I received a box of Monte 2s last week with a MAR 09 box code. This is fron a vendor from whom I have never received cigars less than a year old.

I fear I already know the answer to my question, but I'll ask anyway. It seems that this cigar can no longer be smoked 'fresh,' and yet hasn't matured enough to be smokeable. Is there any point in lighting one before next year?

That's a $9 or $10 question, isn't it?

IMO Monte 2's will benefit very much from three years of ageing and at five are to die for.
Try one now for reference and one yearly to see how good they get.

i you bought them for agimg keep them in their box for 3 years and that will be enough, but for me i will not hesitat to smoke a #2 if it was 6 months old.

They will cetainly benefit from age, but why not try one after they've settled and see how they smoke?

Definitely let them settle a week or two, then fire one up.

quote:

Originally posted by Bass Man:
Definitely let them settle a week or two, then fire one up.

X2 - make a reference point to base your level of enjoyment.

i got some monte #2's that had a Mar 09 box code on them as well. i smoked one for reference- and it wasn't bad, but it could use some aging. just in regards to flavor and complexity it wasnt near as good as monte's that have had some age to them.

i gave one to a client to smoke who is a cigar guy but hadn't ever had a cuban as well.

the rest will sit in my box for a while to gain some age.

all CCs with less than 3 years of aging are too soon to smoke... I agree though, smoke one to give you a baseline

I've been reading Zino Davidoff's classic book, and his advice back in the day wss either to smoke the cigar 'fresh', or smoke the cigar after it had matured a year. But I'll fire one up in a week or two and see what's what.

what Zino said made sense for when he was around, because then cuban cigars were made with their yearly current production tobacco. Today the filler is aged for 2 years and the wrapper for one, so you really do not have to age it for a year, at least in the way that Zino puts it. Now... I think that after 5 years of aging (i.e. 2 years before they are made cigars and 3 years in the box) brings the cigars to life. If you do not have space for aging/stock try to age just few cigars for at et least 3 years, and you will see the differnce

The problem is, if you crack this box and start tasting these cigars. You'll likely finish it before it gets a chance to age.

They are so right if they are young out of the box. They are even better after 5-7 years. But if you crack that box you'll never know.

I have had the same dilemna 4x just this year
Cheers
Drew P

My preference is usually to smoke cc's a week after I receive them (young, green and all!). I then write dated notes in back of the box with a pencil and forget about them. I'll smoke another one in a year's time, write a dated note again in back of the box and see if the flavor profile has changed. It's a fun way to check up on your cc's and keep track of the progress.