Good cigars that DON'T improve much with age?

[jedipastor]

Lately I've been trying to prioritize my cigar intake a bit. Namely, I've been shying away from the younger cigars that I know will improve a lot with age. I still smoke younger BPCs and Party Shorts because they're great now (and easy to replace), but I'm wondering what cigars are NOT going to improve much with age. I ask because I was recently telling a friend how much I love the HdM Epicure Especial lately, and he said I might as well smoke 'em up because they don't change after 2-years or so.

So what are some good cigars that will NOT get much better after, say, 3 years? What should I smoke now while I let my Sir Winnies, Cohibas, PLPCs, etc. rest?

[maverickdrinker]

you need to have a 98 trinidad fundy Shlomo. They are fantastic

[maverickdrinker]

you need to have a 98 trinidad fundy Shlomo. They are fantastic

[ramon_cojones]

Gonna +1 the trinidad and generally most of the mild cigars do not really evolve much. In my experience the full flavored cigars are where it's at ie partagas, cohiba, ra and some others I can't really make a list.

It is somewhat pointless for me at least to age them, sure they will be smoother but they don't really get much better like a d4, rass, lancero etc. Please monte guys don't shoot me lol

[dB69]

My opinion is that Montecristos and Trinidads won't get much better with age (0-10 years). Of course it is very possible that there are exceptions, but I haven't smoked them yet. I have also found that there are almost no cigars which would be improved after 3 years, except some from 2009. Usually cigars that I smoke require 5-10 years of aging.

[BehikeLover2]

RyJ...

[khomeinist]

I disagree strongly regarding Trinidad specifically and 'milder' cigars more generally. I have Reyes, Coloniales, and Fundadores with varying degrees of box age. There is a lot of transformation that happens after a few years. Milder cigars often get richer with age. Look to ERDM and QDO most obviously for examples of this. I never smoke these marcas fresh. HDM is another marca that usually needs age to improve.

To answer the original question, I think that Bolivar, Partagas, and Cohiba are the best marcas to smoke fresh. I have some 2011 Siglo IV that are amazing. Recent production Lusitanias and 898s have also been good fresh.

[CaptainQuintero]

Monte 1,3 and the especials get amazing with age, they develop a strong sweet fruity raisin character with the chocolate

What doesn't get better with age? Fonseca!

[Smallclub]

I disagree strongly regarding Trinidad specifically and 'milder' cigars more generally. There is a lot of transformation that happens after a few years. Milder cigars often get richer with age. Look to ERDM and QDO most obviously for examples of this.

Agreed! And I'd add Upmann and Sancho Panza to the list… People who think that mild cigars don't age well have generally no experience in vintage cigars…

[mk05]

By improve do you mean get more refined or transform?

[cottierm]

Try the Hoyo Epicure no. 1. Great after only 2 years and up to 5. After that they doesn't seem to change much.

Best,

Michel

[ramon_cojones]

Some odd experiences going on in here I wouldn't put much stock into much of it just experiment for yourself because apparently findings vary wildly.

[CaptainQuintero]

It probably depends on your tastes. I've found that Upmann, QDO, Hoyo, Monte get richer and almost milky with age while RYJ mellows out and becomes sweeter. I'm not a huge smoker of other marque so can't really comment on those as much beyond saying harshness will usually smooth out and flavours will blend together.

Again if you have a bad cigar age won't fix that but minor faults can usually be flattened out.

[Smallclub]

By improve do you mean get more refined or transform?

More refined, more precise, more rounded, with an improved texture of the smoke due to the bursting/melting of tannins…

[ramon_cojones]

x2. I can't believe somebody said that young Cohibas and Paratagas' will not improve with age...makes no sense to me.

x3

I've never had a young partagas and cohiba that I thought was a fraction as good as an aged one and by aged I mean minimum 3-4 years. We need to smoke.

[mk05]

More refined, more precise, more rounded, with an improved texture of the smoke due to the bursting/melting of tannins…

The Trinidads would not improve then, using your definition. However, it does change greatly over time. Trinidads smoke fresh as caramel and coffee, and turn into cotton candy, cake batter, and/or orange juice over time.

The Cohiba and Partagas will very much so improve with age, as the smoke becomes velvety, rich...change? Not so much. Just the same flavors as day one, just more refined.

Le Hoyo series? Absolutely gets more refined. But it doesn't change character at all.

I look at this differently.

[bobmirko]

Trinidad Robusto T, under 5 years the aging don't change it

[Dbone]

I really can't say much on this topic, I've not been in the game long enough. Under 5 years I really haven't been able to tell a difference. If anything, some sharp edges get rounded out. This doesn't mean full bodied goes to medium, just the finish isn't as sharp or hot. Each vintage taste different from the last to a degree, in my opinion, so flavor evolution is not easy to nail down. I would agree individual flavors become easier to pick out, as the tobacco freshness wears off.

In another 5 or 10 years I hope to have gain experience to better understand the aging thing. Trick is to keep buying more than you smoke LOL

[PigFish]

I say free your mind of brand prejudice! Cigars that smoke well today should do the same in the future. There are no variables that can be used factually in the prognostication of the effects of aging. Buy what you like to smoke today and smoke them until they are gone sometime in the future.

Cigar improvement and decay and the theory of the their cyclical nature is best attributed to the value of the collections it enhances and to the cigar collectors that have created such theories. JMHO

-Piggy

[Dbone]

See I have two boxes of Dip 4's which I have lost in the back of my humidor. Will they smoke good today... I would nod my head and say Yes. But for some unknown reason, probably because I'm not playing with a full deck upstairs, I've made my mind up I'm aging those mofo's.

[PigFish]

See I have two boxes of Dip 4's which I have lost in the back of my humidor. Will they smoke good today... I would nod my head and say Yes. But for some unknown reason, probably because I'm not playing with a full deck upstairs, I've made my mind up I'm aging those mofo's.

No mate, not because you are not playing with a full deck! It is because you can afford to smoke something other than those cigars today. I prefer to look at it that way. You choose not to smoke them because you have choices. Sanity does not play into it. Economics and personal preference does.

I have a lot of cigars that are aging. But are they aging or just being stored? It is a matter of perspective. I will open new boxes or not based on whim, the age of the cigar, or any of a number of reasons, none I relate to mental stability!!! If you prefer to "age" cigars rather than "store" or "hoard" cigars, the choice is yours.

-Piggy

[khomeinist]

x2. I can't believe somebody said that young Cohibas and Paratagas' will not improve with age...makes no sense to me.

Reading comprehension son. I said that those marcas can be good fresh. I greatly prefer them with age. In my opinion, all Cuban cigars get better with some box age. I rarely smoke fresh cigars.

[BradNC]

Dip 2 - which I love.

I think in the review video of the Dip 2, I recall pres saying they come out 90-91 and go to 92-93 max. Here is the link:

[PigFish]

Dip 2 - which I love.

I think in the review video of the Dip 2, I recall pres saying they come out 90-91 and go to 92-93 max. Here is the link:

To Rob and Ken... the Ozborne cigar soothsayers! See what you have done my friends!!! -LOL -Piggy

[khomeinist]

LOL, reading comprehension? Maybe you should read the title of this thread...

Ha. Touché. The Canadian Postmaster has jokes.

Actually, I entered the thread to counter the misconception that 'milder' marcas do not age well. I freely admit that I dodged the original question. Anyway. Smoke what you have, when you like, as you wish.