(flame suit on)
I don't freeze my cigars, as I've been part of a 'blind taste pass' to see if a frozen cigar tastes different from a nonfrozen one.
We passed a total of eight cigars, each in pairs of two. Only one person knew which was frozen, and which one wasnt.
Among the passed sticks were NCs and CCs
I was able to identify the frozen one in three out of four pairs because every time one tasted sort of 'off' to me, thus giving me the hypothesis that freezing can affect the taste of cigars.
Before I would consider this pure science, I'll defend the taste test. Only one person knew which one was frozen, and which one wasn't... the bands were marked with different colored tape.
In full disclosure, a sample size of four pairs (eight total cigars) is not enough to prove it irrefutable. Also, out of the ten guys participating in the blind taste pass, only three of us faired better than 50% correct.
So, bottom line, I don't freeze smokes. Ever.
(flame suit off)
To recapture everything that folks said above, I have too much emotional and financial commitment to my cigars. Beetles would break my heart.
A vinotemp runs 199.99 at Target when they're not on sale. It would be tough finding a quality 200+ stick humidor that retails for less than $200, and that doesn't give you temp control.
Vino is an affordable piece of mind for cigar storage, and is widely supported on these boards.
:2