Barbatus 2,000-Cigar Cabinet Humidor | Pre-Order

The Barbatus is a full-height cabinet humidor for collectors who have outgrown desktop boxes and tabletop chests. It holds up to 2,000 cigars behind a full-length framed glass door, so stock stays visible instead of being shuffled between five smaller humidors. At 26 inches wide and 70 inches tall it suits a home study, a lounge corner or a tobacconist's back room, where one cabinet carries both working stock and cigars laid down to age.

Who it suits

This suits a collector holding roughly 800 to 2,000 sticks, or a small lounge needing display and storage in one footprint. If your collection is under 300 cigars and stable, a cabinet this tall is more than you need. If you are past 3,000, or stocking a retail floor, size up: the Bermuda shares this depth and height but is nearly twice as wide and rated for 4,000 cigars.

Climate control

The Barbatus is a passive cabinet. No compressor, no thermoelectric unit, so interior temperature tracks the room it stands in. Placement is part of the climate strategy, not an afterthought. Most collectors target the 65–70°F and 65–70% relative humidity window, and many prefer the lower end of both, since cooler and slightly drier storage is more forgiving over long ageing periods. Holding a steady figure matters more than hitting an exact one.

• Twelve humidifiers are distributed through the cabinet, spreading moisture output rather than relying on one source at one end of a 70-inch interior.
• A built-in external hygrometer reads interior humidity without opening the door. Opening a large cabinet vents conditioned air, so a reading visible at a glance reduces disturbance.
• The solid Spanish cedar lining buffers moisture, absorbing and releasing it as conditions shift and softening swings between refills.
• A rear wiring port allows an electric humidification system to be added later without drilling the cabinet or trapping a cord in the seal.
• There is no de-mist element and no auxiliary circulation fan. If the glass fogs, the pane is colder than the humid air inside, which points to a draught, a cold exterior wall or an air-conditioning vent aimed at the cabinet.

Capacity in the real world

Treat 2,000 as a laboratory figure. It assumes loose single cigars laid across every tray and drawer with no packaging and no wasted air. Almost nobody stores that way.

If you keep cigars in their boxes, expect the usable count to fall by a wide margin: a dress box wastes the space above and around the cigars and stacks poorly against a fixed tray. Cabinet-selection sticks and larger ring gauges eat space faster again. A mixed collection of boxes and loose stock settles well below the rated number, and an all-box collection further below still. The six removable cedar trays can be set flat or angled, each with two dividers, and the two pull-out drawers carry twelve adjustable dividers between them, so you can trade display angle against density. Angled trays look better and hold less. Treat this as planning guidance, not a guarantee.

Build and finish

The carcass is finished in dark cherry, with a full-length framed glass door that shows the whole interior rather than a small window. The interior is lined in solid Spanish cedar, used for reasons beyond appearance: it stays dimensionally stable at high humidity, it buffers moisture, and its aroma suits aged tobacco in a way most other timbers do not. The trays are cedar as well, so the wood the cigars touch matches the lining.

The six trays lift out, which matters when you reorganise a large collection or inspect the back of a shelf. The two pull-out drawers run below, with adjustable dividers for splitting singles by size or origin. A lock and key set is included. Integrated LED lighting is offered as an option on this model, with touch-to-activate operation and a dim or bright setting; the Barbatus LED is the same cabinet supplied with that lighting already fitted.

Specifications

Setting it up

The following is general best practice for a cedar-lined cabinet of this type. The manufacturer's manual is the final word on this unit.

• Season it first. New cedar is dry and will pull moisture out of any cigar put in front of it. Charge the humidifiers with distilled water, wipe the cedar lightly with distilled water if the manual calls for it, close the door and leave it. Expect several days of the interior climbing and settling before the reading holds. Never use tap water: minerals and chlorine foul the humidifier media and can taint the cedar.
• Place it deliberately. An interior wall beats an exterior one. Keep it out of direct sunlight and away from radiators, fireplaces and air-conditioning vents. Leave clearance around it so air can move, and level the feet properly. A cabinet out of level will not close square, and a door that does not seal makes every other step pointless.
• Power. As supplied, humidification is passive and no mains connection is required. The rear wiring port lets an electric humidification system, or the LED option, be routed cleanly. The source data states no voltage or wattage for this cabinet, so check the manual for the electrical requirements of any powered accessory.
• Fill correctly. Distilled or reverse-osmosis water only, in all twelve humidifiers. Nothing else.
• Load gradually. Wait until the hygrometer holds steady over a couple of days, then load in stages. A full 2,000-cigar load introduced at once drags interior humidity down and takes a long time to recover.

Delivery

A cabinet 70 inches tall ships by freight (LTL), not by parcel carrier. Delivery is normally kerbside: the carrier brings it to the end of the driveway and no further unless additional services have been arranged. Plan the route into the room first. Measure doorways, stairwells, turns and ceiling height against 26" W x 17.25" D x 70" H, and remember the crate is larger than the cabinet. Inspect the crate for damage before signing, and note anything you find on the delivery paperwork at the time.

Common questions

Can I store cigars in their boxes?

Yes, and many collectors do for long-term ageing. Accept the trade-off: boxes waste space, so the practical count drops well below the 2,000 rating. The removable trays help, since lifting one out frees a full bay for stacked boxes.

Does it need plumbing or a drain?

No. The twelve humidifiers are filled by hand with distilled water. There is no water line, no drain and no condensate tray. The only connection you might ever add is electrical, through the rear wiring port, for a powered humidification system.

How often will I need to refill the humidifiers?

It depends on the room, how often the door opens and how dry the season is. A rarely opened cabinet in a humid climate runs far longer between refills than one opened daily in a dry winter. Watch the external hygrometer rather than the calendar, and top up when the reading drifts down.

Will it work in a garage or unheated room?

Not a good choice. There is no cooling or heating in this cabinet, so the interior follows ambient temperature. A space swinging from freezing to hot cycles the cedar and the seals, and condensation on the glass becomes likely. Use a conditioned interior room.

What is the difference between this and the Barbatus LED?

The cabinet is the same: same 26" W x 17.25" D x 70" H shell, same 2,000-cigar rating, same Spanish cedar interior and glass door. Here the integrated LED lighting is listed as an option; the Barbatus LED arrives with that lighting already built in, with touch dimming. If you want the lit display, the LED version is the simpler route.

Is the glass ultraviolet-protective?

The specifications do not state that the glass filters ultraviolet light, so do not assume it does. Treat sunlight as something to design around rather than something the door solves, and keep the cabinet out of direct sun regardless. Light and heat both age wrappers.