Si vous suivez l'évolution de la culture du cigare et de sa popularité au cours du siècle dernier, vous comprendrez que nous vivons une sorte d'illumination moderne en ce qui concerne la qualité, l'accessibilité et la technologie qui prévalent aujourd'hui dans l'industrie du cigare. Nous devenons un public plus informé lorsqu'il s'agit de savoir quels cigares acheter, où les trouver et comment en prendre soin.
Les choses se présentent bien pour les amateurs de cigares. De plus en plus de sociétés et d'entreprises se connectent et étendent la distribution et la fabrication, davantage d'informations sont largement disponibles par le biais de ressources imprimées et en ligne, et la technologie de l'information et de la communication est en train de se développer. humidors et accessoires pour cigares continue de s'améliorer.
Mais pour mieux comprendre à quel point nous avons de la chance, nous devons connaître l'histoire qui nous a menés jusqu'ici, en particulier celle des humidificateurs. Lorsque les cigares sont devenus populaires aux États-Unis et en Europe aux XIXe et XXe siècles, le développement de l'humidificateur était impératif pour susciter l'intérêt de maintenir une collection de cigares de qualité, tant au niveau commercial qu'au niveau domestique.
Jetons donc un coup d'œil à l'histoire de humidorsL'objectif est d'examiner les différents types de cigares, de déterminer quand et comment ils ont été développés et comment ils ont pu avoir un impact sur l'histoire du cigare.
Une brève histoire des cigares
L'histoire des cigares est compliquée, extraordinaire, et mérite que vous consacriez du temps à parcourir des ressources et des livres comme les suivants Le livre ultime sur les cigares 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 cigare aux Espagnols, cigarro, qui a probablement un rapport avec le mot maya pour fumer, sikar.
Les liens sont vastes, transcontinentaux et traversent les siècles. Mais dans un très bref aperçu, nous pouvons voir comment l'humidor est le résultat direct de la popularité, du commerce et de la nécessité de préserver le tabac de qualité sous forme de cigare à travers différents climats et niveaux d'humidité.
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 Punch, 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, 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.
On pourrait dire que ce conditionnement du tabac à cigare de qualité supérieure a raréfié les cigares, les rendant plus précieux et plus prisés. Cela a pu, à son tour, stimuler la popularité et l'importance d'une protection et d'une conservation adéquates des cigares, donnant aux humidificateurs une place dans les foyers américains.
Types d'humidificateurs dans l'histoire
Au cours de ces différents changements dans l'histoire du cigare, les humidificateurs ont évolué en termes de popularité, de type, de technologie et de disponibilité. Voyons comment les humidificateurs ont influencé l'industrie du cigare au fil des décennies.
Humidificateurs en armoire
Certains des premiers modèles d'humidificateurs étaient de type armoire, reproduisant les granges de séchage d'Amérique du Sud. En fait, les premiers humidors en armoire ont été fabriqués à partir de bois exotique rapporté d'Afrique du Sud à la fin du XIXe siècle par Terence Manning, un fabricant de meubles irlandais considéré comme l'inventeur du premier humidor en armoire. Son entreprise et sa famille ont continué à fabriquer des caves à cigares très respectées, le nom de Manning devenant une icône dans l'industrie des caves à cigares.
Now, as for where Cèdre espagnol 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.
Humidificateurs de bureau
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 morKlaro Deep Dive on desktop humidors, and learn why sometimes smaller truly is better.
Humidificateurs portables
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 étuis à cigares de voyage 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.
Humidificateurs modernes
Modern humidors tend t
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.
Bouffées d'adieu
Aujourd'hui, les amateurs de cigares dépensent généralement plus que jamais pour des cigares de qualité supérieure. À l'instar du marché des alcools haut de gamme, il est de plus en plus fréquent que les propriétaires de maisons investissent dans leur propre collection de cigares haut de gamme.
Et, de ce fait, ils investissent également davantage dans des humidificateurs de haute qualité. Ou, dans certains cas, dans des humidors de grand volume, comme les humidors de type armoire ou walk-in. Il n'est pas rare aujourd'hui qu'un ménage privé construise des caves à cigares de type walk-in capables de contenir des milliers de cigares.
Bien qu'il existe certaines normes recommandées pour les humidificateurs modernes, comme le cèdre espagnol, des variations sont apparues au fil des ans, les matériaux et la conception variant pour créer des options plus abordables.
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.
