How and Why to Dry Box a Cigar

It's essential to know how and why to dry box a cigar in environments with a large variety of weather conditions, humidity, precipitation, and more. If you live near the equator, click here to go shop for some cigars. This article about dry boxing cigars isn’t something you need to read.

However, if you live in dry places or snowy places, read more.

What is Dry Boxing?

Dry boxing a cigar is something that is done by most cigar manufacturers. They do this because once the cigars are rolled, they are wet. Drying cigars helps with the aging process and also evens out relative humidity inside the blends. Various types of leaves are used in cigars and they vary in thickness. The thicker leaves are normally blended dry. However, when rolled, moisture is introduced, and the leaves absorb the moisture. The drying process helps our hygroscopic friends to reach equilibrium and makes them better.

Sometimes Extra Care is Needed

Now, imagine you are in a dry environment. Maybe you live in a snowy place or a desert. I am going to share the most wonderful news - you have an additional step to take to make that cigar perfect for your climate!

Ever have a cigar fall apart on you while you were smoking it? Trying to enjoy a cigar that has been in your calibrated humidor at 70% RH and 70F? It’s time to try a new method: dry boxing.

How Does Dry Boxing Work?

Ready to dry box your cigar(s)? Here’s what you need to do: at least an hour (up to two days) before you are going to light up, pull the cigar(s) out of your humidor and put them on your desk or in a non-calibrated humidor or box. Your home is probably still humid, but unless you live in a greenhouse, chances are your house RH is between 20% - 60%.

When you light your cigar indoors or take it outside, it will draw a little looser, so adjust your puff.

However, if you’ve given your cigar time to drop the humidity a little, you should have significantly fewer issues with the whole thing falling apart while you are trying to savor a precious moment.

Tips and Tricks:

1. If the cigar feels brittle before you light up, you have gone too far. However, all you need to do is carefully clip, punch or bite the cap off your smoke (you might put it ini your mouth to make sure the head of the cigar is more pliable, btw) and puff through your cigar a few times before lighting. The wrapper might still be a little brittle. It should smoke well, though.
2. Is the cigar flavor a little too harsh? Blow through your stogie a few times, slowly. First, this will help balance the temperature under the hood. Second, it helps to add a little humidity from your breath.
3. Puff a little slower. This sounds crazy, but try it! If you normally have long draws, go a little shorter and savor the smoke. Keeping the combustion in check on your cigar will help it burn better and taste better in the dry environment.
4. The alternate option (it works, too). Dry box your cigar for an hour or two, and right after you light it, splash some water on your hands (or heck, dip the part that’s not lit in a liquor of your choice) very carefully moisten the wrapper of the cigar. The inner blend won’t have time to absorb enough water, but it should modify the flavor and draw of your stick.
5. Fun fact: once your cigar is lit, you can take it into the rain and, provided it’s not a hurricane, also provided you are puffing, the parejo should remain lit. Yay combustion!

Cigars for Everyday Enjoyment

More than anything, we hope you enjoy your cigars year-round and don’t think you can only enjoy a cigar on the nice days. In our unbiased opinion, every day is better with a cigar!