It seems that everytime I read something about Cubans, I see something about them having to age a couple of years to hit their prime. However, I don't see that this nearly as often when I read about what people think of non-Cubans. I do understand that the cigars benefit from aging, as I have a box of LGC Wavell Maduros that are over a year old and are smoking absolutely superb, but they were great to start out with. My question is, do the NCs really need to age like the Cubans do, or are they pretty much ready to go right from the start (excluding the usual month or so after receiving the box)?
Thanks very much, Eddie
"If a body catch a body coming through the rye" - Holden Caufield
Posts: 877 | Location: San Francisco, CA USA | Registered: October 15, 2003
I dont think it really helps out the mild or medium ones to much because their so mild to begin with. The aging really rounds the flavors of the cigar out. This is usually more benificial to a full bodied cigar. I'm not saying you cant do it to a mild cigar, it just seems like if you let them sit for 2 years or longer they seem kind of bland and they do to me(IMO)! The flavors have more time to marry. I have had Cubita SMS, Onyx, Punch Rare Corojo and some others that were full bodied for about a year or more and it really makes a difference. I have also had milder cigars like punch, punch grand cru and some others that seem to lose flavor after a couple of years. Most cubans are full bodied so I see how they would benifit, the flavors become more distinct and not all jumbled(is that a word??) up together. I buy almost all my cigars by the box. I can tell the changes In flavors as they age. The Partagas shorts I got are really coming along nicely the longer they sit. The best way to tell is to buy a box you like, smoke a couple the first month a couple after 3 or 4 months and then a few more later on. If its a full bodied cigar and you have a developed palate I think you will see the difference. Its all about the experience and experimentation Eddie. Recently the biggest changes in aging where on a box of the Cubita SMS, after about 6 months or more the flavors really came out more instead of just all power. I think PMP can vouch for that. I sometimes save cigars and send them to people to let them see for themselves. I have had more than a couple of nice aged cigars from Idesign who also takes the time and patience to age his cigars and they where way better than the same cigars i have bought and smoked a month later from a shop. OOOH! I almost forgot, I got a box of Punch Rare Corojos that tasted and burnt like $h!t for the first 3 months I had them(almost gave up on em) but they are a hell of alot better now with 4 to 5 months age on them. MY fellow trading buddies will get another to compare from the first I sent them in thier next package. It sometimes also depends on the cigar because some quality cigars are aged before they ever leave the factory. Enough rambling and I hope this helps Eddie.
Posts: 4793 | Location: Texas | Registered: June 15, 2003
Also a lot of the NC's aren't put on the market until they are ready to be smoked. You will see this in the price of the cigar, since the company aged the tobacco for you and had to pay for the storage time. For instance, the new Torano tribute Maduro is made and ready for you right now, but they don't think it's aged enough to hit the market so they are holding it back until sep.
----------------------------- "The cigar...is something that commands respect. It is made for all the senses, for all the pleasures, for the nose, the palate, the fingers, the eyes... A good cigar contains the promise of a totally pleasurable experience."
Just my opinion, but I think it's irresponsible for cigar makers to put young cigars on the market. Back before the boom, you didn't see this quite as often, but I guess it's common practice now. I couldn't even get the local Davidoff rep to tell me how long Zinos were aged. He kept referring to the aging process for the individual tobaccos but would not tell me how long the cigars were aged after they were rolled...
Posts: 259 | Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA | Registered: July 09, 2003
During the boom cigars were going out the second they were rolled do to demand. As to answering how long they have been aged you can really get an answer, because it always changes. If sales are slow then of course they would have been aged longer. So you really can never tell how long it's been. The aging of the tobacco doesn't change, so thats what they tell you.
----------------------------- "The cigar...is something that commands respect. It is made for all the senses, for all the pleasures, for the nose, the palate, the fingers, the eyes... A good cigar contains the promise of a totally pleasurable experience."
That may be the case, but a sales rep shouldn't be so dodgey about answering a simple question of how long cigars are aged. And this guy was no dummy (unlike a few reps I've run into ). He just wouldn't be up front about how long the finished product was aged. Beer isn't sold (or even bottled) until it's properly aged, and wine should be drinkable when it hits the shelves; dunno why cigars should be any different.
Posts: 259 | Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA | Registered: July 09, 2003
cigars change after they are rolled. The different tobaccos blend together as they sit. The only way to tell when they are ready is to smoke them, and the time it takes will be different with every crop. You can never expect the rep to know what batch you are getting, because they are not labled that way. Most know how long it was for a new line on it's first release, but after that they more then likely wont have any clue.
----------------------------- "The cigar...is something that commands respect. It is made for all the senses, for all the pleasures, for the nose, the palate, the fingers, the eyes... A good cigar contains the promise of a totally pleasurable experience."
thank you everybody for all the help and advice. I have bought several boxes of Cubans and non-Cubans and I am very excited about seeing the differences in them when they mature. I just got a box of Camacho Diplomas and I feel they need some aging. The first fifth of them were very harsh, but I'm sure they will smooth out.
Thank you again, Eddie
"If a body catch a body coming through the rye" - Holden Caufield
Posts: 877 | Location: San Francisco, CA USA | Registered: October 15, 2003
quote:Originally posted by prccaptain: cigars change after they are rolled. The different tobaccos blend together as they sit. The only way to tell when they are ready is to smoke them, and the time it takes will be different with every crop. You can never expect the rep to know what batch you are getting, because they are not labled that way. Most know how long it was for a new line on it's first release, but after that they more then likely wont have any clue.
I was not asking about a specific batch. I would think he'd be aware of a general time-frame in which the rolled cigars are aged; are you saying that is impossible for him to know?
Posts: 259 | Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA | Registered: July 09, 2003
you can age them but you have to watch them like a hawk. One day you will wake up and they will be nothing. They will burn great, but the taste and surely the nuances will be gone. Of course, I have two Don Carlos robustos from 96, and I may not smoke them this year, either. And all of my PAM's and PAN's are older than 3 years at this point. But it is important to note that I do not buy super strong NC's, either.
KinnickKinnick
Posts: 661 | Location: New Orleans, LA | Registered: July 01, 2002
I CAN vouch for the subtleties that aging imparts on the cubita SMS. I also found out that LGC series R are a waste to smoke before 6 months because after that amount of time they are awesome. I try to age all my cigars for somewhere between 2 and 6 months before smoking them. I do have some cubans in the box that will likely be there for several years but since my daily smokes are N/C's I don't have the opportunity to age them as much.
Hard work may pay off eventually but laziness always pays off now.
quote:Originally posted by derspiess: I was not asking about a specific batch. I would think he'd be aware of a general time-frame in which the rolled cigars are aged; are you saying that is impossible for him to know?
Yes it is almost impossible for him to know, but if you want an average I would for most cigars it is 6-12 months.
----------------------------- "The cigar...is something that commands respect. It is made for all the senses, for all the pleasures, for the nose, the palate, the fingers, the eyes... A good cigar contains the promise of a totally pleasurable experience."
). He just wouldn't be up front about how long the finished product was aged. Beer isn't sold (or even bottled) until it's properly aged, and wine should be drinkable when it hits the shelves; dunno why cigars should be any different.
