| Spanish Cedar is widely known as the material of | | | | Furthermore, the cedar has a natural tendency to |
| choice in humidor construction. But is it the best | | | | absorb, and desorb moisture, which can be very |
| material for humidors, or absolutely necessary? | | | | beneficial in helping supply humidity back into your |
| Well, let's discuss it a bit. | | | | humidor if the humidor is frequently opened or closed. |
| Spanish Cedar is actually not cedar at all. It comes | | | | So it wasn't by accident that early humidor creators, |
| from the Mahogany family. It is a very nice, salmony | | | | like Davidoff, decided to use Spanish Cedar for the |
| red tight-grained wood with a very spicy aroma | | | | lining of the inside of their humidors. |
| when smelled. In fact, if you sand or plane it down, | | | | Today, modern technology, electronics and plastics |
| the dust can really irritate your nasal passages, and | | | | have made a way to treat cigars without the |
| can leave you sneezing and coughing more-so than | | | | requirement of Spanish Cedar. Modified silica gel |
| other woods. Spanish Cedar is a wood that is | | | | beads, crystals and electronics now do a fine job of |
| commonly found all over Central America and is used | | | | supplying humidity back into the humidor. Plastics do a |
| in building materials, and for wood siding. | | | | great job of sealing the humidor, and the necessity |
| Hundreds of years ago, tobacco curing barns were | | | | on Spanish Cedar is far less than it was in the past. |
| constructed or lined with this common wood, | | | | Now, this is not to say that any old wood will suffice |
| probably because it was easy to get a hold of, and | | | | to line the inside of your humidor. Try making a |
| at the time wasn't intended on for imparting any | | | | humidor from aromatic cedar, or some other wood |
| flavours or nuances to the tobacco. | | | | and you will soon find your cigars will taste like your |
| However, inadvertently these flavours may have | | | | grandmother's closet. |
| been naturally and subtly imparted into the tobacco, | | | | I personally still love to make humidors using genuine |
| encouraging some of the woody flavour sometimes | | | | Spanish Cedar, simply because of the tradition, |
| associated with certain tobaccos. | | | | appearance and natural characteristics that make it a |
| Being a wood that naturally grows in the humid | | | | perfect wood for lining my creations at Vanderburgh |
| conditions of Central America, the wood is naturally | | | | Humidors. There is something about opening a fine |
| mold resistant, and in fact also resistant to the | | | | handcrafted humidor, and being greeted by the scent |
| dreaded tobacco beetle. Something in the scent | | | | of well aged cigars, and spicy Spanish cedar lining. It |
| makes these beetles go away. Maybe it makes them | | | | looks great, it has great characteristics, and I will |
| sneeze, just like humans. | | | | most likely always use it whether it is required or not. |