50 CABS

[Montaigut]

Whenever one of my favourite sticks is available in a 50 cab that is what I buy.

For one I find that those big boxes don't fly off the shelf as fast as smaller boxes. So I usually get a box that is one year old minimum.

For two, and this is where it gets very subjective, in my opinion 50 cabs come with a "better" quality of sticks. I've picked up the odd comment here and there about this over the years. Like I said: subjective. To the proud owner of a 50 cab there are no cuter cabs out there! :-)

But the logical me can't see why during packing the better cigars would be allocated to the big cab. Right?....

Anybody out there with the same experience? Or, even better, an explanation if there is something more to this than my subjective perception?

Just asking...

Cheers

Dan

[polarbear]

I had heard that cigars packaged in cabs rather than boxes age better

Maybe its got something to do with better air circulation in the box

[Montaigut]

I had heard that cigars packaged in cabs rather than boxes age better

Maybe its got something to do with better air circulation in the box

Thanks mate.

When I said better sticks than other packagings I also included 25 cabs in that lot...

[mazolaman]

I'm still a little suspicious of the paper that lines the 25s, even though that's what I mainly buy.

Surely the cigar will be happier sat in timber.

The only better physical quality I can think of is the closer colour match on the wrapper in the 50 cab.

Having smoked BBF and shorts from both packs, I can't say one was better than the other.

[jedipastor]

The only time I listen to people's opinions on this subject is when guys have smoked thousands of Cubans, from dress boxes, cabs, tubos, and cardboard. When guys like that weigh in, I listen. Otherwise, the normal inconsistencies of Cubans in general could lead someone to an erroneous conclusion.

I mean, I've personally had better luck overall with wooden packaging and tubos vs dress boxes or cardboard, but my "sample set" is so small as to be ridiculous, so I still buy dress boxes as well.

[LeafLover]

Have only bought two 50 cabs: BPC and HUP 46. The 08 HUP 46 is terrible- light colored and have a papery taste. And all 50 look like that and all 15 I've smoked have tasted like that. My 25 cabs of HUP 46 have been amazing, so I thought "hell, 50 cab? Hell yah! That's 50 more great cigars.". This wasn't the case evidenlty. In contrast, the BPC is a box of 50 dark oily wrappers and tried one that was very good for its age. So I guess my mindset when buying a 50 cab is that I hope its 50 good cigars rather than 50 crappy cigars. I don't see how 50cab cigars are better than 25cabs. I suppose if you look at it from the perspective that you are gambling on consistency, then buy a 25 cab is the better bet as you would be stuck with 25 bad cigars vs 50.

That said, I prefer cabs in general over dress boxes.

[CanuckSARTech]

I think a lot of it depends with the individual cigars.

Like LeafLover's above example, that's a great reason why 25-cabs can be better than 50-cabs.

I think where the real benefit comes in how the cigars are packed into each individual format. I think that, yes, a paper-covered semi-dress-box can be a big negative for the flavours, compared to a nice all-wood cab. But I think that's extremely miniscule, and it's more about the individual cigar.

Take SDN4's. In 10-boxes, or in 25-boxes, they're both great. Nice, all wood boxes, with lots of room to breathe and age in there, with no box pressing.

But then RASS is a perfect example of the opposite. In 25-boxes, they're extremely tight and box-pressed into a snug paper-covered semi-plain box (which is still some of the most beautiful packaging out there). But then in a 50-cab, those lovely RASS stay round and true to how they were rolled on the table, and not compressed into a squared off little box press. The best RASS I've had have been from some lovely 50-cabs.

From my experience, I'd say it's more about the box press. And granted, sometimes that doesn't necessarily hurt all cigars, and box pressed cigars can have just as good of a draw. But I definitely think it's a combination of a tight box press, and the actual compression and squeezing the cigar into maybe a different and smaller volumetric-size from how it was rolled on the table, that might cause some of the negative side-effects that is seen from that packaging format/medium.

[Guest rob]

Establish a relationship with your vendor and have them select your boxes of cigars.

