Introducing the Cigar Podcast: BOX PRESS, WITH BOVEDA’S ROB GAGNER
Lose yourself in a good cigar and delve deeper into your cigar hobby with Boveda’s own Rob Gagner. Not only can Rob grow one helluva beard, but he’s also the host of Box Press, Boveda’s new podcast for cigar aficionados (and those who strive for that designation). In this premiere episode of Box Press, learn how the change in seasons can really do a number on your humidor. And how you can proactively prevent humidity spikes and dips that can damage your cigar collection.
Explore cigars, cigar life and cigar enjoyment with Rob Gagner, host of Box Press, Boveda’s new cigar podcast.
Subscribe to the Box Press podcast on the Boveda Cigar YouTube Channel or on iTunes.
Who is this Rob guy?
Just like a box-pressed cigar, Box Press the podcast is flavorful from its first puff to its last. This is a steady smolder of serious cigar talk from a guy who really knows his sticks.
Rob punctuated the Box Press premiere podcast with a C.L.E. EIROA The First 20. This premium blend commemorates Christian Eiroa’s first twenty years in the cigar industry. Christian collaborated with his father, cigar legend, Julio Eiroa to create this medium strength cigar that was aged at least four years. Its intense color disguises this smooth smoking Honduran blend.
Like many of us, Rob was drawn to cigars by their craftsmanship, their ceremony and their care. Professionally, Rob started at Tobacco Grove, the premium tobacconist and maker of Crux Cigars. (Crux brought you Skeeterz, Ninfamaniac, Bull & Bear and more.) Now Rob manages Boveda’s relationships with a fistful of other top cigar brands, including Asylum Cigars, Dapper Cigars and Altadis U.S.A.
Box Press, Episode 1 Highlights
Does a change in seasons affect my humidor?
It can, depending on where you live. When the season changes do your temperatures and relative humidity levels dip or spike? If yes, then those external forces can affect a wooden humidor. For example, if the air surrounding your humidor is incredibly dry, it’s going to draw moisture directly from it. For more information, check out this Boveda post.
Do I need to switch to a different Boveda RH level when the season changes?
You might need to change your Boveda RH when the season changes if your cigars are in a wooden humidor. For example, if the external RH dips dramatically from 50% RH to 10% RH during the winter months, you can help your humidor offset this extreme change by bumping up to Boveda with a higher RH%. When external RH percentages start to rise again in the spring and summer months, drop down your Boveda RH%.
Should I automatically swap Boveda RHs when the season changes?
Be proactive. Wait too long after an extreme RH dip and:
Worse case: You can permanently damage your wooden humidor and cigars.
Best case: You’ll need to reseason your humidor for 14 days, place your cigars in a Boveda Humidor Bag and then reintroduce your cigars to your humidor.
If you know that RH is about to tank or soar, get your humidor ready by following these 3 Steps below to Prep Your Humidor for a New Season. Why take a chance?
3 Steps to Prep Your Humidor for a New Season with Boveda
- Calibrate your hygrometer
- See where you’re at. Take an RH reading of your humidor with that newly calibrated hygrometer. (Your RH% will vary based on the type of humidor you have, the cigars inside and the external environment.)
- Based on your humidor’s RH reading and the conditions of the season you’re entering, order new Boveda. (Tip from Rob: he swaps out Boveda 69%RH for 72%RH in the fall to ward off the bone-sucking effects of a dry Minnesota winter.)
Remember, never mix Boveda RH percentages.
What if my climate is always extreme?
Cigar lovers in high-humidity locales like Miami or New Orleans or desert-dry spots like Denver or Las Vegas might want to reconsider that wooden humidor.
We know, we know, we know—a wooden humidor is showier, but you’re constantly fighting extreme external conditions. Impress your buds with the flavorful, smooth-burning smoke of a well-kept cigar instead. (Tip from Rob: If you live in a place that’s hard on cigars, switch to a closed or airtight system, such as a Boveda acrylic humidor or Boveda Humidor Bags.)
“I store 90% of my cigar collection in Boveda Humidor Bags.”
– Rob Gagner, Boveda
