Cigar Weekly

cigarfan · 06-21-2006, 02:17 PM

You buy a box of your favorites, put them back for two years. During that time, you find other favs, and forget about the box you set back.
One day you're looking for something different in the humi, and remember the box that is 2 years old now.
You are excited, as you carefully select a sample, settle down into your smoking chair, and reach for your ligher.
You follow perfect ligting procedure, all is well. A few puffs later, you are thinking....WTF?

Did I get the right cigar? Did someone put a dog rocket in my box?

So what really happened? Did the flavor profile of the cigar change that much, or did your taste buds change that much?

I've had this experience. In this case it was a Punch doulbe corona maduro. I don't know..I thought two years should make it smoother, better. But it just had a somewhat bitter,almost harsh taste to it. Not horribly awful, but not good either.
Yes, I've smoked aged cigars before. I've smoked a 5 year old Fuente 858 that was excellent. Some 4 year old CAO maduros, ...excellent. And a few other aged but less than 3 years. This is the first time I've had a negative experience with a cigar. And I liked the Punch to start with.

Smoker06 · 06-21-2006, 02:34 PM

My guess is that your tastes have changed.

TommyBB · 06-21-2006, 03:08 PM

There are many who believe that non-Cuban cigars do not improve with age. Back in the cigar boom days, even, these were still aged before they hit the tobacconists wheras the Cuban cigars were rushed in to retail distribution.

Others might say it's the tobacco itself and that non-Cuban tobacco simply doesn't need aging. So while many Cuban cigars do indeed improve, it may not apply to non-Cuban, which lose some essential oils and flavor.

InfrnalSky · 06-21-2006, 03:34 PM

This exact thing happened to me. I bought a couple of boxes of LGC Wavell Maduros and Corona Gorda Naturals. Back in that time I used to love these cigars. But since then, my tastes have changed and I don't really smoke them anymore. They are still good cigars, but just not my thing. I have moved on to fuller-bodied smokes and mostly Nicaraguan and Honduran stuff.

Funny, but kind of sad, how it all works out.

The cigars you put away, were they mild cigars? I have found that mild cigars tend to age poorly. Certainly there are exceptions, but for the most part they are better smoked when younger. They may get better with six months or so on them, but from my experiences, they seem to decline fairly quickly with age.

Do NCs not age well? That is certainly up to debate. The tobacco is definately aged longer than CCs, so they are much more ready to smoke out of the box. I know of a few NCs that age beautifully. Opus X are amazing with a few years on them, and my Camacho Diplomas aren't getting any worse by a long shot. Fuente Sun Growns seem to do pretty well also. Unfortunately, by box of Hemingway Best Sellers seem to have hit their peak and are getting a little muted flavorwise. It all depends.

Better luck next time. If you ever plan on buying another box to age, try asking on here if anybody has any experiences with them. I know plenty of people will be happy to help out.

Eddie

MonkeyK · 06-21-2006, 05:47 PM

Tastes change, and not all cigars age well. Test yourself on a new Punch double corona to find out which it is for you.

I don't know why, but I like a fresh Perdomo 2 maduros and don't like them aged

SmoKerch · 06-22-2006, 05:18 AM

Sounds like it was too dry to me.

A Punch should be great after a year or two in deep sleep.

Harleyrider · 06-22-2006, 06:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmoKerch

Sounds like it was too dry to me.
A Punch should be great after a year or two in deep sleep.

Sounds about right. Plus, you can never judge a box of cigars based on a single sample. I'd try at least one more before trying to draw any conclusions.

Herfnerd · 06-22-2006, 06:38 AM

I was gonna say that it sounded a bit dry as well. Actually, it could be a bit wet, too......

Briandg · 06-22-2006, 07:46 AM

Cigar have got to be aged unless they are pretty good OTT. If you do age them, I can guarantee you that some of them will improve, but there are others that may not change a lot, and some may even lose character and quality. Don't forget that you can take off the cello, and either a wooden humidor or a plastic container can work. Storage temperatures and RH have a fairly flexible range, so experiment until you know what combination lets your cigars age the best.

I have spoken great truths here, we can close the thread now.

CSMAnderson · 06-22-2006, 08:06 AM

With so many resons for this to happen with aging cigars it's hard to figure out which is the correct solution and which is not!

06-21-2006, 02:17 PM	#1
cigarfan Herf God Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Mississippi Posts: 10,822	About aging cigars... You buy a box of your favorites, put them back for two years. During that time, you find other favs, and forget about the box you set back. One day you're looking for something different in the humi, and remember the box that is 2 years old now. You are excited, as you carefully select a sample, settle down into your smoking chair, and reach for your ligher. You follow perfect ligting procedure, all is well. A few puffs later, you are thinking....WTF? Did I get the right cigar? Did someone put a dog rocket in my box? So what really happened? Did the flavor profile of the cigar change that much, or did your taste buds change that much? I've had this experience. In this case it was a Punch doulbe corona maduro. I don't know..I thought two years should make it smoother, better. But it just had a somewhat bitter,almost harsh taste to it. Not horribly awful, but not good either. Yes, I've smoked aged cigars before. I've smoked a 5 year old Fuente 858 that was excellent. Some 4 year old CAO maduros, ...excellent. And a few other aged but less than 3 years. This is the first time I've had a negative experience with a cigar. And I liked the Punch to start with. __________________ It's not an optical illusion, it just looks like one.

