Just got a ne box of AF hemmingway Short Storys today. Under the celo wrap there is a small decal on the box that looks like a blue water droplet with a couple of arrows point up and down. I assume this must be something that measures the humidity level? Has anyone else seen this decal before?

Yes,and inside your box you will find a humidifier pouch inside an evelope. X

I got a box of Flor Fina 85 SG's that had that same decal on the outside of the box's shrink wrap ... it does not 'measure the humidity' though ...

What 'X' said ...

Fuente Cigars Will Stay Fresher
By: JEROME R. STOCKFISCH of The Tampa Tribune

TAMPA - Premium cigars are aged for months in cedar vaults at precise humidity levels. When moisture content and oils yield peak flavor, they are boxed and shipped.

To the frozen North. Across the parched Southwestern deserts. Throughout the steamy South.

The climatic chaos isn't exactly ideal for pampered tobacco.

Carlos Fuente Jr. thinks he has an answer.

Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia. is working with Humidipak Inc., a Minnetonka, Minn., start-up, to add a patented, natural two-way humidification system to Fuente cigar boxes. It will keep the contents at the sought-after 70 percent humidity from factory to cigar-store humidor.

"Somewhere along the line of distribution, something happens," said Tim Swail, executive vice president of Humidipak. "It's not drastic. Carlito can tell the difference. Most people can't."

"Carlito" - that's Carlos Jr. - is legendary for his exacting standards for the Arturo Fuente, Montesino and other family brands. "We think it will make our products that much better," Fuente said.

Family patriarch Arturo Fuente established his first factory in Tampa in 1912 and made cigars here for 60 years. Production now takes place in the Dominican Republic, but the family maintains strong local ties.

Humidipak's technology appears simple - a small packet containing salts in a gel employing what Swail calls "intelligent films." But it can maintain humidity at any level from 10 percent to 96 percent. Previous humidification devices could add moisture to containers, but couldn't absorb excess moisture.

The Humidipak was recently lauded by Cigar Insider, an industry newsletter. It won't add to the cost of a box, Fuente said, and should start appearing this fall.

Damn!! I always have wondered if those things really work!

I stuck the one I got in one of my humidors ... and it seems to help keep it at 70% Rh better than it did before ... but who knows.

What I do know, is that my box of 858SG's came in 'mint condition' all the way from Florida, and then they sat in my bookshelf for a couple of weeks (put it there, got distracted with something, and forgot about it) !!!

When I found it sitting there ... I freaked!

But ... as I was putting the cigars away in my humi ... I smoked one ... and it was as fresh as the day it was rolled.

I'm a believer ...

great thread guys...been wanting to try the Humid-eze "patches" to put into my VERY nice cedar box of 5 Vegas Panatelas! (nice 'n' yellow cellos)

Go Stars! --- those 'disks' may work great ... but a totally different concept and technology ...

BTW --- 'yellow cello' is not an indicator of age ... as many manufactures will use dye to make them look aged ... 😉

So how long are those things supposed to last?

I can't leave a box of, say, 8-5-8 Sungrown unopened for months and expect to have fresh cigars when I open, can I?

ikonoklast7 - actually you can, 6 months is probably pushing it though!

Slim - Yellow cello works as an indicator if they were clear when you bought them!!

"They call me Yellow Cello"

I think Slim meant to say "not always an indicator".

BUD

Thank you Fatshotbud ... just typing too fast, and left out a word ... 😉