The Impact of Cold Weather on Cigars

Winter is coming here, especially if you live in the Northeast like me! While the cold season brings a lot of joy in the holiday season, it isn’t the best set of conditions for cigar lovers. Today we’re examining the effects of cold weather on cigars and providing some tips for enjoying and storing your cigars until we all thaw out in the Spring.

Cold Weather Affects Humidity

We all know the importance of storing cigars at proper humidity levels, and winter doesn’t do us many favors here. With the colder weather we also find an increase in lower humidity levels on a daily basis, which can wreak havoc on your humidor. Low humidity will dry your cigars out, causing them to lose some of their oils (and flavor). Additionally, if you’re ever experienced a cigar cracking and “bursting” while lighting it, that’s likely the result of swings in the cigars relative humidity.

So what’s a cigar lover to do? Make sure you pay a little extra attention to your humidors during the winter season. Because of the lower relative humidity in the ambient environment, you may find that you’re going through humidification much faster than you do in the summer. Bovedas and Integra Boost packs won’t last as long, and traditional beads/gel humidifiers will have to be refilled more often.

Cold Weather Affects the Taste of Cigars

This is an extreme example, but when cigars get too cold the oils and compounds within the tobacco leaves can congeal or solidify, impacting the flavor and aromas that they impart when lit. Because of this, we need to be sure we are keeping our cigars at a proper temperature. While you may get away with leaving a travel humidor in your bag or car throughout the milder weather months, doing so in the middle of January in Wisconsin is asking for trouble.

Additionally, I know some folks out there keep a spare humidor in somewhere like a workshop, shed, or garage. Honestly, this isn’t the best idea during the summer either (there you’re worried about the cigars becoming TOO humid), but you certainly don’t want any cigar storage exposed to the elements in the winter. Remember, somewhere around 70° Fahrenheit is where your cigars want to be.

Cold Weather Affects… You!

We’ve all been tempted to crack outside when its only 40° out to sneak in a cigar, but make sure if you do so you’re properly equipped. I’m talking gloves, jackets, and a good winter hat in milder conditions and, if you can swing it, something like a heat lamp or firepit in more extreme conditions. I know a lot of cigar lovers out there who set themselves up with tents for the cold weather months – inside they’ve got a comfortable camp chair and a space heater to make sure they can still enjoy a cigar.

The other thing to keep in mind here is what cigar you’re selecting. Even if you’re warm and toasty, your cigar is going to naturally be exposed to the elements, so you want to avoid anything super brittle. In short, you’re probably going to want to save that Connecticut wrapped lancero for warmer weather. Additionally, you might find you just don’t want to be outside smoking a cigar for as long as you normally are – this is a great time to check out some of the shorter cigars on the market. You can get a load of great Coronas and Robustos that deliver great flavor and don’t ask for 90+ minutes of your time.

Wrapping Up

Understanding the impact of cold weather on cigars is crucial for enthusiasts to avoid damage to their collection during the winter. By paying extra attention to your humidor, your cigar choices, and your smoking environment over the next few months, you can continue to savor your favorite cigar when the mood strikes, without waiting for warm weather to return.

Or I guess we could all take Abe’s advice and just to move to Florida and leave this cold weather for the birds!