Ration And Rotation

[Nino]

My daily cigar ration consists of two cigars, a smaller vitola, say a RASCC, RyJ Nr 2 or MC Nr 4 before/after lunch and a larger vitola before/after dinner.

Unless of course I'm in Havana or in warmer climate.

Here I will post on the cigar rotation which keeps the cigar ration attractive.

To be able to rotate cigars and therefore have an attractive selection you should own a wide variety of boxes, preferably with some age on them.

Now, I am not a cigar collector, I am a cigar smoker, but I learned to build a collection from early on which I have been profiting from and will continue to do so for some more years, if health allows.

The collecting ( or hoarding ) part is to provide me with cigars that I like to keep and age for a minimum of five years before opening - mostly longer than that - if I can keep my hands off the boxes ...
So I just selected some boxes from my storage lockers again for rotation that I consider to be specially interesting for the next few months.

I do that regularly as I consider that the main point of collecting cigars is, I repeat myself : having a varied selection of aged smokes.

These will be my cigars for the next few months :

Ramon Allones Specially Selected from JUN 2004 VHN

San Cristobal DeLa Habana La Fuerza from JUL 2001 EAR

Vegas Robaina Unicos from MAR 2004 LLN

Bolivar Belicosos Finos from JUN 2006 OSU

H.Upmann Magnum 46 from JUN 2003 HKV

Having smoked the first few cigars from each box I must say : fantastic smoking.

..............

For more text and pictures see :

http://flyingcigar.d...n-and-rotation/

Nino

[Guest rob]

Nice post and photos, Hermano!

I share your sentiment and accumulate stock for future consumption. It's hard in the beginning, but after establishment it was just a matter of replenishing consumed stock.

See you in November, mate.

[lexvero]

Do you keep stock for aging in a separate humidor och container and then move it to the main humidor when it's ready for rotation?

[polarbear]

I like to tell people that I "age by accident"

Due to the number of cigars I own and the fact I rarely smoke the same cigar twice in one month it can take 2-3 years to finish a box once I decide to start smoking from it.

Couple that with the fact that there are some cigars that as soon as I hit the half box mark I immediately order another box to ensure I never have less than half a box of this particular cigar in stock at all times.

A good example is a box of Cohiba Lanceros I have. I bought the box in early 09. I let it rest in my humi for 18 months (my usual minimum with cc's) before smoking the first cigar. On Christmas day I smoked one of these Lanceros and with that stick being consumed I was down to half a box. I'll order another box as soon as cash permits. Considering its taken almost 4 years to get to the halfway point of the original box, by the time the new box arrives and I start smoking from it, it should be around 3 years old. After that, the cycle starts all over again.

The main cigars I do this with are

Monte 2's

Cohiba Siglo VI

Cohiba Lancero

RASS

Diplomatico #2's

And Any Por Larranaga

I also have a good stock of NCs that I enjoy that I will happily smoke young as I find they tend to drop off after around 3 years of age.

I don't by NCs in as large a quantity as I used to for this reason.

NCs are usual purchased in 5 or 10 count batches and all my box purchases are reserved for CC's.

I also buy 50 Cabs where available and affordable to help extended the period of time it takes me to reach the halfway point.

[Nino]

A good example is a box of Cohiba Lanceros I have. I bought the box in early 09. I let it rest in my humi for 18 months (my usual minimum with cc's) before smoking the first cigar. On Christmas day I smoked one of these Lanceros and with that stick being consumed I was down to half a box. I'll order another box as soon as cash permits. Considering its taken almost 4 years to get to the halfway point of the original box, by the time the new box arrives and I start smoking from it, it should be around 3 years old. After that, the cycle starts all over again.

Very god system, but it requires a discipline I only have with full boxes.

As soon as I open a full box and smoke the first, I mostly smoke the rest quite soon after.

Alas, I try to hold back a bit lately and maintain discipline, but it is hard as I also have many unboxed bundles from Cuba that stare at me from the lockers and whisper "try me, try me" ...

Once the bundle is opened .....

[Nino]

Do you keep stock for aging in a separate humidor och container and then move it to the main humidor when it's ready for rotation?

No separate storage - this is how I keep my cigars :

http://www.friendsof...=30#entry299199

before moving them to my office humidor :

[Rye]

I read this on your blog this morning. Great read! It gives one something to aspire to

[Guybrush]

Very interesting topic!

Unless I am in Cuba I smoke no more than one cigar per day. Preferably Robusto, Double Corona, Pyramides or Edmundo size (Royal Robusto).

For my taste Cuban cigars are best throughout the first 6 years. In general 3-5 years old cigars are best for me but I found some cigars are starting to decline sooner. My advise to a novice would be: don't age everything (too long) if you don't know whether or not you like the taste of old cigars.