06-21-2006, 02:34 PM	#2
Smoker06 Herf God Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Republic of Texas Posts: 11,099	My guess is that your tastes have changed. __________________ When in doubt.... ATTACK!

06-21-2006, 03:08 PM	#3
TommyBB Editor-in-Chief Herf God Join Date: Aug 1998 Location: Metairie, LA Posts: 86,650	There are many who believe that non-Cuban cigars do not improve with age. Back in the cigar boom days, even, these were still aged before they hit the tobacconists wheras the Cuban cigars were rushed in to retail distribution. Others might say it's the tobacco itself and that non-Cuban tobacco simply doesn't need aging. So while many Cuban cigars do indeed improve, it may not apply to non-Cuban, which lose some essential oils and flavor. __________________ +In Memory of E.Guevara(Cubano67)W.Orlando(Shadow) A.Morris (Knife) D.Odom (dodom) D.Revermann (dgr) S.Bouchard (sb1396) M.Cole (Matt76) S.Faccenda (TOJE) R.Smith(IBMer) V.Vandermeer (van55)M.Davis(boxdoctor)S.Singer(bassman)K.Doetze l (drillrk1)D.Hart(garme1962)J.Coleman(John C 81)T.Gossett(Dartplayer1)J.Bolt (jb)E.J.Ferralles(CaballoPinto)M.Cataldo(FVFanMC)K Payne(SanchoPanza)F.Seltzer(Mowee)+LB+Connor Olson+Micah Kercheval+Maggie Bonefas+Karen

06-22-2006, 05:18 AM	#6
SmoKerch Herf God Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Indiana Posts: 23,607	Sounds like it was too dry to me. A Punch should be great after a year or two in deep sleep. __________________ Kercheval Bros. LLP Professional Procrastination Consultants 1 - (900) - GO# - SAND The Great State of Confusion Just because I may be paranoid, it doesn't mean there aren't people out there trying to get me. Visit us on The Facebook: Kercheval Bros. Procrastination Consultants ! Galatians 5:24 - NLT

06-22-2006, 06:38 AM	#8
Herfnerd Club Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Fort Mill, SC Posts: 1,817	I was gonna say that it sounded a bit dry as well. Actually, it could be a bit wet, too...... __________________ Smoke 'em if ya got 'em

06-21-2006, 03:34 PM	#4
InfrnalSky Club Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: San Diego, Ca Posts: 1,149	This exact thing happened to me. I bought a couple of boxes of LGC Wavell Maduros and Corona Gorda Naturals. Back in that time I used to love these cigars. But since then, my tastes have changed and I don't really smoke them anymore. They are still good cigars, but just not my thing. I have moved on to fuller-bodied smokes and mostly Nicaraguan and Honduran stuff. Funny, but kind of sad, how it all works out. The cigars you put away, were they mild cigars? I have found that mild cigars tend to age poorly. Certainly there are exceptions, but for the most part they are better smoked when younger. They may get better with six months or so on them, but from my experiences, they seem to decline fairly quickly with age. Do NCs not age well? That is certainly up to debate. The tobacco is definately aged longer than CCs, so they are much more ready to smoke out of the box. I know of a few NCs that age beautifully. Opus X are amazing with a few years on them, and my Camacho Diplomas aren't getting any worse by a long shot. Fuente Sun Growns seem to do pretty well also. Unfortunately, by box of Hemingway Best Sellers seem to have hit their peak and are getting a little muted flavorwise. It all depends. Better luck next time. If you ever plan on buying another box to age, try asking on here if anybody has any experiences with them. I know plenty of people will be happy to help out. Eddie

06-21-2006, 05:47 PM	#5
MonkeyK Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Maplewood, MN Posts: 213	Tastes change, and not all cigars age well. Test yourself on a new Punch double corona to find out which it is for you. I don't know why, but I like a fresh Perdomo 2 maduros and don't like them aged

06-22-2006, 07:46 AM	#9
Briandg CW Squirrel Wrangler Herf God Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: southwest Missouri Posts: 35,518	Cigar have got to be aged unless they are pretty good OTT. If you do age them, I can guarantee you that some of them will improve, but there are others that may not change a lot, and some may even lose character and quality. Don't forget that you can take off the cello, and either a wooden humidor or a plastic container can work. Storage temperatures and RH have a fairly flexible range, so experiment until you know what combination lets your cigars age the best. I have spoken great truths here, we can close the thread now.

06-22-2006, 08:06 AM	#10
CSMAnderson Herf God Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 16,342	With so many resons for this to happen with aging cigars it's hard to figure out which is the correct solution and which is not!