"Flavoring" Humidors?

[jfserama]

I know most humidors are made of cedar/have cedar added to them. Among other things it adds a cedar taste to the cigars stored there. Is it possible/has anyone added anything else to their humis with the purpose of "flavoring" the cigars? (Flavoring is probably the wrong word to use, as it calls to mind images of cheap gas station cigars flavored with who knows what) I know many reviews mention that the cigars taste like leather, cinnamon, chocolate, earthy, etc, etc. Has anyone tried to add these flavors to their cigars? ie you really like gars that have a cinnamon taste so you add a cinnamon stick or two to your humi?

A weird question, I know, but I thought about it as I was looking through the spice cabinet a little while ago, and thought that, in theory, it should work.

[thebayratt]

Good question! I'd like to see the responses you get from this.
Kinda makes me want to get a few sticks and set a few pieces of leather in a tuperdore and see what happens etc.... Seems like this would work kind of like how you can flavour a liqour (vodka) with infusion..... Maybe how the ACID line was originally brought about.
Hmmmmmmm.... now I got a project to work on, I'll let you know how it turns out.

[scottw]

experiment with the Gurkhas first.

[madurolover]

I think I will let the experienced blenders do my "flavoring" for me.

[K Baz]

I like the thought.

If I was you I would takes 3 cigars that you would like to try.

1. I would smoke one and make notes on it.

2. I would place each of the others ones in there own seperate ziplock bag and in one I would add a little bit of your spice of choice.

3. Let sit some time - depends how long you can wait.

4. Smoke the "spiced" cigar compare to notes smoek the "control" smoke and compare all three.

5. Post notes to forum

I would like to see how this works out but I don't want to see you "spice" a whole Humi and I want to make sure you know if the spicing works before you commit to a whole humi of cinnimon toasted sticks

[thebayratt]

Good ideas. I was thinking of maybe a little Fruit nuances but not as far (much) as an ACID. Just a small touch then maybe a spice of cinnamon etc. May try on a mild to medium or full stick and see if any taste differences. Definately in a tuperdor though!
Sorry, don't mean to thread jack.
Try the flavor you like the most jfserama and let us know what happens etc...

[jfserama]

Originally Posted by K Baz

I like the thought.

If I was you I would takes 3 cigars that you would like to try.

1. I would smoke one and make notes on it.

2. I would place each of the others ones in there own seperate ziplock bag and in one I would add a little bit of your spice of choice.

3. Let sit some time - depends how long you can wait.

4. Smoke the "spiced" cigar compare to notes smoke the "control" smoke and compare all three.

5. Post notes to forum

I would like to see how this works out but I don't want to see you "spice" a whole Humi and I want to make sure you know if the spicing works before you commit to a whole humi of cinnimon toasted sticks

This is a really good idea. I feel a trip to the B&M coming up tomorrow And I agree about not spicing the whole humi

Good ideas. I was thinking of maybe a little Fruit nuances but not as far (much) as an ACID. Just a small touch then maybe a spice of cinnamon etc. May try on a mild to medium or full stick and see if any taste differences. Definately in a tuperdor though!
Sorry, don't mean to thread jack.
Try the flavor you like the most jfserama and let us know what happens etc...

ooooohhh... I like the fruit idea... I see this getting complex (in a good way tho )

[commonsenseman]

Originally Posted by scottw

experiment with the Gurkhas first.

I'm hurt.

[Herf N Turf]

I just spoke to a friend who's been doing this for nearly 30yrs. He has a 30ct humi that he's used to burbon-infuse cigars for 25. He started out putting a shot of burbon in the humi with mild cigars. He prefers The Griffins and Montecristos. He leaves the cigars in the humi for a minimum of three months before smoking. The humi is now so permeated with burbon aroma that he only rarely (1/yr or more) adds the shot glass. I've smoked sticks from that box that were in there nearly a year and, while not a burbon fan, they are much better than any commercially infused cigar Ive ever tried.

He's of the opinion that you have to get whatever essence you prefer, moist and airbourne. He suggested soaking the cinnamon stick in warm, distilled water, prior to placing it inside and keeping it moist.

Keep in mind, this is a dedicated humidor. No other sticks should ever go inside. In fact, he wont even keep it in his walk-in.

[scottw]

Originally Posted by commonsenseman

I'm hurt.

By my statement or that Peach flavored Swisher you just smoked.

[Cigary]

I'd be interested in seeing how this works. I know certain cigar makers keep thier product in oak barrels or casks to give them a more distinct flavor profile. I'm thinking if you have a certain "taste" or " profile" you're looking for then I would use that in a seperate container and keep it in there for at least 6 months,,test,,,another 3 months,,test again and see what you get. I personally would put at least a dozen cigars in for this test as you will have to keep doing a review on each stick to see if it really works.

[ca21455]

Interesting. You would have to do this with a mild cigar. Any of the full bodied cigars would probably overpower any flavor you tried to impart on them.

[jfserama]

Alright, I picked up two cigars from the B&M today. Was going to get some small Punch cigars, but they were out, so I went with something I had never heard of before (forget the name, and its in the humi right now and dont feel like digging it out). Got two of them and put one in a ziplock with a cinnamon stick (removed the cello too), and the other by itself. Both are now in the humi (in ziplock bags) where they will remain for a month (or more, if I can wait that long). I'll be sure to post notes when I smoke them.

I know some of you recommended to go bigger (dozen+ gars) and wait longer (3+ months) but I am poor and impatient so this will be my small scale experiment

[commonsenseman]

Originally Posted by scottw

By my statement or that Peach flavored Swisher you just smoked.

C'mon some gurkhas are good.

[Jim2903]

I put a few mild cheapies (Manolo Seconds from CI) in a glass jar with a test tube half-filled with JW Black. That was two or three months agto. I tried one of them at eight weeks -- no discernable JW flavor (plus the draw was so tight, I ditched it less than halfway through). I'll try another after another month or so to see if the flavor gets stronger.