Verfolgen Sie die Zigarrenkultur und die Popularität der Zigarre im letzten Jahrhundert, und Sie werden verstehen, dass wir eine Art moderne Aufklärung erleben, wenn es um die Qualität, Zugänglichkeit und Technologie geht, die in der heutigen Zigarrenindustrie vorherrschen. Wir werden zu einem besser informierten Publikum, wenn es darum geht, welche Zigarren wir kaufen, woher wir sie beziehen und wie wir sie pflegen sollten.
Für Zigarrenliebhaber sieht es gut aus. Immer mehr Unternehmen und Betriebe schließen sich zusammen und weiten den Vertrieb und die Herstellung aus, mehr Informationen sind über Print- und Online-Ressourcen weithin verfügbar, und die Technologie der Humidore und Zigarren-Zubehör weiter zu verbessern.
But to better understand how good we have it, we should know the history that’s led us to this point—specifically with humidors. As cigars became popular in the U.S. and Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries, the development of the humidor was imperative to build interest in maintai
Werfen wir also einen Blick auf die Geschichte der HumidoreWir untersuchen die verschiedenen Zigarrentypen, wann und wie sie entwickelt wurden und wie sie die Geschichte der Zigarre beeinflusst haben könnten.
Eine kurze Geschichte der Zigarre
The history of cigars is complicated, extraordinary, and worth your vestedDie Ultimate Cigar Book to learn more. But the modern cigar’s relationship with South America is key, starting with the Spanish explorers who visited Cuba and first introduced versions of the cigar to a European audience which, until that time, had primarily smoked tobacco through pipes. We trace the word Zigarre an die Spanier, Zigarro, was wahrscheinlich mit dem Maya-Wort für Rauchen zu tun hat, sikar.
Die Verbindungen sind weitreichend, transkontinental und erstrecken sich über Jahrhunderte. Aber in einem sehr kurzen Überblick können wir sehen, wie der Humidor ein direktes Ergebnis der Popularität, des Handels und der Notwendigkeit war, Qualitätstabak in Form von Zigarren in verschiedenen Klimazonen und Feuchtigkeitsgraden zu bewahren.
Cuba remained a Spanish colony throughout most of the 19th century, a time when many of the first famous Cuban cigar companies were formed, including Stanzen, Partagas, El Rey del Mundo, Sancho Panza, and later on, La Palina. One of these Cuban companies was H. Upmann, which was responsible for packaging cigars in boxes for the first time. As these boxes gradually became more ornate, cigar smokers would occasionally turn them into makeshift cigar storage vessels once their contents had been depleted. From that point forward, the cigar box humidor became one of the most common forms of cigar storage, and to this day it remains one of the primary options for new cigar smokers.
But let's get back to the turn of the 20th century, because by then cigars had become the most popular tobacco product in North America, with premium, hand-rolled cigars from South American being but one of several options. Domestically grown tobacco crops in places like the Connecticut River Valley had caused numerous cigar factories to pop up along the east coast. With companies like Lovely Cigars producing smokes as far north as Green Bay, midwestern remained an easily accessible, locally rolled commodity.
Prior to the 1950s, Cuban tobacco was still being hand-rolled as Florida cigars, which for the most part was fairly affordable. But that all changed in the 1960s when Fidel Castro took over the Cuban tobacco industry, and when the embargo took place a few short years later, that was it for U.S.-rolled Cuban cigars.
Man könnte argumentieren, dass die Zigarren durch die Veredelung von erstklassigem Zigarrentabak noch rarer und damit wertvoller und geschätzter wurden. Dies wiederum könnte die Popularität und Bedeutung des richtigen Schutzes und der Lagerung von Zigarren gefördert haben, so dass Humidore einen festen Platz in amerikanischen Haushalten erhielten.
Arten von Humidoren in der Geschichte
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Schrank-Humidore
Einige der ersten Humidor-Modelle waren Kabinett-Humidore, die den südamerikanischen Reifescheunen nachempfunden waren. Tatsächlich wurden die ersten Schrankhumidore aus exotischem Holz hergestellt, das Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts von Terence Manning, einem irischen Möbelhersteller, der als Erfinder des ersten Schrankhumidors gilt, aus Südafrika eingeführt wurde. Sein Unternehmen und seine Familie stellten in der Folgezeit angesehene Schrankhumidore her, und der Name Manning wurde zu einer Ikone in der Humidorindustrie.
Now, as for where Spanische Zeder fits into all of this, that can be traced all the way back to the curing barns of yesteryear, which were often made of this resilient, highly aromatic material. Naturally, it didn't take humidor manufacturers long to realize that this kind of wood also worked well in their products.
