Right now, I just have the pour people acrylic jar which holds about 25. That alone though was a huge upgrade over my previous hunter/gatherer cigar life style- i.e., roll on down to the local shop every time I needed some sticks.
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@DHD here is my response to your excellent post (just random thoughts and such)
1) What size is that cabinet? I love that size. I just did my design meeting with a custom humidor maker in NY. Having mine made 40 inches tall, 33 inches wide, and 16 deep, all hand done custom to my specs. I'm using quarter sewn white oak exterior in a hand rubbed walnut stain, glass front, spanish cedar interior. He is also installing a complete Oasis Magna 3.0 humidifcation system, mounted high, completely spanish cedar enclosed with wood baffling and full wifi enabled LED lighting throughout. Pre-wired and plug and play. You do not want to know the absurd amount of money I am spending on this. But the 2K prebuilt China ones were just not what I wanted. When it comes in in a couple months and I get it dialed in and loaded I will do an image post like yours. I might have to sell the trailer to afford this thing, but at least my stogies will display well in the homeless camp.
2) I actually have one of those Boveda acrylic humidors right now that I use as a sort of dry box. Love these things. They work great. Hope I don't need them in my cabinet because after spending many thousands of dollars if I have to use them I will be pissed!
3) Cohiba Red Dot. I agree. I bought a box and have had a few. Inconsistent is a good word for them. I have had good US owned rip off Cohibas before, so maybe with a bit more rest they will get better. I have had MUCH better results with the Cohiba Nicaragua N54. Excellent smokes. My new deal is paying absurd amounts of money and actually getting Cuban Cohibas. This is not for the faint of heart. But, ultimately I'd like for a quarter to a third of my stash to be true Cuban goodness. I have Bolivar, Romeo y Julietta, Ramon Allones and Trinidad boxes still aging (do not smoke Cubans right away you MUST age them for a year minimum) but smokeable, and a monster order of Trinidad and Cohiba due to arrive in the next few weeks. Will update as the Cuban journey develops.
4) Carrillo. I have been promoting Carrillo here and to my cigar buddies for quite awhile. If there is a better 10-14 dollar stick on the planet I haven't found it yet. I have MANY boxes of Carrillo. Pledge Prequel and Sojourne, La Historia, El Senador, Obscura Maduro, etc.
5) I do not have flavored cigars. If friends come over and want a flavored cigar I tell them to get out and come back when their balls drop and they grow hair on them. Only partially kidding. I know lots of "real" cigar guys who light up infused here and there but I have never developed a taste for it. I've tried a bunch of Acid and Tabak and they always pretty much disgust me. To each their own.
6) Drew Estate and Fuente. So, these are two of my go to brands. What I am finding is that after smoking hundreds and hundreds of sticks I am really coalescing around a handful of brands. DE (specifically Liga Privada and to a lesser extent Herrera Estelli), Fuente - love Hemingways, and almost anything Don Carlos, and really getting into the rare and hard to finds like FF Anejos, Don Carlos Reserva, God of Fire, and the various Opus lines (those these are hard to find and super expensive). I am also a big Padron fan, and love all the family reserve stuff, the 1926 and 1964 line as well - these are not cheap though. Carrillo as previously mentioned. Love everything he makes and it is budget friendly, which is nice because so much of my taste now is not budget friendly. As previously mentioned latest path is to build a respectable Trinidad and Cohiba lineup of actual Cubans, and I still have a nice smattering of "highly rateds" that I take flyers on. I like to see what gets rated highly at CA and Halfwheel and then buy a box if they are affordable - La Flor Dominicana, My Father, Warped GR and San Cristobal are some examples.
7) I am on a Lancero kick now and have been trying to get a few good boxes of Lanceros.
8) My lighter collection is small but getting pretty respectable. I'll do a feature on this at some future point as well. Just added my fist ST Dupont Maxijet in Opus X colors.
9) Like the Buenaventura shoutout. I have a deep into cigars buddy who swears by ADVentura (not related) and I have been thinking of giving those a shot. As I am finally developing a palate (no expert at all but I actually can hit some tasting notes finally), the romance of small batch producers is starting to have some allure. Will report back if small batch adventures start in a real way, or if I continue to be a tourist with it.
Cigars are the best.
This was a great thread.
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So just finished my first Warped GR 88 with some 12 year old Appleton Estate. Very mellow, smooth smoke. Not the best burn/draw but not terrible.
