Ok, in the third volume, or rant if you will, I will be tackling the subject of aged and vintage cigars.
WTF is the deal with everyone saying that their cigars are Aged 10 years or Vintage 1993?
Rocky Patel wasn’t even in the cigar business at the time that his Vintage cigars would have been rolled! And if this tobacco is do old and scarce, how come after three years of making these things, does he still have the tobacco?
So what’s the big deal, you ask?
Well, there is a B I G difference between aged tobacco and an aged cigar!
Would you want to smoke a wine from 2005 that was just squished from 10 year old grapes?
Ask a vet CC smoker if he gives a rat’s @ss about pre-embargo Cuban tobacco that was recently found in some warehouse. Now tell that same person you found a 10 year old Monte No. 2 in your grandfather’s humidor. You can imagine the different reaction you would get.
To me the definition of a vintage or aged cigar is that the cigar NOT the tobacco has been aged for that period of time. That’s the whole point, folks. The tobacco has to marry like the blender intended it for.
If you throw some 10 year old filler in with an ‘05 binder and wrapper, you are not getting an aged cigar.
It’s the implication and the marketing that is bothering me. I do not think one single manufacturer is actually selling and aged or vintage cigar. The words “vintage” and “aged” should refer to the cigar itself unless it is specifically specified.
Here’s an example of how some people do it right: Henrik Kelner found some old Connecticut leaf that had been sitting in a warehouse for 18 years. He then rolled the 18-year Double-Connecticut for Cusano. They never say the cigar is 18 years old, they simply are referring to the wrapper. And after a while this cigar will be no more because they will have run out of the old wrapper leaves. The same goes with the Camacho Liberties. The include in some for the filler pre-embargo Cuban tobacco. This year supposedly will be their last because they do not have enough of the old leaf for another year’s batch.
I guess my point (if I have one) is that there are absolutely no regulations or rules for this industry. You can say whatever you want and people have to trust you. I feel that marketing drives us to “false” products and that is their intent; which is the worst part about it.
My advice, is if you want an aged cigar, or just go to your local tobacconist and I am sure they can point you to some premium smokes that they have had in their humidor for quite a while.
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D.B.C. #001
R.O.C.A. #9999 - Fu-la-la-la!
"I put the party in Partagas!"
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