Can cigars go bad?

Yes, to the point where they are unusable. They can develop problems over time. First, you must understand that cigars have rules. These rules are made for you to enjoy them the way they’re supposed to. Cigars are like wine; they are sensitive to their environment. You don’t have to be a cigar aficionado to understand the value of a premium cigar. There are many ways to tell if a cigar has gone bad.

Cigars are made with fermented tobaccos. Handcrafted by master cigar-makers, cigars create different flavors and aromas in a blend. The three primary components of a cigar are the filler, binder, and wrapper leaf. The tobacco can be sourced from different countries or regions.

The two main ingredients of a cigar are water and tobacco. The leaves are humidified because moisture in a cigar is crucial. If it’s too dry, the cigar’s taste, consistency, and construction fall apart. The integrity of a cigar goes to waste when it lacks humidity. The tobacco will crack and burn dry. A cigar can potentially develop molds if it is over-humidified.

Humidity of the Cigars

Humidity plays a big role in cigar storing. Cigars tend to soak up and keep moisture from their environment. It is important to know that cigars should be kept in a humidor until you’re ready to smoke them. Humidors keep cigars fresh by placing them in an environment similar to where their tobacco was grown, fermented, and rolled.

A cigar cannot be exposed to frigid or torrid air because it dries out fast. The essential oils in the cigar will evaporate, thus, losing most of the flavor. It can be kept for years if it’s placed in an atmosphere similar to the tropics.

What Causes Cigars to Go Bad

Excess Moisture

What happens if there’s too much moisture? Humidity above 70 -72 percent is excessive. Cigars need to maintain a certain level of humidity, or else it becomes damp. Certain weather changes are also dangerous to cigars. A few minutes in a rainstorm potentially ruin a fine cigar. This is because cigars absorb moisture quickly. Too much moisture makes the cigar damp. The tobacco leaves expand, making it difficult to draw smoke. The dampness of the cigar affects the burn rate. An uneven burn defeats the purpose of the smoke of the cigar. Most cigars layer different types of tobacco, thus adding to the flavor. Cigars can start light, earthy, then rich, or spicy. The multifaceted flavors become plain and one-dimensional when you smoke

Insufficient Moisture

A good cigar is ruined when it is left out of its humidified environment. When it becomes too dry, the wrapper leaf crumbles and flakes away slowly. Exposing dry cigars to so much moisture in one go can shock them. This is why it needs gradual humidity. Luckily, you can re-humidify your cigars by keeping them in a Ziploc bag with the right humidity or a humidor. It takes several weeks to months to re-humidify cigars because it should be a gradual process.

Signs a Cigar has gone Bad.

Cigars rarely turn stale if they are stored properly in the right humidity.

Bad Smell
You should always smell your cigars first before smoking them. A bad-smelling cigar ruins a great smoking experience. You can usually tell that it’s bad if it smells moldy or stale.

Overly Dry or Too Damp
As mentioned earlier, a cigar that’s too dry loses its essential oils and flavor. When a cigar becomes too dry, it cracks. You will see the wrapper crack and wither away. A dry cigar has a crackling sound when rolled. It’s very fragile. A damp cigar feels too spongy, soft, and dense. Too much moisture kills the smoke. Cracks and ripples indicate that the cigar has been exposed to overly dry or wet moisture levels.

Stale Taste
Cigars are intended to feel good in your mouth. If you notice a stale taste, then it’s bad. If you notice an aftertaste resembling soil or dirt, then it has gone bad. Ensure that your cigars are stored in a humidor to avoid stale-tasting cigars.

Cigar Mold
Do not confuse mold with bloom. Bloom is a fine powder that stipulates that the cigar is maturing correctly. It usually appears on the surface of a cigar wrapper as the cigar ages. Mold begins to form on the cigar when there is too much humidity. It will look fuzzy and can have a green, grey, blue, or white color. It possesses a musty smell.

It would be difficult to remove and cannot be brushed off. Moldy cigars can contaminate other fresh cigars if you store them in the same place. Also, the mold can reach the lining of a humidor, which can be challenging to remove. Throw away the affected cigars and humidors.

Maintaining High Quality of Cigars

A premium cigar should feel smooth. The tobacco should be packed perfectly. If packed too tightly, it will be difficult to draw. And, it will yield less flavor and smoke. If packed too loosely, it will easy to draw but have a harsher taste. It should have a consistent burn and taste. It should burn evenly throughout the smoking process.
Store Properly

To maintain the quality and hard work that goes into crafting a premium cigar, you have to store it properly. A humidor is a cigar’s best friend. It’s designed to control the airflow while maintaining the internal humidity from 70 – 75 percent. Without the equipped internal humidity, it’s simply a box. It isn’t a sealed environment, and airtight containers contribute to the formation of molds. Therefore, it’s important to leave space between cigars for proper air circulation instead of packing them too tightly.

Avoid putting a half-smoked cigar in your humidor. Humidors and cigars take in aromas. A partially smoked cigar affects the other stored cigars. It can also ruin your humidor by leaving a charred aroma that is difficult to remove.
Note that a cigar box is different from a humidor.

Boxed cigars don’t keep cigars fresh. It will lose its humidity after leaving the humidor. Don’t store cigars in the refrigerator either. The refrigerator is intended to keep things cool and dry but not humid. Investing in a high-quality humidor ensures a great-tasting cigar and a perfect draw every time.

Conclusion

Smoking cigars is a pleasurable experience. It can be ruined if your cigars have gone bad. Hopefully, from the information given, you can distinguish if your cigar has gone bad. Humidity and moisture play a vital role in cigars. Once you understand how the two factors affect the cigar, you can save your cigar from going bad.

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