I’d enjoy some again, but just not on par with the E.P. Carillo and My Father stuff I’ve been enjoying lately. -
Very little is.YellowSnow said:So just finished my first Warped GR 88 with some 12 year old Appleton Estate. Very mellow, smooth smoke. Not the best burn/draw but not terrible.
I’d enjoy some again, but just not on par with the E.P. Carillo and My Father stuff I’ve been enjoying lately. -
My humidor dimensions are 48'' tall x 32'' wide x 24"" deep.
I agree on the E.P. Carrillo recommendations. (Called it JP in my original post, duh, was late)
Every Friday afternoon, Fox Cigar releases a 5 pack Fuente special and it always includes one of the Opus X varieties along with other good Fuente sticks. And it's very reasonably priced. If you're on their email list, you'll get a heads-up, but you gotta' act fast because they sell out quickly. Unfortunately the last 2 Opus X's I got from them seemed very dry to me, not what I was expecting because Fox does very good work, and I've gotten some top-notch freebies from them.
Cigarpage always has a deal going where you can get 5 packs of most anything at a reasonable price. Huge variety and I've been pleased with their shipping and quality. (No freebies like Fox though).
Of the Camachos that I've got, the Connecticut Churchill has been outstanding. Every one has been consistent. They're mild, but very even burn and easy draw. I've been pleased with all the Camachos lately, but the Connecticut Churchill has been great.
I'm missing Padron's from my stash, but that's only because I blaze through those as quickly as I get them. Always outstanding.
So, gotta ask. When you're getting the real Cubans, are you satisfied with the condition that you receive them in? Not dry? Does the shipper take care to throw in some Boveda in the shipping? I would guess the turn around on shipping has got to be a couple of weeks, right?
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@DHD
1) Nice. Our cabinets will be very similar in size, though you got me by 8 inches and your goes deeper (lulz). @Doog_de_Jour is now your biggest fan
2) I usually get my various Opus singles through those Fox deals, and they always have a Black Friday special where they release 500 dollar kits that actually feature the REALLY hard to get Opus like Purple Rain and Big Bad Mother Fuckers (BBMFs). I bought it last year. I also found a place that sells boxes of Opus, including the rares (I mean let's face it ALL Opus are rare, but even within Opus they have what I call the ULTRA RARES). So, if you are ever interested PM me directly and I will send you to my secret hideout. I just bought an entire box of Opus Perfection #4s from them. 42 Opus! But, a buddy wanted to split it with me so I will have 21 from this score, which triples my Opus stash in one go. VICTORY! This place even has crazy rare shit like God's Whisper (1200 bucks for a box of 10) and BBMFs (around 1000 bucks for a box of 10). It is almost impossible to find full Opus boxes, so if interested in going big for a smoke one a year Uber cigar, ping me.
3) Speaking of ULTRA rares, I just found a place that had a Liga Privada sampler pack with one H99 in it. The H99 is an event only smoke and they are fucking hard to get your hands on. Super hard. I had to pay 75 bucks for the sampler, which features a bunch of cigars I didn't want to get the one fucking H99 I did want, but it isn't terrible. Comes with a Tabak and Deadwood infused, which I will give away, but also has an Undercrown Dogma and Shady XX whish I like. A Herrera Esteli Lonsdale which I really like, and a Joya de Nicaragua that I have never tried. I bought two samplers to get two of those gloriuos H99s. This place (Tobacco Locker) also has some of the best Padron Sampler deals I've found, so I picked up a Padron Cigar of the Year Sampler while I was there.
4) I did a little reading on your Caldwell recommendation. That may enter my small batch exploration in the future. Look to be great smokes. Appreciate the heads up. I'll add Caldwell to ADVentura as small batch to try.
5) Cubans. I will let you know. I bought from multiple sources (all came recommended) to get the mondo order together. Cuban Lou's always ships with Boveda, and that is the only one I have experience with to this point. But, one of the outfits I bought from (EGM) actually let's you add a Boveda pack during checkout (costs like 2 bucks). I have orders coming from three other places and I will let you know when I receive it all how it turned out - iHavana, Cigars of Habanos and Friends of Habano (Australian outfit). I know you can trust Cuban Lou's, they just didn't have all I wanted. Had to shop around to put the order together as I was buying 7 boxes of Cubans and three of those were stupid expensive limited release, so nobody had it all in one place. I got the 50th Anniversary Cohiba Humidor featuring two Behike! Also picked up the Trinidad La Trova LCDH and the Cohiba 2017 LE Talismans! Then 4 regular boxes of Cohiba and Trinidad (2 each). Oh, one of the outfits had a special going on tins (5 cigars) of Partagas Capitols so I grabbed that as well. Assload of Cubans coming. Cuban Lous usually takes a couple of weeks. Most of the others say expect 18-22 business days when you order. Most of the places have a delivery guarantee so if they get impounded by customs they will either send you your money back or send more cigars - but not all of them do that, so check. If you want total security use iHavana great prices and I personally know a guy who got reimbursed for a Customs snag. Cuban Lou's also has a delivery guarantee. I'd look at those two places hard if you want to get your feet wet with Cubans. Ping me with any questions.
