Here is an excerpt from "The Cigar Smokers FAQ." I'm not trying to change any minds, but it sounds reasonable and I figure these people know more than I do...

"Should I remove the cello wrapper for proper aging?

A good cigar will certainly age in the wrapper, just as a good wine will age in the bottle. Aging cigars, as wine involves very complex chemical processes. Oxidation, slow chemical changes, blending of essential oils are all involved. If you age a number of similar cigars, then removing the wrappers will allow different cigars to "marry", resulting in more consistence from one to another, but will not make the individual cigars any better or worse.

When aging cigars in your "daily" humidor, you're better off leaving them in their wrappers for another reason. Frequent opening and closing (exchanging the air) will result in faster evaporation/dissipation of the essential oils which give a good cigar its taste.

Many people keep a broad assortment of cigars in their humidors. With an assortment of different types, you are best off leaving the wrappers on. You don't want the spiciness from those Jamaicans mixing with the muskiness of the Hondurans. The Dominicans are mild - You don't want them to acquire any "power" from those Cubans!

Keeping the cello on also slows down the transfer of humidity. Your stored cigars remain stable - even with opening and closing the humidor frequently. You'll notice that the end of the cello is never sealed, it's just folded over. This allows the ambient humidity to slowly infiltrate the cigar. It also protects them from transfering problem like mold or bugs (shudder).

Now, if you're only keeping one or two similar brands in your humidor, you might consider unwrapping them - just so the flavors "marry". This will produce better consistency from cigar to cigar."

http://www.cigargroup.com/faq/ 

hmmm, it makes a good point...just a couple hours too late though. I just took a lot of cellos off a lot of cigars
-George

That does answer some things for me.
Thanks for the info

I expected a discussion about the merits of Pablo Casals and YoYo Ma ...

I like Yo Yo Ma better...especially when you can make it sleep, walk the dog, around the world, baby in the cradle, etc. Those are neat tricks, especially when you are enjoying a fine cigar with them while you are performing these feats.

I am now about 1/2 way through my BBF (AWESOME) but can't seem to find my Duncan Imperial..

lmao but doc what are you drinking with that? Sepaking of thread jacks Doc have you gotten your takes yet ???

So what's the answer? Cello on or cello off?
BTW I like Yo Ma Ma better,LOL. X

Interesting stuff.... but I am still confused. I too have the wrappers off of most cigars. Here is another (and quite different) perspective on cigar storage from the FAQ section of another popular web site that also seems to make intuitive sense.


Q: Should I leave the cellophane on or take it off?

A: Leaving the cellophane on protects the cigars from tattering and splitting while you handle them. Also, cellophaned cigars are easier to take “on the road" or send to friends.

Without the cellophane, cigars tend to breath better and, in turn, age better. Also, I find it much more appealing to open my humidor and see cigars in the nude.

Cellophane is permeable to water and air allowing their transfer through its surface, but not as easily as without the cellophane. So if I receive a batch of cigars that is freshly rolled, I sometimes remove the cello to allow the excess moisture incurred during the rolling process to dissipate. Cigars that become too moist in cellophane take a long time to dry out.
So as a general rule, I leave the cellophane on cigars stored loose in my bulk storage units or in their original boxes, but take it off when I place them in my desktop humidors.

Either way is appropriate, and in the end it is really just a matter of personal choice.


Q: Do cigars age in tubes?

A: Yes and no. Cigars seem to age some in the tubes, but mostly I think this is due to most tubes not having a true seal. In an absolutely sealed environment it is impossible for a cigar to have the necessary oxygen required for it to breath and age properly. You will note that on many tubes it mentions that a cigar will "remain fresh until opened" and, personally, I do not consider this an ultimately desirable goal. Tubes are great for protecting cigars for a few weeks - even months- outside of a humidor if they have a good seal. But if tubed cigars are to be kept longer and you wish to ensure that they age properly, I recommend you remove the end caps and place them in your humidor. With all of that said, I have smoked many tubos whose seals were intact for years and the cigars were quite tasty. But no matter what you do, always store tubed cigars in a humidor if you are going to have them for any substantial length of time, because most tube seals are not air-tight.


