A: This is a great question. Although the cigars have had some resting time while on the truck, the packing materials also add some additional insulation to the box, which helps keep the cigars fresh. Assuming you receive them overnight or even 2-day air, that would put them even closer to the point of origin. Some retailers have warehouse humidors with optimum conditions and a slightly higher relative humidity to help ensure the cigars are as fresh as possible no matter how far they have to travel.
That said, from my experience, I have found that cigars tend to smoke and burn much better when given at least a week to rest after arriving at your door. I’ve also found that as each week passes, the cigars taste better. (I also remove the cellos). Finally, see if you can taste the difference between one of the cigars you smoked within a week of arriving, and one three months later. If you have any left by then, you should notice a significant “mellowing” (for lack of a better word). Make sure your humidor is properly regulated, too.
Executive Editor
Gary Korb has been writing and editing content for CigarAdvisor.com since its debut in 2008. An avid cigar smoker for over 30 years, he has worked on the marketing side of the premium cigar business as a Sr. Copywriter, blogger, and Executive Editor of Cigar Advisor. A graduate of the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, prior to his career in the cigar business, Gary worked in the music and video industry as a marketer and a publicist.
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