A fine cigar, like a fine wine, improves with age; but there are also, as with wines, both proper and improper techniques for aging your cigars, or simply for storing them before you enjoy them. If you are only an occasional cigar smoker, there is no need for you to worry about storing techniques — just buy and smoke. On the other hand, if you buy cigars in quantity, you will want to protect your investment by knowing a few simple guidelines.

Buying a good humidor is the surest way to protect your cigars and allow them to age well. Humidors come in various sizes and can be constructed from various materials. A good humidor can accent a room admirably, as well as serving a practical purpose; you may want to select one with, for example, an exterior made of cherry wood, which has a dark, rich appearance. Some larger humidors have several partitions, which is useful for separating cigars of different blends, to allow them to maintain their own particular flavors — anything so absorbent as a cigar is apt to absorb the flavors of anything nearby.

Spanish cedar, though, is the best material for the interior of a humidor. Spanish Cedar is used for several purposes: notably, that (1) it protects the cigars from worms and other undesirable creatures; (2) it absorbs moisture well, making it more effective for maintaining a stable degree of humidity; and (3) it has a pleasant aroma.

Your humidor should have some means both of controlling the humidity within and of checking the humidity levels. The ideal humidity level for cigar storage is 65 to 70 percent. Cigars have an optimum storage temperature, too: about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (about 20 degrees Celsius). Just remember the 70/70 rule — 70 degrees, 70 percent humidity.

As your cigar ages, you may start to see one of various substances on the wrapper. If you notice green or white discolored spots on the wrapper itself, but that have the same texture as the rest of the wrapper, these have probably been there from the beginning: green spots can be caused by imperfect curing and white spots from the sun-focusing effects of water droplets on the tobacco leaf. These are both harmless, and while they affect the appearance of the cigar, they do not otherwise interfere with its quality.

After your cigar has aged for several months, you may start to see what is referred to as "bloom" or "plume." This is a crystallization of the oils that are naturally secreted by the cigar wrapper. The crystals have a sugarlike appearance, and accrue in a more or less even distribution over the whole body of the cigar. Despite possible misgivings, this is a sign that the cigar is aging well: simply brush the bloom off and smoke the cigar.

On the other hand, if you see white or green patches start to appear in an uneven manner, like spots on a petri dish; and if these patches have a fuzzy texture, rather than a crystalline feel — your cigars, unfortunately, have started to grow mold. Don't smoke moldy cigars, and check the other cigars carefully. It is likely that, if one cigar in your humidor has grown mold, the quality of the others has been compromised as well, and they may have to be disposed of. If you do find mold, check the temperature and humidity of your humidor carefully to make sure that this sad occurrence is not repeated.