Should a Cigar Rest After Delivery? We Put It to the Test.
Your cigars arrive in Dubai.
Do you cut one immediately?
Or should the entire box disappear into the humidor for a week, two weeks, perhaps longer?
Cigar enthusiasts often recommend allowing delivered cigars to "rest." But rather than repeating the advice, we can test it.
Same cigar. Same delivery. Three different smoking dates.
What You'll Learn
- Why transport conditions could influence a cigar.
- What cigar "resting" actually means.
- How to compare Day 0, Day 5 and Day 21 properly.
- Which measurements matter beyond flavor.
- Whether waiting actually produces a noticeable difference.
The El Septimo Experiment
Start with multiple identical cigars from the same box.
Divide them randomly into three groups:
- Group A: Smoke immediately after delivery.
- Group B: Smoke after 5 days of controlled storage.
- Group C: Smoke after 21 days under the same conditions.
The exact intervals are less important than keeping the experiment consistent. The purpose is to compare immediate smoking with short and longer acclimation.
A cigar such as the El Septimo Coco could be used, provided every test cigar comes from the same box or batch.
Why Might Delivery Matter?
Cigars are natural, hygroscopic products. They interact with the temperature and moisture conditions around them.
During delivery, the environment may differ from the controlled conditions in which you normally keep your collection.
That does not mean every delivered cigar arrives in poor condition.
Packaging can provide meaningful protection, and short-term environmental exposure is very different from leaving cigars improperly stored for months.
The experiment should therefore ask whether resting makes a measurable difference, not begin by assuming that it does.
What Does "Resting" Actually Do?
Resting after delivery simply gives the cigar time inside your stable storage environment.
If its moisture condition differs from that environment, tobacco can gradually exchange moisture with the surrounding air and move toward equilibrium.
This process is not instantaneous.
The hygrometer may reach your target RH relatively quickly. That does not mean moisture throughout every layer of the cigar has instantly reached the same equilibrium.
Dubai Makes the Question More Interesting
In the UAE, a package can encounter very different environments during its journey, from intense outdoor summer temperatures to heavily air-conditioned interiors.
That makes this a particularly relevant experiment for cigar delivery in Dubai.
But we should measure the effect rather than exaggerate it.
If Day 0 performs beautifully, that result belongs in the article.
First Measurement: Weight
Before smoking anything, weigh every cigar using the same precision scale.
If cigar mass changes consistently during resting, that gives us objective evidence that the cigars were interacting with their new environment.
Then Measure the Draw
Moisture condition can influence how a cigar behaves physically.
Instead of simply saying one cigar "felt better," record the draw before lighting.
Was it:
- Open?
- Balanced?
- Restricted?
- Noticeably different between test dates?
If equipment is available, actual draw resistance can be measured. Otherwise, use blind scoring and multiple tasters.
Burn Performance May Tell Us More Than Flavor
Flavor descriptions are subjective.
Relights are countable.
So are burn corrections and smoking time.
For every cigar, record:
- Total smoking time
- Number of relights
- Number of burn corrections
- Ash cohesion
- Draw resistance
- Smoke volume
- Wrapper condition
If the Day 0 cigars consistently require more corrections while the rested cigars do not, that is much more interesting than simply writing that they "tasted smoother."
Then We Get to Flavor
Now score the sensory experience.
Make It Blind
There is one problem with asking someone to smoke the "three-week rested cigar."
They already expect it to be better.
Instead, have another person code the cigars:
Cigar R | Cigar K | Cigar T
The tasters should not know which represents Day 0, Day 5 or Day 21 until every score has been recorded.
Expectation is now less able to write the conclusion for us.
One Cigar Per Group Isn't Enough
A single handmade cigar can naturally differ slightly from another.
For a stronger El Septimo feature, use several cigars at every interval and multiple tasters.
For example:
- 4 cigars smoked on Day 0
- 4 cigars smoked on Day 5
- 4 cigars smoked on Day 21
Twelve cigars will not produce a definitive scientific law, but it is considerably more informative than comparing three individual sticks.
Control Everything Else
If Day 0 is smoked outdoors at night and Day 21 inside an air-conditioned lounge, the experiment has another problem.
Keep as many variables identical as practical:
- Same cigar and box
- Same humidor conditions
- Same cutting method
- Same lighter
- Similar smoking environment
- Similar smoking pace
- Same beverage, preferably water
- Same scoring system
Use the same cigar cutter, lighter and ashtray setup throughout the experiment.
What Result Would Actually Be Interesting?
Any of them.
If Day 21 wins convincingly, publish it.
If most of the improvement happens within five days, publish that.
If tasters cannot reliably distinguish Day 5 from Day 21, that may be even more useful.
And if the cigars smoked immediately after delivery perform just as well?
Publish that too.
The purpose of an experiment is not to confirm cigar mythology. It is to discover whether the expected effect appears under the conditions we actually tested.
So, Should You Rest Cigars After Delivery?
Giving delivered cigars time in a stable humidor is a sensible way to allow them to acclimate to your preferred storage environment.
But there is no honest reason to pretend that every cigar requires exactly 3, 7, 14 or 21 days.
Delivery conditions, packaging, cigar moisture, storage conditions, vitola and personal preference can all influence the result.
That is precisely why this test is worth running.
Test It With El Septimo Dubai
Step 1: Explore the El Septimo cigar collection and keep delivered cigars under stable conditions using a suitable cigar humidor in Dubai.
Step 2: For VIP, corporate, gifting, or cigar inquiries in the UAE, contact El Septimo Dubai through the website.
Final Thoughts
"Always rest your cigars after delivery" sounds like a rule.
A better question is:
Can we actually detect what changes while they rest?
Measure the weight. Count the relights. Record the draw. Blind the tasters. Compare Day 0 with Day 5 and Day 21.
Then let the cigars answer the question.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should cigars rest after delivery?
Allowing cigars to rest in stable humidor conditions gives them time to acclimate after transport. The amount of time required can vary, which is why controlled comparison is more useful than assuming one universal rule.
How long should cigars rest after shipping?
There is no single period that applies to every cigar. Several days to several weeks can be compared, with storage conditions and cigar performance monitored throughout.
Can I smoke a cigar immediately after delivery?
Yes, particularly if it arrives properly conditioned. Smoking one immediately can also provide a useful baseline if you want to compare it with cigars rested from the same box.
Why can resting change a cigar?
Tobacco exchanges moisture with its surrounding environment. Time in stable storage allows a delivered cigar to move toward equilibrium with that environment if its initial moisture condition differs.
Should delivered cigars go directly into a humidor?
For ongoing storage, cigars should be kept in an appropriately maintained environment rather than left exposed to uncontrolled room conditions.
For adults 21+. Please enjoy responsibly.
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