Q: Can I leave the cigars in the boxes as they age?

A: Absolutely. In fact, most collectors do. However, if the box is sealed with a plastic wrap you should remove this prior to placing the box in your cabinet, humidor, or Igloodor.


Q: Will my cigars "marry" if they are sitting side by side in my humidor without dividers or cellophane?

A: No. I understand the concept of marrying, and have witnessed claro cigars that have been slightly stained with oils from a dark, rich EMS cigar that was sitting beside it, but that was only after MANY years. Honestly, I do not consider the marrying of different cigars to be a problem for those who smoke from their humidors on a semi-regular basis.

I have been storing singles side by side for well over a decade with no impact whatsoever. Personally, I find the concept of marrying flavors between differing cigars to be an issue that "cigar wonks" banter about, but has little basis in reality and does not warrant any concern on your part. You have to keep in mind, when you read all the recent advice printed about cigars, that quite a bit of it is far too reaching and overtly scientific without cause.

I have kept a wide variety of smokes crammed together for long periods (5+ years) in my "smoke from someday" humidors without this ever occurring. My only concern would be to always keep flavored (i.e.. rum soaked, Acid, etc.) separate. Also, for long-term aging in quantity, I believe in leaving the cigars in their original boxes if possible.

Bottom line: the concept of cigar flavors marrying/blending is over hyped.

Cello off for me!

Charlie

So the debate rages on...

KY,

I'm also a little confused. Here are a few excerpts...

"Without the cellophane, cigars tend to breath better and, in turn, age better."

"So as a general rule, I leave the cellophane on cigars stored loose in my bulk storage units or in their original boxes, but take it off when I place them in my desktop humidors."


Don't most people SMOKE the cigars they put in their desktops and AGE the ones in their "bulk storage units?"

I can certainly see the logic, but this seems a little contradictory.

There are two variables in every DVI connector cable, and each represents one characteristic. The flat pin on one side denotes whether the cable is digital or analog: A flat pin with four surrounding pins is either DVI-I or DVI-A A flat pin alone denotes DVI-D The pinsets vary depending on whether or not the cable is single- or dual-link: A solid 27-pin set (rows of 😎 for a dual- link cable Two separated 9-pin sets (rows of 6) for a single-link cable NOTE: To distinguish from DVI-I and DVI-A, check the pinset. A solid 27-pin set is for a DVI-l; a separated 8-pin and 4-pin set is for DVI-A.

Just thot I'd copy and paste some more information that is as illuminating to the topic as some of the others.

OK, so what I got out of this is that it's probably best to leave the cello on the sticks, but it's probably best to take the cello off of a full box??? Huh? What am I missing here? I would think if it was good for one it would be good for the box. Is there some other underlying reason for removing the cello for long term box storage?

The definitive answer to the cello question is Pablo Casals ...

You mean you guys keep the cigars too.I thought they were there to keep the cello from wrinkeling,thanks guys

It does seem contradictory to remove the box cellophane but then leave the cellos on the sticks.

I asked my local shopkeeper yesterday for his opinion and he suggested for long term storage of his own stash he breaks the box seal leaves the stick cello on; but believed there was no difference for short term storage. He suggested that cigars in storage need to breath but "not too much". The debate continues....

- Coda, thank you for your "thots".

Sketcha,

Are you board?

What does that mean?

lim,

Procrastinating. I should be Christmas shopping.

Good call though.

If it's good to remove the cello from a box of like cigars why does the manufacturer box them with cello on? I know not all manufacturers box with cello on and according to Ky's post that's a good thing. So to rotate a few choice smokes from their box to my daily 'dor I should re-cello them if they aren't plasticized already?
Sketcha's right, the debate rages on.....lol.