When did it start?

[La Suerte]

Now..my question is, when did people start classifying cigars as 'aged' 'vintage' 'mature' 'fresh' etc ?..

In my Dad & Grandads days, both, may of mentioned in conversation that the cigar they were smoking had some "age on it" ..

And certainly some of Grandads that were kept by the tobacconist for him did accumulate some age over time, even some in his cabinet looked like they hadn't seen the light of day for a coon's age..but I don't think either of them ever paid a premium for aged cigars & I don't remember as a younger man paying over the odds prices on cigars myself..

It seems it's a culture that's been deliberately cultivated since the late 90's..would you say that was fairly accurate??

[tmc123]

Not sure as to when people started classifying cigars as aged, fresh, mature etc but it is an interesting topic. I dont think there is a distinct line where fresh to vintage is and i think it varies from person to person depending on their long term outlook. For instance i was talking to a japanese business man a few weeks ago at the airport and we got on to the discussion of inheritance and how much to leave your children. For me long term is 10-20 years, for him, he was planning 50-100 years ahead, so his children's children have a secure future.

In my opinion, anything over 5 years is aged and i probably think vintage is 10 years +? Anything under 2-3 years is fresh in my opinion. On the other hand, the words vintage and aged are very similar so could probably mean the same thing. Again, i think everyone will have a different perspective.

I have not been smoking cigars since the 90s so cant really comment on price premiums but it could be people are paying more interest to older cigars or people are just better educated because of the internet etc.

[La Suerte]

I always regarded a 'fresh' cigar as one rolled & smoked almost immediately..on a trip to Cuba perhaps..

It was my understanding that cigars were always rolled with tobacco aged at least 2-3 years before rolling anyway..

When does the life of a cigar officially start?

Is it when the tobacco is harvested or when it is rolled...

Sorry. the more I think on it, the more questions it brings up...

[Ryan]

The term "vintage" when it comes to cigars doesn't seem to have an official meaning.

With wine it's simple, it's the year. Port, only good years.

With cars, in this country, it's over 25 years old. Then there's cheaper car tax and sometimes cheaper insurance.

With cigars, it depends, for some people it's over 10 years, with "aged" being over 5 years.

For others, "vintage" means before a specific year or period, 1995 or 1998, with "aged" more than 5 years old, due to the perception that tobacco strains changed or construction/curing methods and times changed in those periods.

For others, depending on the cigar, it's 20 - 25 years, with cigars entering and leaving different "sick periods" in those years.

Retailers/distributers and consumers will often have a different definition.

You're right, retailers in the past did not put a premium on older stock. Stock came in, if it didn't sell, it sat there until it sold.

Stories of retailers knowingly putting stock away for five years before they would sell it, for the benefit of their customers, should be taken with a pinch of salt.

I'm sure there were retailers who were sitting on stock with ageing specifically in mind years ago. However, how common that was, I don't know. Retailers retail, more money has to come in than goes out.

There are retailers who still do not place a premium on aged cigars.

There are countries where tobacco prices are set by a state body, so legally they cannot charge more, no matter the age.

It's probably a recent phenonenon (less than 20 years), due to Cigar Aficionado, the MRN book etc., that the perception that there are benefits to aged and vintage cigars has become so widespread, thus the increase in their demand.

Retailers and distributers do add value to their stock when they hold it for whatever number of years, so if they can charge a premium for it, fair play to them. They have customers willing to pay it.

Hunters have been at it for about 5 years with their aged program. Nice bands though.

PCC have an aged release thing going on.

Some retailers add "aged" bands of their own.

Even Habanos are in the act now. They started about 2 years ago with an "Anejado" band a 2003 Hoyo Des Dieux.

[laficion]

I never paid any attention on AGED or VINTAGE CIGARS , I just smoked them and when I wanted them with age , I just asked for

them ,that's all .I place no importence on the question.

Guy

[La Suerte]

I never paid any attention on AGED or VINTAGE CIGARS , I just smoked them and when I wanted them with age , I just asked for

them ,that's all .I place no importence on the question.

Guy

Hi Guy,

I'm sorry, I don't understand your reply..it would be nice if we could "just ask for" an aged cigar..

The only place I know to do that, with a half reasonable chance of success is Ajay's & like everywhere else his stock is limited..

If you know of somewhere aged stock is readily available please let me know..