Do cigars age in tubes?
Yes and no. Cigars seem to age some in the tubes, but mostly I think this is due to most tubes not having a true seal. In an absolutely sealed environment it is impossible for a cigar to have the necessary oxygen required for it to breath and age properly. You will note that on many tubes it mentions that a cigar will “remain fresh until opened” and, personally, I do not consider this an ultimately desirable goal. Tubes are great for protecting cigars for a few weeks – even months- outside of a humidor if they have a good seal. But if tubed cigars are to be kept longer and you wish to ensure that they age properly, I recommend you remove the end caps and place them in your humidor. With all of that said, I have smoked many tubos whose seals were intact for years and the cigars were quite tasty. But no matter what you do, always store tubed cigars in a humidor if you are going to have them for any substantial length of time, because most tube seals are not air-tight.
