If you are a cigar aficionado, you know that Spanish cedar is an important part of the humidor-making process.
But what makes Spanish cedar for humidors so special?
In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of using Spanish cedar for humidors and why it is so important for maintaining cigars.
We will also provide some tips on how to select the right piece of Spanish cedar for humidors.
The Pros and cons of Spanish Cedar
Spanish cedar is a very popular wood for humidors.
It’s beautiful, it has a nice scent, and it’s great at keeping cigars fresh.
So, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of using Spanish cedar for humidors.
Pros:
- Spanish cedar is very good at absorbing moisture. This means that it can help keep your cigars fresh for longer periods.
- The scent of Spanish cedar is pleasant and can improve the taste of your cigars.
- Spanish cedar is a very beautiful wood, so it can add a lot of aesthetic value to your humidor.
Cons:
- Spanish cedar is not as durable as some other woods, so it may not last as long as a humidor made from a different material.
- The price of Spanish cedar can be quite high, especially if you want to use it for large humidors.
Read More: How to Keep Cigars Fresh. Learn how to store your cigars in a humidor the right way!
Why Should Humidors Be Made of Spanish Cedar?
A humidor can be manufactured with many different materials, but only the wood lining inside the humidor is genuinely important.
Regardless of price, humidors are usually constructed with an interior layer or MDF core of wood veneer.
The most important concerns are the type and thickness of wood utilized inside.
Here, Spanish cedar for humidors has numerous benefits:
Aroma
The unique aroma of Spanish cedar wood blends extremely well with the aromas of tobacco and has a beneficial effect on the flavor development of cigars.
Tobacco Beetle Protection
Spanish cedar wood functions as a natural insect repellant, lowering the likelihood of tobacco beetles infesting your cigars.
Before using Spanish cedar wood in a humidor, it must be properly dried. This process is done in large ovens.
If raw wood is not thoroughly cured, it may acquire a sticky residue on the surface that is difficult to remove even after several years.
Read More: Traveling Cigar Humidor. Learn what makes traveling humidors useful and the top options!
Moisture Absorber
Spanish cedar wood can store a lot of moisture and then release it back into the environment.
This not only substitutes for moisture variations when the humidor is opened but also keeps the humidor’s environment more consistent throughout.
Mahogany and other tropical woods may hold moisture to variable degrees, but they lack the additional benefits of Spanish cedar.
Beware of Imposter Woods
Unfortunately, other tropical woods or mahogany are frequently utilized within humidors.
For example, red cedar is commonly used due to its similar name and the lack of knowledge of the buyer.
In addition, using very thin veneers to line humidors is an unethical approach to save money because the thickness of the veneer is usually not visible to the user.
Veneers less than 1 mm thick do not provide the beneficial characteristics of Spanish cedar wood. This might make purchasing a humidor an issue of trust.
You can be confident that well-known producers, such as Adorini or Elie Bleu, use authentic Spanish cedar wood of suitable thickness in the creation of their humidors.
The video below shows how a woodworker uses Spanish cedar wood to make a humidor.
Read More: How Do Humidors Work? Discover more about the importance of humidors in this guide!
Care Required for a Humidor
The humidor itself does not require any extra attention. It is critical, however, that the humidifier be checked regularly and replenished as needed.
An LED light or warning sound alerts the user that the humidifier needs to be replenished in the case of electronic humidifiers.
With all other humidifiers, the user must regularly monitor the humidity level by checking the hygrometer.
The humidifier should be refreshed if the humidity level on the display lowers. With practice, one may just touch the cigars to see if they are adequately humidified.
In general, humidity loss from opening the humidor briefly to remove a cigar is negligible.
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