No offence intended.... But assuming a cigar will be better solely because of its packaging is ridiculous. You can't polish a ****... If a bound and ribboned bunch of cigars (wheel of cigars) is terrible, sitting in a bigger box ain't gonna help.

Having said all that, given the choice between a dress box, 25 cab or 50 cab... I will go the 50 every single time - so long as inspected first!!

[Smallclub]

I don't see how 50cab cigars are better than 25cabs.

Min Ron Nee states that cigars in 50 cabs age better, because of the "magnum effect". Exactly like bordeaux wine age better in magnum than in 75cl bottle…

[Jnaube]

Min Ron Nee states that cigars in 50 cabs age better, because of the "magnum effect". Exactly like bordeaux wine age better in magnum than in 75cl bottle…

A magnum doesn't age better it evolves differently, evaporates slower. Double the amount of wine for the same amount of air, oxidysation is slower in a larger bottle, that results in a different taste. Things go slower.

Back when I worked in the wine biz in 2000, we had a magnum of Lafite 1900, Verticals of old Romané Conti, Petrus, Latour, Yquem...

Size doesn't mean better aging... It means more wine.

[Smallclub]

Things go slower.

That's exactly why it's better. You don't have to be MRN to find that slower aging is better. As for the size, the best Punch DC, Lusitania, Bolivar corona extra, etc. I have smoked came from cabs of 50.

[LGC]

I have good and bad cigars from all types of packaging. If one is obsessed with SLB packaging, it's easy enough to take cigars from a DB and stick them in a cab.

[mazolaman]

So, I have a theory that the best form of storage for cigars would be in your humidor, removed from their boxes?

[mkz]

You can't polish a ****...

Clearly you havent seen Mythbusters on Discovery.

[Livo]

I don't know if they put better cigars in cabs or if they develop better or anything like that. I guess it's possible, but it seems a little far fetched to me. If they put better cigars in cabs, do they also put better cigars in 25's than 10's?

I typically prefer cabs (and SLB's of 25's) because of the simplest difference - I prefer round cigars. Others may prefer a box press.

[LGC]

Looser packing equate with better air transfer or circulation.

[Colt45]

Min Ron Nee states that cigars in 50 cabs age better, because of the "magnum effect". Exactly like bordeaux wine age better in magnum than in 75cl bottle…

Things go slower.

That's exactly why it's better.

Does better mean slower? (or slower mean better?) If I can have a cigar reach it's peak sooner rather than later, is that a bad thing? Wine does mature more slowly the larger the bottle because there is less air versus wine in the bottle - is that better, or does it simply mean I have to wait longer to drink it at it's peak?

[sw15825]

From my understanding the cabinet ages better because it is more airtight and has an area of air inside that circulates in the cab and around the cigars. and this slower aging process creates better results in the end. From my experience cabinet cigars I have smoked that are around 5 years or older seem to taste better than those from dress boxes of the same age. I generally take the cedar divider out of dress boxes after a few years, because they seem to get an overwhelming cedar flavor in the cigar that i personally do not like. Cabs, no such problem, wrapped in paper. I only put cigars in humidor I plan to smoke in the next couple of months. Again, these are only my preference as I am no expert. I also heard that better quality tabacco was put in cabinets for well heeled customers long ago, but this practice was ended some time ago, I am not sure when, but would be interested to know if anyone else knows if and when this happend. Here is some great info from an expert.

Mitchell Orchant from C.Gars Ltd. says on his cigar advisor,

Q. Which cigars do you consider to age better and to be better in general terms? Dress boxes or cabinet selection and why?

A. The aging process is more complicated than most people think. There seem to be at least 3 totally different processes going on when a cigar is lying in its box.

1. Fermentation

2. Aging similar to spirits in wooden casks

3. Aging similar to wine in a bottle

Dress boxes have the advantage of quicker fermentation but not good for No. 2 and No. 3.

