More On Spanish Cedar
What is Spanish Cedar and why use it?
Spanish cedar is really not from Spain and is not cedar! I found that to be kind of funny. Spanish cedar is of the Cedrela Fissilis family and grows in Central and South America. This family consists of about 7 varieties. The one thing you should look out for when purchasing a humidor is the Spanish cedar is the non-weeping kind.
The reason Spanish cedar is used in a humidor is:
- It is very aromatic which creates a desirable flavor in fine puros. As mentioned before, some are even wrapped in Spanish cedar to help impart its flavor.
- Spanish cedar holds more moisture than most woods which helps to keep your humidor at a constant humidity.
- This fine wood has the ability to repel tobacco beetles much like cedar lining in a closet repels moths. Tobacco beetles are pin-head sized beetles capable of ruining an entire stock of cigars. They eat the tobacco and lay eggs, causing further infestation. These little guys can also be pevented by not allowing your humidor to go above 75 degrees and 75 humidity.
Now you know about Spanish cedar and why it is used in humidors. Let’s do a quick recap on humidors.
Purchase a humidor which is about the size you will need. If you are only going to store 25 puros, purchase a humidor which will hold slightly more than 25 cigars. This allows air circulation as well as making it easier to maintain the humidity. So, if you are going to have 100 premium cigars on hand at all times, do not purchase a humidor which will hold 250 cigars. Not only is it a waste of space, you WILL have problems maintaining the “perfect” environment and your cigars quality will diminish.
Season your humidor before putting your puros inside. Be diligent in this. Season your humidor first, purchase your premium cigars second. Trust me, you will be glad you did. It’s much better to do ths now than to have to recondition your cigars later!
Remember, you will not want to store El Productos with your premiums. They are not considered a premium cigar by any means. You will not want them to marry with your Dominicans or Cubans!
More tips coming soon!
GB
Walt
7 Responses to “More On Spanish Cedar”
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May 1st, 2007 at 12:50 am
[…] post by FineLivingSite.com April 30th 2007 Posted to 7 […]
May 9th, 2007 at 2:06 am
How about my Crooks? Would they be ok, or should I keep them with my Swisher Sweets?
And there is absolutely nothing wrong with El Poducto Blunts
!
I’m really looking forward to the fine wines subject and fine internet business subject when the come along.
May 9th, 2007 at 10:40 pm
Yes Andrew, and that is exactly where I would store my El Producto Blunts!
Seriously, I do know many people who enjoy the “domestic” cigars. Usually it is due to cost and they aquire a “taste” for them. Much like aquring a taste for scotch.
As far as the crocks question goes, you could maintain an adequate short term storage. Make sure the crock is air tight and put a damp piece of cotton inside to maintain humidity. Use only distilled water to dampen the cotton.
I say cotton since it is usually clean and sterile. You could also use a piece of paper towel or white cloth. You do not want to use anything which has been dyed as it would contaminate the cigars.
Hope that has answered your questions. Please feel free to post any others you may have.
GB
Walt
May 10th, 2007 at 2:13 am
What “crocks” question, Walt? I really meant “Crooks”. They were a “rum-soaked” very dark cigar called crooks because they were “crooked” (as in - not straight). Tasty, but very strange looking. Guess they were before your time, huh
May 10th, 2007 at 2:43 am
Guess so Andrew! Rum soaked does sound good though!
Many people I know like to dip their 10 dollar cigars in brandy while they smoke them. Personally, I do not like to change the flavor of the cigar I purchased although, I have tried it!
Anyway, thanks for the clarification on “crooks”
GB
Walt
May 13th, 2007 at 12:19 am
Walt;
Check it out:
http://www.cigarsinternational.com/prodDisp.asp?item=CS-7KA&cat=79
These aren’t as dark or “crooked” as what we used to buy, but they are still rum soaked crooks
Andrew
April 30th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
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