At Small Batch, we’ll always defer to personal preference – and you’ll find that how you set up your humidor(s) will vary greatly from person to person. Some store all their Nicaraguan cigars separately from Dominican cigars, some lump everything together except for infused cigars, and others have different humidors setup at varying relative humidity to ensure the cigars they enjoy at 65% or 69% have their own homes.  

Personally, I try to purchase boxes to keep all of my like cigars in like containers. This allows the oils to flow back and forth with minimal crossover. And if I am storing samplers, I’ll leave them in the open Small Batch bag with the Boveda pack removed. This article will provide you with a little more information to make an informed decision.

Humidity Levels

One of the most critical aspects of storing different cigars in the same humidor is maintaining consistent and appropriate humidity levels. Cigars from various regions, brands, and blends may have slightly different ideal humidity levels. However, a general rule of thumb is to keep your humidor's humidity between 65% and 69%. But this isn’t a hard and fast rule: the top of my cabinet routinely sits around 63% and I’m not concerned since I usually smoke everything from that shelf within a few years.

For my personal tastes, I’ve found that many Dominican cigars smoke better in the 69% range. Since the top of my cabinet is sits around 63% RH and the bottom of my cabinet sits around 67-68% RH, I usually store Dominicans towards the bottom. If there’s a cigar that I know smokes better with higher humidity, I’ll put the box in a freezer bag with our mini 69% Boveda packs we include in each package.

Cedar Lining and Dividers

Many humidors are lined with Spanish cedar, a wood known for its moisture-absorbing properties, its natural insect repellent and mold resistant properties, and its ability to enhance the aging process of cigars. Cedar dividers within the humidor can help create distinct sections for different types of cigars. This not only helps control humidity variations but also minimizes the risk of flavors mingling between cigars.

If you are using a desktop humidor, chances are that it came with a top and a bottom. Cedar shelves are better at separating humidity than cedar dividers and can be fun to play with. If you really want to create slightly different zones, I’d recommend plugging any of the holes that are designed to ensure airflow between the top and bottom levels.

Flavor Cross-Contamination

The main reason cigar enthusiasts separate their humidors is to mitigate the risk of flavors crossing over since cigars absorb aromas from their surroundings. I’ve yet to get scientific with this and store milder cigars with stronger cigars to see how they interact over extended periods of time, but the risk seems to warrant enough for me to separate the two. For example, my cabinet has several slotted shelves for storing singles. I keep Davidoff singles in one, Padrón in another, and so on. I don’t see the need to use separate humidors, but I also wouldn’t let them rest beside each other without a divider since I won’t get to them all for many years.

Storage Time and Aging

The duration of storage and aging preferences can vary for different cigars. Some enthusiasts prefer to age their cigars for an extended period to develop complex flavors, while others enjoy fresher cigars.

If you know that there are some cigars you wish to store for an extended period such as a box of cigars purchased for your child’s birth that you want to share on their 21^st birthday, you may want to store them in a more controlled environment. For this reason, many have turned to wineadors that are able to keep a stable temperature. Only you can decide if you wish to separate your cigars based on intent, or if you’d like to store all of your cigars in a similar condition.