Freezing Cigars

For long-term storage of premium cigars, sticking them in a freezer might seem to make some sense. As long as you put them in and leave them there, it’s not the world’s worst idea, and it can even be a good idea if you have any reason to be concerned about the cigars being infected with tobacco beetles as freezing will kill them. But freezing your cigars basically puts them into cold storage; it doesn’t allow for any further aging or maturing of the tobacco, and it may not resume after you bring them back to room temperature. Which, by the way, you should only do once. Never freeze, unfreeze, and freeze cigars again; the cycling of temperatures can cause the wrappers to split and crack due to the expansion and contraction of the moisture they contain. Also, be sure to allow your cigars to defrost naturally—no nuking!—preferably in a controlled environment like a humidor. It can take up to three days for cigars to completely defrost when done properly.