What is “dry boxing” cigars and how to do it?
If you have been smoking cigars for a while, or hanging around in online forums and social media, you might have heard the term “Dry Boxing” cigars. But what does this mean, and should you be dry boxing your cigars to get the best enjoyment out of them?
Dry boxing a cigar is as simple as it sounds; you choose a cigar you are wanting to smoke the night before and leave it out of your humidor for a short time. It might not seem necessary but can make a great deal of difference. There is a bit of an art to getting it perfect though. And with all things cigars, it is totally subjective. So, what works for one, may not work for the other.
The best thing to use to dry box your cigars is an empty cigar box. Not one that is too old and has gone dusty and smelly, a fairly fresh one. If you are buying your cigars by the box and decanting into your humidor, you will be able to use the original box your cigars came in. Once your cigars are well rested in your humidor and ready to smoke, select a cigar the day before you are wanting to enjoy it, and leave it in the cigar box without any humidification, lid closed, out of direct sunlight and in a slightly cooler than room temperature place. Leave for as long as needed.
Dry boxing allows the cigar to “settle” slightly, it can help to pull any extra moisture out of the wrapper, or better balance out the distribution of humidity throughout the cigar. It can also help the cigar better acclimate in more extreme smoking conditions. For example, if you are in an overly dry or overly humid place, it might help to bring the cigar to a similar level before smoking, this can prevent splits and cracks, and even plugged cigars. It will also help if your cigar has been over humidified (anything over 72%), and you want to quickly pull some extra moisture out before smoking.
The best way to start dry boxing your cigars is to select 3 of the same cigars from the same box or pack and experiment with the amount of time left out of the humidor before smoking. Smoke the first one straight from the humidor and place the cigars in an empty cigar box, out of direct sunlight., the second after 24 hours, and the third after 48 hours. See if you can notice a difference in taste, burn, and draw. Of course, they are handmade things, so there will always be subtle differences between each cigar anyway, so it is best to repeat this process a few times to get a rough idea of what is causing any changes. Wider ring gauges might require more of a rest, due to the thickness holding more moisture. You can experiment with longer periods of time, different locations, or different containers. You will notice very subtle differences over time which you can hone in on.
Dry Boxing Cigars Simple Steps:
- Choose cigar you are wanting to smoke
- Place in cigar box without humidification (out of direct sunlight)
- Leave to “settle”
- Enjoy!
If you don’t have an empty cigar box, your local tobacconist might give you one or sell you one for a very small amount of money. Or as an alternative, you can use a Tupperware with the lid cracked slightly, and if possible, the cedar sheet from a box of Cuban cigars.
One minor issue is the need to pre-plan your smokes. How do you know what you might fancy the following day, or where your mood may take you? Perhaps try dry-boxing a small selection of 3 or 4, they can always be popped back in your humidor the following day. Be careful not to be handling the same cigars and move them to too many different locations too often, as this could ultimately lead to damage, or mould forming.
