Cigars 101

Separation anxiety

Q. I like to smoke a lot of different cigars. I buy samplers and they come with different wrappers. Do I need to separate the different wrappers with cedar strips in my humidor?
– Gene in Fremont, California
A. Personally, I don’t think it’s necessary. However, some cigar smokers are extremely finicky, and believe that by separating the Maduros from the Connecticut Shades, the Cameroons from the Corojos, yadda-yadda-yadda, the cigars will better maintain the character of their respective blends. (See my recent blog, “Cigars and the ‘marrying’ thing.”)

That said, the cedar stips will add a little extra “aging room bouquet” to the mix, so this practice can’t hurt, and if you have the time to do it, go for it. However, depending on how and where you place the strips to separate your cigars, they may just be one more thing you have to move out of the way to get to them.