Cigar2

2. Cigar Packaging

Cigars come packaged in several ways: individually in cellophane wrappers or in glass or metal tubes, mass-market packaging, bundles, and boxes.

Individual Cellophaned Wrapped:

Although you can still buy individual cigars that are not wrapped in cellophane, it is rare. And, for the most part, those that are not wrapped in cellophane come packaged in glass or metal tubes.

Cigars which also come bundled or boxed are also usually individually wrapped in cellophane. Which comes to the question, "Should the cellophane be removed before storing them in your humidor?"

There are those which say it is absolutely necessary, and those which say it doesn't matter. When considering this question, you should remember that any good humidor will be cedar lined. Cedar wood imparts a spiciness that enhances the taste as cigars mature, which cannot be done if the cigar is wrapped in cellophane. However, there is nothing wrong with keeping the cellophane wrapper on your cigar in the humidor until you are ready to smoke it. On the other hand, if you keep more than one brand in your humidor without a divider of some type, then the cellophane should be kept on to keep the flavors from different cigars from mixing together.

Mass-Market Cigars:

These are cigars that you find in grocery stores, drug stores, etc. rather than kept in walk-in humidors, although they are sometimes found there also. They usually come in packages of five or in cardboard boxes of 25 or 50. They are also individually cellophane wrapped, which is all that keeps the cigar fresh. Since they are not usually kept in a commercial humidor, they are a drier smoke. They can, of course, be added to and aged in your personal humidor.

Bundled Cigars:

Bundled Cigars, as the name implies, come bundled rather than boxed. Originally, and still used as such, bundles were factory seconds, that were rejected from boxing. However, many bundled cigars today are not seconds but meant to be sold as bundles, which can be sold more cheaply, since they are not boxed and, in the case of seconds, are not banded or sorted by color. The most popular bundle size is 20 cigars, although they also come in bundles of 25 and 50.

Boxed Cigars:

Boxed cigars, especially premium and super premium, come packaged in cedar boxes of various quality and shape. Usually found in boxes of 25, other sized boxes are finding their way to the market. Some of these boxes are very cheaply made, while others can be very elaborate and of heavy construction. Some simply have a label glued to the box, while others have etched engravings.

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