Review: Grosvenor & Christian Cuba Humidor
A high-end humidor should be crafted from the finest materials and engineered to perform like a luxury sports car. The Grosvenor & Christian Cuba Humidor is one such model.
Tested over a period of several months, the Cuba Humidor accomplishes the most important task of any cigar storage container: It holds humidity at a desirable and consistent level. A well-made humidor is only as good as its seal, and this particular model features a rubber gasket under its heavy lid that hugs the Spanish cedar lining on the lower level of the box. It's a design feature that we wish we saw more often on humidors, as it acts as an excellent barrier against humidity loss.
We tested the Cuba Humidor with two different humidification devices inside. The unit ships with an active-humidification system called CigarSpa, a German-made and battery-operated electronic device that offers adjustable humidity control. The CigarSpa runs on distilled water and comes equipped with a digital screen and a sensor that tracks your desired level of humidity, the actual humidity, the temperature and the humidity average over a three-day period. We found the system effective and easy to use.
For a slightly less "hands-on" approach, we removed the CigarSpa system and tested the Cuba Humidor with three large Boveda packets, each calibrated to 69 percent relative humidity. Boveda packets provide two-way humidity control using a proprietary blend of natural salts and purified water and operate until the solution inside dries up. With the Boveda packets, the Cuba Humidor also held our desired humidity level.
Aesthetically, the Cuba Humidor is an eye-catching creation. Handcrafted in England, the exterior is made of Macassar ebony—a rare wood sourced from the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia and prized for its variegated brown-and-black stripes—with a satinwood inlay on its lid, cut into the shape of the island of Cuba. The ebony forms a starburst pattern on the lid of the humidor, with all points emanating outward from the capital of Havana. A high-gloss finish ensures that light dances off its exterior from any angle.
Measuring 20 1/4 inches long by about 10 1/2 inches wide with a depth of almost 6 inches, the manufacturer estimates that the humidor can comfortably hold about 80 cigars with a 50 ring gauge. The humidor is fitted with sturdy 23-karat, gold-plated hinges, lock and feet. The locking mechanism on the front of the humidor even takes the shape of a Cuban flag.
The Grosvenor & Christian Cuba Humidor would make a fine centerpiece for a smoking room or lounge, and would certainly be an enviable asset in the collection of any serious cigar enthusiast.
The Cuba humidor is built made to order by Grosvenor & Christian and costs £6950, or approximately $9,000.
Visit grosvenorandchristian.co.uk/ for more information.
