Lots of opinions, but any consensus?
Should you choose to age NC cigars, cello on or cello off?
[Reply]

Not sure it even matters, bro. Forget that many say NCs don't improve with age. Note that as many comes naked as in cello, and a fair fraction come with tissue on in tubes.

Personally, I feel denuding cello'ed sticks would make about as much difference as removing the bands. Just my :-), and worth every penny. In case you Canadians have forgotten, a penny is 1/100th of a dollar. :-)
[Reply]

I used to always remove the cello...until I damaged the foot of a very nice Padron while rearranging sticks. Now I always leave it on if it comes in cello. Cellophane breathes, so might as well leave it on. Unless you're a Dick Hacker acolyte (Dick Hacolyte? :-) ), that is.
[Reply]

Oh as always I say I leave them how I got them. The one exception was some '05 Mag 46s that came in cardboard, I left them there till I read Tom had a good experience putting them in a SLB, so I did that and fired one up after 3 months (the rule of 3s of course) and there was a noticeable difference for the better.

Cello I leave on though.
[Reply]

I can make more arguments for leaving the cello on than I can removing it on NCs. It breathes, it protects the wrapper and foot, it severely diminishes the chance of mold, it can reduce the impact of changes in RH - a cello'ed cigar won't dry out as fast, these can all be scientifically proven and repeated endlessly. Removing the cello from the cigar only gains the advantage of possibly better or faster aging, this is only subjective though.

So, all that being said, want to know the real reason I leave cello on NCs?

I'm ****ing lazy.


I'm honestly not sure it makes any difference for aging. I can't say that I ever tasted any difference in Opus Xes and SG 898 (two of the few NC cigars I'd bother to age) that were aged with cello and those aged without. The ones without sure didn't look as pretty and smooth on the wrappers anymore though.
[Reply]

I leave stuff in the box. Or in the cello.
If, for some odd reason, I had a bunch of smokes that weren't in cello, I'd put them in a box like Adam mentioned. Or not, like Adam mentioned.

I've also used bail jars for uncelloed sticks. They work great with just a little bead bag in there. In that case, I just put them in a jar so they don't get all bashed up.
Or I don't.

I can say that if they come in cello, I leave them in cello, and try to remember to take it off when I smoke the cigar.
[Reply]

I leave it on, then smoke them too fast to care :-)
[Reply]

So if you smoke them fast enough the cello doesn't melt?
[Reply]

Nope :-)
[Reply]

Cellophane is made of plant material, and thus biodegradable.
Put 'em in your compost.
Thank You.
Captain Planet
[Reply]

Image
Remember, save the Cello!!!
[Reply]

I heard Adam played the cello in his HS band, though I would have thought he'd prefer the flute.
[Reply]

Remind me not to refer to Tom as a 'good friend'.....:-)
[Reply]

OK - back on topic.....
Does anyone know where to find cello sleeves for the odd stray.....
[Reply]

The floor of my truck seems to always have a good supply
[Reply]

Use finger bags, the single ones.
Michael sells them at his website, I do believe.
[Reply]

I have to go with Scott on this one, I think it might be difficult to find the right sized 'used' cello for a particular stick? :-)
[Reply]

Yeah, I just b1tch up the smokes if I try to put them in cello.
[Reply]

Keep them on unless your desktop humidor is more for presentation.

Cigars should stay as close to original packaging as possible.
[Reply]

Aging a cigar can become complicated by air exchange. If you have a good humidor with tight seals then cello on or off is your preference but I agree that I nick cigars or resting no cello cigars with those that have cello I nick cigars.

If you have a coolidor then depending on your setup, you may have more air exchange and keeping cigars in cello slows the air exchange down.

Air exchange can start the gradual process of removing the aroma from the cigar and this will be a preference thing. Personally I leave the cello on and cigars at even 5 years of age smell fantastic pulling them out of the cello vs my cigars with no cello smell bland. Once lit I don't notice too much of a difference but I don't claim to have a great palate and I do like my Nicaraguans to temper down a bit but that is just me.
[Reply]