Anejos - shark vs. others?

[muziq]

Regardless of shape, Anejos do well with a fair amount of aging. I find that many people who dig into them are smoking them right out of the store, often within days of arrival--meaning they've not had a ton of time to smooth out, to have all those strong and distinct flavor variations mix with one another. Try sitting on a Shark (or any other Anejo) for 6 months to a year, and I guarantee it will be a markedly different experience. When I first started smoking Anejos it was right out of the B&M; I found them overly tart, tannic, spicebombs that presented with a ton of harshness. They were so strong that they often made me ill, and I had to keep sugar packets around me when I smoked 'em. Recently I smoked a #49 with about three years on it, and it's like it was a completely different cigar altogether: smooth, strong, subtle, multiple layers of complex flavors that changed almost with every draw. I'd suggest the trick is to buy a stash now, and not smoke any until the next release when you buy another stash (buy at the holidays; smoke those at Father's Day), always saving one or two to age for a couple years. I can attest that there are few experiences like a 5-year-old Shark.