Best cigar age?
 

What is your opinion about best cigar age? I have heard that best is around 8 years...that it doesn't improve after that?

Re: Best cigar age?
 

It All Depends On The Individual Cigar. I've Smoked 2yr. Old Cigars That Were Awesome And 1 Year Old Cigars That Lost Their Flavor.:tu

Re: Best cigar age?
 

As in almost all things in this hobby, it is totally subjective.

The best age, to me, is when I am smoking it. For nc's I typically get the best results between 1-4 years but like Greg said, it depends on the cigar.

Re: Best cigar age?
 

Insert rule of 3 joke here. LOL

Re: Best cigar age?
 

Beat me to it

Re: Best cigar age?
 

I smoked a couple 40 year old cigars Saturday that were absolutely stellar.

Re: Best cigar age?
 

Really? What are the chances of seeing a review, Admiral? :tu

:tpd:

OpusX require a couple of years. Arturo Fuente Hemmingway are acceptable ROTT but I (so far...still aging some) have found that they get better with age up to 2 years. I'll let you know when I either A) run out of them or B) they lose their flavor :tu
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Re: Best cigar age?
 

The dedication to keep and age cigars for 40 years is just astonishing. A review would be nice.

Re: Best cigar age?
 

I certainly wasn't the one to age these cigars, or I would have been buying cigars at an illegally young age. The friend who gifted them ti me hasn't had them for even half of the 20 years either, but I can tell you that they must have been stored impeccably throughout their existence.

One of the cigars was a 70's JJ Fox Partagas Seleccion #3. It was amazing in that for most of the cigar it belied the typical vintage Partagas profile and had a distinct sweetness that I have rarely found in the marca. One of the other friends there smoked one from the box and said the same about the cigar. The final third picked up some serious strength (especially for a 40 year old cigar), and began to exhibit much more of what is the Partagas profile.

Re: Best cigar age?
 

Nice Tom, those sound amazing! :tu

Re: Best cigar age?
 

sounds amazing tom

glad you got to experience it

Re: Best cigar age?
 

I kinda like mine the best at about 8 months after I get them in my hands. That's speaking of nc's. They seem to get real good at that age, once I've got them dried out and rested a bit. Then there's a window of about 4 to 6 months where they're at their peak, then they just mellow to wherever they plan to be for a long time.
I tend to like my cc's fresh, as well. As long as they aren't bitter, they're ready for me.
I'm definately the exception, I'd think. It's just what I've found I like, for the most part. Aside from that, I could care less about age just so long as they're smoking good and taste good.
I've smoked lots of old cigars, the oldest being just shy of 100 years. It was a good cigar. With nothing to compare it to like in Tom's experience, it was just a "thing". To try a 40 year old smoke of a marca I already very much like would be a whole lot more fun than just the random novelty of smoking a 100 year old cigar.
My suggestion would be to try anything you can get your hands on that has a little age and compare them to stuff that's ROTT and maybe 8 months to a year old. That'll tell you what YOU like, and that's what matters. :tu

Re: Best cigar age?
 

The cigar itself and how it was stored will tell the tale of when it is at age and when it is past age.

I still have a half cab of Robt Burns from 1956 that are smoking well. Not "knock you on the floor" crazy good, but certainly nice and full of flavor.

Don't be such a Nickerson. :D
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Re: Best cigar age?
 

My Mafia name is Nicky the Nickerson ;)

Re: Best cigar age?
 

I prefer a really smooth flavor profile, something which I find stand out after 6+ years for many Cubans. Some are OK ROTT (BBF for example) but quickly settle into muddle flavors and on/off sick periods for some time after. I have no experience with anything over 10 yrs.

Re: Best cigar age?
 

When a cigar maker says that he ages his tobacco for 5 years before rolling the cigar does that count in the aging process? Or does a cigar only properly age after it is rolled?

Re: Best cigar age?
 

bhk54

i honestly believe that '89 to '93...are the best smokes right now.

doesnt mean thats all i smoke but a few times a month i do...every time i do smoke from this era it just further reinforces my opinion that these are the best years(more or less)to be smoking from just now.

derrek :hm

Re: Best cigar age?
 

Thanks! They sound awesome.

Re: Best cigar age?
 

Kinna-sorta... They are both actually proper, but they are different. The manufacturer aging the tobacco does affect the flavor, profile and characteristics of the tobacco, but because the aging is done in compressed bales, it's not the same as what you would get by aging the finished rolled product. Additionally, it's not uncommon for different components to be of different ages when the final cigar is assembled, ie, the filler might be 2 years aged in bales, the binder 6 months, the wrapper 5 years aged.

Hope that clarifies things a bit, and when you get a chance, please stop in over at the new inmates section, post an intro.

Re: Best cigar age?
 

To add to what Adam said, when the tobacco is aged by the manufacturer, it does give you a leg up on aging, to some extent. It's tough to define without comparing to new tobacco that has only been aged a minimum amount of time.
As you chase the hobby, you'll get to try different things and you'll get an idea of your own. Once you get to try some new cc's versus aged cc's, it really helps to understand what aging does for tobacco.
With nc cigars, there's a lot of different ideas about the effect of aging. Myself, I think it diminishes most cigars, muting flavors and diluting strength. If I can use that to my advantage, that's great. If I keep the smokes around so long that they get dull on me, I'm personally not pleased.
The best way to find out is by doing short tests of your own. Buy 3 smokes, smoke one now, one in 3 months, one in 6 months, etc. Do it with a bunch of smokes if you can. That way you can experience it firsthand and see what you like. :tu

Re: Best cigar age?
 

As a general rule, most cigars need some time to age. Many of the higher end cigar manufacturers take care of this process for you by aging the cigars before they're released for retail sale. However, some cigars come fresh from the rolling table to your door within a matter of weeks! If you enjoy one of these brands, the best thing to do is to let the cigars "age" in a charged and calibrated humidor for 6-12 months before enjoying them.

Re: Best cigar age?
 

I guess since you have received your answer, you should stop by the introduction and tell us about yourself.

Re: Best cigar age?
 

Yep, and then head over to the Newbie Sampler Trade so Huy as a CIA can introduce you more properly to our humble abode!!:banger