Store with cellophane foil or alutubo

Store with Cellophane film or Alutubo? Let's look at practical examples together and you can decide for yourself how you prefer to store your cigars. I have made an experiment that lasted 4.5 years. It proves once again: the cellophane improves the taste of the cigar; more about this below at "Leon Jimenes Doble Maduro".

This article was updated on 02/01/2020 & 01/01/2021.

The most common arguments: Store with cellophane film or alutubo

• The foil protects the cover sheet from damage: True, you can leave it like that.
• The cigar is more hygienic to smoke because the wrapper has not been touched by many other people: In the cigar factories, the cigars are made without gloves. The subject of hygiene is not decisive. Also not because of COVID-19. After all, the foil is also touched with the hands.
• The cigar matures more slowly In the foil: True.
• You cigar matures faster Without foil: True.
• The cigar gets too little moisture in the cellophane and dries out. No. The cigars are perfectly stored and get enough moisture.
• The film protects against tobacco beetles: Wrong. If a cigar has the larvae of the tobacco beetle in it, the larvae will easily eat through the foil and can thus infest other cigars. Here is the proof:

The video on the subject

You decide about the taste of your cigar: Store with Cellophane foil or Alutubo?

Both cellophane and alutubo delay further maturation of tobacco. Removing them accelerates the maturation.

Practice shows: Cigars stored with cellophane taste better to me personally

My example on the Joya de Nicaragua Viajante: Already a few months have clearly shown a difference in taste between "with" and "without". The "with" tasted to me clear better. They had more pronounced flavor nuances. The others were very "flat" in taste. So were all the other cigars I have smoked so far: The ones from the cellophane definitely tasted better. Also a 3 long term review of the Romeo Y Julieta Anejados was quite clear: Three cigars lay open in the humidor. Already within just under 5 months, the last specimen has lost much of its flavor. Again, I suggest: Cuban cigars that you buy individually, you better put in aluminum tubes in the humidor or, if available, in cellophane.

Marc André writes: Quote from cigar-wiki.com: "Only if serious consideration is being given to storing the cigar for a long period of time, for example, for cigar aging, would I remove the cellophane and then store the cigars in a cabinet box if possible."

Practice shows: With Alutubo stored cigars also taste better to me personally

Now it gets crazy for us normal consumers. If you store your cigars for 30 or 40 years in the Alutubo, then these cigars should taste better than the same cigars with the same age, which were stored without Alutubo. Too bad, I have not yet had this experience. The cigar collector Min Ron Nee writes some about it in his book (below a little more about his book).

But what about my own experience? I have 16 pcs. Zino Classic No.6 about 9 months with and without Altubo stored. The tasting brought to light even after this short time: the cigar from the Alutubo actually tasted more intense to me and had much more pronounced flavor nuances than the one stored open in the humidor.

You are the boss, you decide: Store with Cellophane film or Alutubo

So it depends on what you prefer: a faster fermentation, or a slower one. You are the boss, make your own experience and report it in the comments section (at the bottom of the page). 

The experiment: 30 cigars Leon Jimenes Doble Maduro stored with cellophane since 2015 and tested again after 4.5 years

All store with cellophane. 10 pieces with cellophane without box (of course in the humidor) and the rest completely with the box in the humidor. I want to find out if and how this cigar develops after 4 years. The result is not surprising. The cigars have developed excellently.