Summary
Characteristics
Type: Travel humidor;
Capacity: 12-18 cigars, depending on the vitola.
Key Features: A leather appearance. Spanish cedar interior. Hygrometer on the lid. Artificial fabric bag for transport.
Manufacturer: Scotte;
Country of Origin: China;
Dimensions, D/H: 4.7 in diameter and 9 inches high;
Interior and Materials: Leather exterior and cedar interior;
Lock: No;
Drawers: No;
Trays: No;
Lighting: No.
Humidification: Yes, a rectangular humidifier;
Hygrometer: Yes, a analog hygrometer;
Water tank capacity: No water tank included;
Thermometer: No;
Temperature control: No;
Ventilation: No;
Noise level: 0 dB;
Power supply: No power source required.
Key Features
With this form of humidor, the ratio of size to storage is optimal.
The leather gives the humidor a classy look and feel. And the seal is perfect for keeping the flavor of the sticks inside fresh.
The analog hygrometer with gold colored ring completes the look of Scotte.
Pros
- Sturdy and durable
- Compact
- It provides sufficient storage for its size
Cons
- A handle would be helpful to transport the humidor without an additional bag
Packaging and shipping
This cigar travel case comes in a synthetic fabric bag in a cardboard box.
You will receive a sheet with instructions on how to use the humidor, a dropper, and a humidification stick.
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Exterior
Scotte measures 4.7 inches in diameter and 9 inches high. This size and shape define the optimal size to storage ratio. It fits a good number of cigars; on the other hand, you can also store the humidor in your bag or luggage. The only vitola you cannot put in the humidor without damaging it is the 9-inch Gran Corona.
The exterior of what is probably the best small humidor is covered in leather. You can choose between black leather and brown leather.
For a second perspective, here’s another person sharing insights on Scotte:
youtube.com/@coolknight6648
Interior
The interior is lined with a thin veneer of Spanish cedar.
Scotte’s design is such that there are no trays, lights, or water reservoirs. Unsurprisingly, for a competitor in the best travel humidor category. You may be wondering why the lack of useful features can be an advantage? For portable humidors, such features add unnecessary weight to the product, so they are less important than the light weight.
Setup and Seasoning
Many novice cigar aficionados ask if travel humidors should be seasoned. The short answer is “Yes.” A slightly more detailed explanation is that you must season any humidor before you put your sticks in it, otherwise the wood of the humidor will suck the moisture out of your cigars. And you should season your travel humidor and calibrate the hygrometer before each trip.
We calibrated the hygrometer and seasoned the Scotte travel humidor with a size 60 Boveda seasoning pack. This process took less than a day. So, this time our graph is a little different. Instead of days, we tracked the change in humidity over hours.
Capacity
For a $20 piece, you can fit up to 18 cigars. This is a good and cheap option for transporting your stogies.
Seal
Scotte provides a sufficient seal so that the moisture content does not leak out. This is only due to the tight contact between the lid and the body of the humidor.
Humidification System
Yes, the Scotte travel humidor comes with a humidification bar. It is designed to maintain proper humidity for about fifteen cigars. It is a floral foam humidifier and we do not have high expectations for its performance.
The humidifier bar is humidified with a dropper and distilled water. Be careful not to soak the bar, so that it does not leak in the humidor. Use the provided dropper to drip about ten drops of water onto the humidor. If you drip too much water, leave the bar on a paper towel before putting it back in.
Hygrometer
On the lid is the analog hygrometer. You will get accurate readings if you calibrate the hygrometer every three months or before long trips.
Thermometer
There is no thermometer in Scotte’s construction.
Thermostat
No, there is no thermostat.
With travel humidors, placement is also important. Keep them away from any heat sources and direct sunlight. Be careful when leaving a travel humidor in your car. Better not do this on summer days as the temperature can get quite high.
Performance
At the beginning of the experiment, the three La Flor Dominicana El Jocko had a relative humidity of 68%.
In a real situation we would set up a Boveda 72% RH size 60. It’s as simple as that. But in our reviews, we test the entire product and we also have to test the humidification unit that comes with the humidor. That way you know you can rely on the humidor and the equipment that comes with it. So, we carefully dripped ten drops into the holes of the humidifier’s ABS plastic casing of the humidifier. We then placed the humidifier on a paper towel with the holes facing down.
Note on the size of the Scotte travel humidor: we were happy that our three test cigars, the humidifier, and the SMARTRO control device fit inside. We were able to remove and reinsert the control device without any problems. No precious stogie was damaged while recording the humidity.
The included humidifier is designed to maintain the proper humidity for 10 to 15 cigars for about two weeks. That said, we tested the humidor for a month, as we do with the other humidors we have reviewed. It is no surprise that we re-humidified the humidifier during the test month. It’s also no surprise to us that we had to do this three times in one month. In other words: Throw in a Boveda and save space and effort.
The analog hygrometer worked fine for most of the time. Five days before the end of the experiment, it began to show a percentage value above that of the control device.
The La Flor Dominicana El Jocko came out at 70% RH after a month in the Scotte travel humidor. The smoking session was still very enjoyable. The burn line was almost straight. The stogies burned for a little less than an hour, as usual. The excellent smoking session is only due to the good seal of the humidor. We would not rely on the included humidifying bar on a long trip.
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FAQ
Yes, they are. This way, you can safely transport your cigars and keep them in perfect smoking condition while traveling.
Yes, you can. If you maintain the proper humidity in the humidor and calibrate the hygrometer regularly, your cigars will keep just as well as they would in a regular humidor.
Yes, you can place cigars without cellophane in travel humidors if the humidor is seasoned to 65-70% RH and 68-72 degrees temperature.
Yes. You should season any wooden humidor. This will prevent the wooden parts of the humidor from soaking up the moisture content of your cigars.
