Hi there. I'm still learning the art and have a question about this sickness period. I read that it's best to avoid cigars that are between 3 months and one year old. Can anyone explain this and why that is. I've bought some cigars recently that are nov/05 so that would mean they fall within this time span. Thanks for now, Rick.

As far as I know, the idea of a sick period seems to have originated in the Havana trade and some Cuban cigar buffs still adhere to the idea that you either smoke the cigars immediately or let them rest a year. There's even wording on the box of Cuban Rafael Gonzalez cigars to that effect.

I've never noticed that any cigars -- Cuban or otherwise -- are especially unsmokeable during that narrow window. On the other hand, when it comes to Cubans, best to let them rest at least a year, or two or three if possible, to taste them at their best. Non-Cubans, depends on the cigar in my opinion...the more robust, the more I'm inclined to let it rest.

Why not find out for yourself? Buy few boxes of your favorites, then smoke a stick or two every few months to see if you feel there's any improvement over time. If there is, then you know what to do: stock up well in advance and age your smokes. If not, light 'em right up.

Some sticks (generally smaller ring guage) are smokeable right after the few week aclimatization period after shipping. Party Shorts for example.
Larger guage smokes can take at least a year to start marrying flavors and give you a taste of their potential.

Sick period is a bit misleading in that you won't often find sticks that taste 'bad' during that period. More likely, you'll find some that taste like nothing at all; not taste profile whatsoever.

and I thought that non cubans always taste a bit sick if they taste at all.

In my limited cigar experience, I've found that my favorite smokes are aged Cubans. [duhhh] But next come Cubans that are slightly aged--a year to three or more. I think there IS a "sick" period prior to this when Cuban cigars are least good. It depends on the vitola and the person's tastes. You can find a lot on this subject by those with more experience than me by doing a search in the Cuba and Cuban Cigars forum. Try "ammonia" or various insult words in your search, though the latter could send you pretty much anywhere there.

As far as aging nons goes, to me the question is moot. By the time you've aged the cigars you will have likely aged yourself enough to have acquired a taste for the real thing.

I think what audio1der and I were trying to stress though is that during the so-called "sick period" the cigars don't turn rotten -- they're just at a low point in the aging process.

I'll take a Cuban cigar in the midst of its sick period over 90% of all non-Cuban brands any day. Jusr remember...all over the world, guys walk into their local smokeshop and walk out with a week's worth of Cuban singles they will smoke and enjoy immediately. People who can afford full boxes, and have the space to put them away, do so. Nobody's going to look askance at a guy who buys a couple of singles and smokes them soon after purchase.

So far I say Thanks. It helps me to decide on wether or not I buils myself a bigger humidor. If aging them an extra year or two helps, then I'll be trying to build something that will hold a few extra full boxes and thus allow me to rotate them into "smokability". Good advice guys.