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Please don't quote the Bible like this.YellowSnow said:
Temecula has a warm Mediterranean climate (Köppen:Csa).[32] August is typically the hottest month of the year with December being the coldest month. Most precipitation occurs from November to March with February being the wettest month. Winter storms generally bring moderate precipitation, but strong winter storms are not uncommon especially during "El Niño" years. The driest month is June. Annual precipitation is 14.14 inches. Morning marine layer is common during May and June. From July to September, Temecula experiences hot, dry weather with the occasional North American monsoonal flow that increases the humidity and brings isolated thunderstorms. Most of the storms tend to be short-lived with little rainfall. During late fall into winter, Temecula experiences dry, windy northeastern Santa Ana winds. Snowfall is rare, but Temecula has experienced traces of snowfall on occasion,[33] some as recently as December 2014.[34] A rare F1 tornado touched down in a Temecula neighborhood on February 19, 2005.[35]RaceBannon said:I haven't moved
Way too many chapters and verses. -
I should also point out that the cigar places for Cubans I referenced above are regarded by the cigar community as legit places to buy real Cubans from. Cuban cigars are one of the most faked things on the planet. It is estimated that a quarter of all the "Cubans" in this country are fake. Do not just go best price shopping online. You will most likely buy shitty Mexican tobacco with really convincing wrappers and boxes and have wasted good money for shitty smokes.
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First of many boxes of Cubans are coming in.
50th Anniversary Humidor (including two Behike 56!!!) in and in great shape from Cigars of Habanos.
And a box of Siglo II (on sale for 300 bucks I might add) from iHavana. I REALLY dig this place as they shipped in vacuum sealed bag with Boveda. They are highly recommended and I will use them again.
Still have lots more coming but I think Cuban Lou's, iHavana and Cigars of Habanos all get the stamp of approval at this point. -
Balls in the face. All day, everyday with @SwayeSwaye said:First of many boxes of Cubans are coming in.
50th Anniversary Humidor (including two Behike 56!!!) in and in great shape from Cigars of Habanos.
And a box of Siglo II (on sale for 300 bucks I might add) from iHavana. I REALLY dig this place as they shipped in vacuum sealed bag with Boveda. They are highly recommended and I will use them again.
Still have lots more coming but I think Cuban Lou's, iHavana and Cigars of Habanos all get the stamp of approval at this point. -
That ... is beautiful. Damn. Thanks for sharing ... can't wait to see the rest!
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That 50th Anniversary travel humidor from Cohiba is tough to beat, but I have a 2007 vintage LCDH coming from Trinidad that will numb your brain, and a travel humidor special edition set of Robustos from Trinidad that makes my dong tingle. Much more goodness to come. Take that Customs! VICTORY!DHD said:That ... is beautiful. Damn. Thanks for sharing ... can't wait to see the rest!
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I keep looking at the cigars positioned in that humidor and it looks so pristine that I wouldn't want to mess up the look and take any out to smoke them.
And ... I have an undying respect for the craftsmen of Cuba who had to custom cut the specific shapes for each slot, for each cigar, using nothing but nail clippers and miscellaneous items that wash up on the beach after hurricane season because ... you know ... communism. You and your western hand tools have nothing on a people who can still make 57 Chevys run like new. -
Very cool set ups you guys have. I’ve never really liked cigars tho. It’s hard to smoke something and not inhale. I don’t get the point.
I was given a Cuban a year or two ago. The cigar aficionado I was with didn’t look thrilled when I put it out to light a Camel. -
I didn't either when I could still smoke Camel straights.RoadDawg55 said:Very cool set ups you guys have. I’ve never really liked cigars tho. It’s hard to smoke something and not inhale. I don’t get the point.
I was given a Cuban a year or two ago. The cigar aficionado I was with didn’t look thrilled when I put it out to light a Camel.