Cabinet selection is slower in fermentation but provides a better environment for aging process No. 2. Unfortunately oxygen which passes through the box seems to destroy the delicate bouquet generated by aging process No. 3

In my opinion, the best is the varnished box, or even better, a glass jar with cedar lining. The maturing may be excruciatingly slow, sometimes 15 to 25 years, but you end up with the best results. Glass jars are no longer available but you now have the Millennium porcelain jars or you can improvise your own.

It is a great shame that cigars are not generally available with 10 or 20 years of age, as whiskeys and wines are but there is nothing that you can do except create your own inventory and live long enough to enjoy the final products!

A piece of warning, poor cigars never age, no matter how hard you try or how long you age them for.

[Colt45]

It is a great shame that cigars are not generally available with 10 or 20 years of age, as whiskeys and wines are but there is nothing that you can do except create your own inventory and live long enough to enjoy the final products!

A piece of warning, poor cigars never age, no matter how hard you try or how long you age them for.

I'm not sure I understand much of this properly.....

Rolled, boxed cigars fermenting? Most everything ages with time - but not everything gets better with age. For me, boxes versus jars, as explained above, is more a matter of air versus time, though I guess the two aren't necessarily mutually exclusive.

Not all wines (and probably cigars) will be better with ten or twenty years of age - sometimes you'll just end up with an old wine or cigar. It's dependent on many things, and I've come to think that generally, cigars (especially Cuban cigars) are much less consistent in nature than wine (or spirits), and don't always make for the best comparison (though I do do it often :-)

[Orion21]

Rule 1 of Cigar Club - don't lay down boxes that are really good now hoping they get better in 2, 5 or 10 years because you may kick yourself later.

Rule 2 of Cigar Club - see rule number 1 and repeat.

Cigars and wine can be similar. When I look at wines to age I know the profile of the different grapes that tell me "this wine needs cellar time." In the case of a Cabernet Sauvignon it may be a huge amount of tannis, fruit, alcohol or a combination of all of these. There is no way I am going to lay down a bottle that is thin with smooth tannis hoping it's going to get better because it's not. The same thing goes for cigars. In a perfect world all cigars in a box would be the same, so that you could judge the criteria. However, reality is every single cigar is different. Experience is needed to be able to know which marcas and which lines are built to age.

I used to buy cigars thinking I would know which ones to lay down to age and which ones to smoke, but no longer. The more time I put into this hobby the more I accept that aging cigars is going to come as a byproduct of not being able to smoke them as fast as I buy. Will some cigars age beautifully while others fall off . . . 100%. But I submit there is much more gray area with cigars vs wine. I bought 10 boxes of Montecristo Grand Edmundo thinking they would age gracefully over a long time because they were so robust and dark. Fast forward a couple of years and they are hitting their peak. It may be we all refine our taste to be able to identify a cigars "peak" as it relates to what we like vs collecting and aging cigars. With my wine I have discovered what I like - using Cabernet Sauvignon I have found I love them at 10 years. Some are great early, but they hit their "peak" for me at 10 years old. After that I enjoy them less. I hope some day I can figure this out with cigars.

[beamer]

I just wish they made my favourites in 50 Cabs...

[Duxnutz]

Like 50 count Monte 520s or 1966s?

[LGC]

1) Fermentation does not take place in the box. Elevated temperature and humidity is required for the enzymes to work.

2) Fermentation is an anaerobic process (in the absence of oxygen).

3) Don't assume any given advice as fact, despite the source.

4) Google is your friend.

[sw15825]

1) Fermentation does not take place in the box. Elevated temperature and humidity is required for the enzymes to work.

2) Fermentation is an anaerobic process (in the absence of oxygen).

3) Don't assume any given advice as fact, despite the source.

4) Google is your friend.

O.K., how do you know this ? That no fermentation takes place in the box ? Some would disagree and that the last stages of a very slow fermentaion takes place in the box as well as other processes that are not fully understood and that is exactly what makes some aged cigars very special, smooth and full of flavor.

[Lotusguy]

Like 50 count Monte 520s or 1966s?