Cigars will go through many hands before they make their way into yours. From the planting of the seed to picking the leaves to rolling, the process of making a cigar is tough and requires many people to create your favourite. After production some manufacturers cover their cigars with a cellophane wrapper, which has created a great debate in the cigar community on whether to take the cellophane off or not, and we’re here to help answer that!
To begin with, what actually is cellophane? Despite the feel and look it isn’t plastic. Invented by a Swiss chemist in the early 20th century, cellophane is a slim film made from wood, hemp or cotton cellulose and is in fact used in many different industries. Being a plant based product this makes it porous, this means it has tiny holes which allow the cigar to breathe and more importantly allows humidity to get inside.
Cigar manufacturers use cellophane as an inexpensive form of protection against damage - Helping to protect against water, bacteria and the hands it passes through. The cellophane also provides a layer of protection against air conditions, meaning the cigar won’t dry out as quickly and once you’ve placed it in your humidor it should maintain temperature and humidity levels better than naked cigars.
Many people believe due to the very small holes in the cellophane it will decrease the amount of moisture the cigar receives from the humidor. It is also believed that cigars removed from the wrapper will age faster and encourage plume.
However in our experience leaving the cellophane on will not affect the cigar at all! the flavours will still be the same, and plume will still come to fruition. It will assist in protecting your cigars from damage in your humidor when moving around.
Written by Oliver Partington
Part of the Dominique London Group
