Freshies


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Are there many members here who exclusively only smoke cigars with less than 2 years of age? I was at my local cigar bar when the drunk fool next to me started blabbing about all the great cubans he smokes every day, while he was smoking an Avo mind you. He was yelling and spitting that aged cubans are a gimmick put on by retailers to get rid of old stock. By now I think he realized that I was laughing at him, not with him, also covering my glass of scotch from the waterfall spraying from his mouth, so he left. Probably to drive home. Anyway, I sometimes enjoy the flavors and "pop" of fresh cigars but also have many sleeping giants waiting their turn in sealed boxes. But it got me thinking.. Do any of the folks on this board exclusively smoke fresh cigars?

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I sample every box I buy. If they're on I start to smoke them. If not they go to the bottom of the pile. I have many boxes, though & like variety, so I box I start smoking fresh may be aged by the time I finish it.

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I think the only reasons that most of my boxes are fresh is because, one I keep a smaller stock, and two I'm too cheap to pay the premium for aged stock, but if someone was like "Hey i'll sell you aged stock at new stock cost" I would be all over it.

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There is an element of truth to the notion that marketing aged cigars can be a gimmick, as evidenced by the amount of '00-'01 stock that's been pushed in the last few years. There's a reason why those cigars didn't sell when they were new.

I lean toward preferring aged smokes, though much of what I've bought from 2006 onward has been very good despite its youth.

I like to do my own aging at home, and our hosts' OHS is another nice option for putting cigars away for a few years as well.

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I'm another who will try a cigar from a young box to see how they are. If they're good with little age, I'll smoke them that way. I agree with Tigger -

you can still sometimes find older boxes because those cigars were not that great in one way or another.

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Since I have been buying more than I can consume for over ten years now,

I rarely feel the need to purchase aged stock, though there are exceptions.

I still buy '90s machine-mades when the occasion arises,

and if I see any Punch or Partagas from '02, '03, or '06, I can still be tempted.

As for fresh smokes, (2-3 years or less), they usually fall off by the last third,

often getting acrid, bitter and disjointed,

even when they start beautifully.

All a matter of taste preferences, of course, as I generally prefer an aged profile.

Most of my current rotation is '05 and earlier.

Still, I will often break a young box to sample one or two, to get a handle on them.

This way, if a batch is particularly good, I can get another box or two while they are still available.

Just yesterday, I smoked an '08 Hoyo des Dieux that I received only two days before.

It was excellent, though still somehat over humidified, and again, rather disjointed towards the end.

If I forget the box for a year or two, then smoke one every 2-3 months,

they will be incredible by time I get to the half way point.

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My situation is similar to Ron's. Been buying more than I can smoke for a long time & have plenty of stock from 02, one of my favorite years. I'd much rather smoke something I've aged myself than buy old stock now with unknown past storage. There ARE a couple places that I trust to buy older cigars, but not many.

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I prefer 3 - 5 generally. I do try a stick or sometimes two from a box after 30 - 60 days. If they are on I will smoke them and acquire another to stack if I havent gotten two already. If they fall off in the last third then I know they are not ready.

I feel that smoking a current box that is on gives me a good idea of the sticks. Plus I just havent smoked long enough to have acquired tons of aged stock. Neither can I afford some of the prices of the aged stock being offered. :rolleyes:

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over 90% of what I smoke is under two years of age. The reason being is that it is hard to recommend what is great currently if you don't smoke it. Over the years I have developed a taste for young cigars specifically since 2006. The current Upmann 50 is a case in point with the current batch having such a vibrancy that just excites me.

As for aged cigars I am a sucker for the smooth honey, sweet spice and toasted tobacco notes of aged Cohiba. The creaminess of aged HDM, the sweet cocoa of aged Monte. The problem is I am finding far less differentiation between excellent young examples of each and aged ones.

Horses for courses.

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I do not exclusively smoke young Cuban cigars. I will simply leave new boxes off to the side until they're ready to smoke. Yes, some are a year old. I also have a May 08 box of Boli PC that are not ready (grrrr). And the elusive jun 07 punch puch, not ready yet, not sure they ever will be.

I will say, the late 09 and 10 boxes out of Cuba are very approachable young. Well, my experience has been on the P2, Mag 46, and Monte.

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The cigars I smoke are mainly under 2 years old because I was never in the habit, previously, of buying to stock up. I couldn't understand buying a product and "having" to age it 5+ years in order for it to be good. I didn't have the time, money or patience.

Once Cuba started rolling out great tobacco that was ready to go, probably back in 08, I started buying a few extra boxes, not to age necessarily, but because they were soooo go I didn't want to NOT have them a few years down the road.

Can't say that I've ever had a cigar that was over 5 years old, at least one that was memorable.

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