As a selectively permeable substance, Spanish cedar excelled at maintaining the proper internal humidity levels for storing cigars on either a long or short-term basis. And while humidors have gone on to be crafted with an array of different materials over the years, Spanish cedar remains the preferred material for lining cigar boxes and humidors alike.
Desktop-Humidore
Zino Davidoff is widely championed as the inventor of the desktop humidor. His father was a tobacco merchant, giving young Zino Davidoff an appreciation for quality cigars from an early age. His travels to South America, including Cuba, would ultimately lead Zino to invent a product to imitate the climate and humidity levels of Cuba, but in a far smaller footprint. Davidoff is also credited with creating the first self-regulating humidor as well as the first walk-in humidor, with Davidoff walk-in humidors still being revered as some of the best in biz today.
Davidoff humidors also achieved widespread respect due to his uniquely crafted aesthetic, with the design being just as much of a focal point as the product's humidification purposes. While cigar smoking has always been associated with a certain styles, Davidoff is responsible for setting the bar for classic, well-designed humidors.
To this day, the desktop humidor remains a cornerstone accessory for the world's cigar enthusiasts. These smaller humidors, with their 10–100 stick capacity range, were a game changer for the cigar industry, giving smokers an affordable, intuitive way to store cigars pretty much anywhere.
For more, be sure to check out our Klaro Deep Dive on deskto, and learn why sometimes smaller truly is better.
Tragbare Humidore
While traveling with a clay pot full of stogies, or a small, hinged locking cigar box was always an option, it wasn't until 1998 that cat by the name of G. Gerry Schmidt of Newport Beach, California, patented the first known portable humidor.
Featuring a telescopic design and humidification elements on the top and bottom of the case this now dated design revolutionized the cigar smoking world. Nowadays, portable humidors and Zigarren-Reiseetuis feature integrated humidification trays or pockets for humidity packs that allow the traveler to carry anywhere from a few sticks to a couple dozen smokes along on their weekend getaway or business trip.
Moderne Humidore
Modern humidors tend to be just as technologically advanced as they are aesthetically alluring. The materials being used have also grown increasingly diverse, with everything from sleek and luxurious, to rugged and waterproof being an option.
Technologie
Modern humidors continue to evolve, but some of the most important elements remain the same. Quality craftsmanship, Spanish cedar linings, a good seal, and an efficient humidification system are just as important in humidors today as they were with some of the earlier models.
The modern man's travel humidor is now being made with materials like ballistic nylon and waterproof zippers, which you will find on products like Felix. Outdoor enthusiasts are also taking full advantage of products like the 30 Cal Smoke Can, which features a bulletproof military shell, magnetized accessory pouches, and shelved Spanish cedar internals.
Back at the homestead, new developments like the upright Frigador allow cigar owners to control not only the humidity, but temperature and air circulation as well. The advent of digital smart hygrometers like the Klaro Valet make it even easier to check humidification levels, as this can now be done remotely with any kind of connected device. Smart hygrometers also allow you to catalog your cache and keep tabs on temperature and humidity fluctuations over days, weeks, and even months.
And then there is the whole luxury line of humidors, which features some of the most advanced cigar tech on the planet, and materials fit for royalty. While they may not be suitable for the average cigar smoker, these ultra high-end models are tailer-made for cigar lounges and elite smokers alike.
Abschiedsschmerz
Zigarrenliebhaber geben heute in der Regel mehr Geld für hochwertige Zigarren aus als je zuvor. Ähnlich wie auf dem Markt für hochwertige Spirituosen wird es immer üblicher, dass Haushalte in ihre eigene Sammlung hochwertiger Zigarren investieren.
Aus diesem Grund investieren sie auch mehr in hochwertige Humidore. Oder, in manchen Fällen, in Humidore mit hohem Volumen, wie Schrankhumidore oder begehbare Humidore. Es ist heute nicht ungewöhnlich, dass Privathaushalte begehbare Humidore bauen, in denen Tausende von Zigarren Platz finden.
Es gibt zwar einige empfohlene Standards für moderne Humidore, wie z. B. spanisches Zedernholz, aber im Laufe der Jahre haben sich Variationen ergeben, bei denen Materialien und Design variieren, um erschwinglichere Optionen zu schaffen.
For example, acrylic humidors are now a thing, with some featuring Spanish cedar inlays to maintain humidification levels. Other humidor travel cases are designed to handle depressurization that occurs during flight when the humidor is stored in the aircraft bay rather than the cabin. The market continues to evolve and bring about new types of humidors, variations on designs, and approaches to aesthetics.