[Maxismoke]

Just read the blog Nino.

Bundles of Partagas Lusitania Gran Reserva!!

[TheCoach]

great post...

[Nino]

Very interesting topic!

Unless I am in Cuba I smoke no more than one cigar per day. Preferably Robusto, Double Corona, Pyramides or Edmundo size (Royal Robusto).

For my taste Cuban cigars are best throughout the first 6 years. In general 3-5 years old cigars are best for me but I found some cigars are starting to decline sooner. My advise to a novice would be: don't age everything (too long) if you don't know whether or not you like the taste of old cigars.

Thank you Guybrush,

while I agree with your last comment, I disagree with the first. I have rarely found a Cuban cigar that declined in less 3-5 years.

Just read the blog Nino.

Bundles of Partagas Lusitania Gran Reserva!!

Yes,

call it the "collateral damage" of flying to Havana and bringing back the best I can get my hands on.

Why Minismoke when you can Maxismoke ... :-)

[Maxismoke]

Nino!

I like your collateral damage! Well earnt!

[LeafLover]

Am I the only one reading this post with half envy and half in awe?

problem for me is, as my stock ages. I dont want to smoke it

[Nino]

Nino!

I like your collateral damage! Well earnt!

Tack så mycket !!

Om du är i Frankfurt som du kan, de gillar att röka med mig ... :-)

Vänliga hälsningar,

Nino

[Maxismoke]

That's close enough to proper Swedish for me!

I'll make a point of going to Frankfurt soon!

[Guybrush]

Thank you Guybrush,

while I agree with your last comment, I disagree with the first. I have rarely found a Cuban cigar that declined in less 3-5 years.

3-5 years are normally the sweet spot for me, but the Montecristo EL 2008 already lost everything after 5 years and my 2008 Punch Royal Selection 11 are still very good, but they have been even better 18 months ago.

Some cigars have been very good in the first year and I can't say what time will change (ABR 2012 Partagas D4, 2012 H.Upmann Royal Robusto)

The then young Hoyo de Monterrey Petit Robustos I have tried have been fantastic, fullbodied and creamy and lost with age. (Let's hope there will be a comeback )

On the other hand: my Por Larrañagas still need time. (Petit Corona Nov 08, Valiosos ER Suiza 09)

Almost all my boxes are open and I see how they change over time.

[lexvero]

3-5 years are normally the sweet spot for me, but the Montecristo EL 2008 already lost everything after 5 years and my 2008 Punch Royal Selection 11 are still very good, but they have been even better 18 months ago.

I have experienced the exact same thing with my Montecristo Sublimes. The last one I smoked was to mild and had not much left to give. That makes me wonder when my Monte GE or 520 will start declining, if they ever will....

[Nino]

3-5 years are normally the sweet spot for me, but the Montecristo EL 2008 already lost everything after 5 years and my 2008 Punch Royal Selection 11 are still very good, but they have been even better 18 months ago.

I have experienced the exact same thing with my Montecristo Sublimes. The last one I smoked was to mild and had not much left to give. That makes me wonder when my Monte GE or 520 will start declining, if they ever will....

Interesting points, thanks.

I still have some MC EL 08 Sublimes from TEB AGO 08 left that I will re-check then after reading this.

I smoked them last year and found them too tight, so I wanted to give them more time.

Update on the MC 08 Sublimes : I see that opinions are quite divided, but mostly in favour that they are still "alive and kicking well" - see :

http://www.friendsof...opic=117134&hl=

On the other hand - it might be, but this is just my theory - that the tobaccos used since '03-'05 being more "approachable" and accessible when younger have less tannins to give them the backbone to age longer.

I discussed this with a fellow member here via PM earlier and here is my opinion :

Well, the tobacco and cigar quality has certainly changed for the better in the last 10 or so years. Changed for the better in that it is more accessible in taste and aroma, more "approachable" if you will. Whether that is good for the long term aging remains to be seen. Personally I'd doubt it and believe that only exceptionally few cigars would profit long term.

I doubt it because post 03-05 cigars already come without the harshness and depth ( lack better word ) of the tannins that contain the aging potential and made older cigars so un-approachable in their earlier years.

The post '03-'05 cigars are perfect for right away smoking, quite balanced and, again, very approachable but somehow muted and less full.

This is my highly personal view, I'm sure others would debate it.

I'm just a smoker, not a scientist, what do I know....

[melies]

I think the new slogan for flying cigar should be "Bundles of Partagas Lusitania Gran Reserva!!"

Normally I smoke 1 cigar a day in Mexico city, but whenever I go to sunnier climates I smoke 2 or 3 (time depending)

My rotation keeps changing, but right know I been smoking most of all

ERDM PC

Monte 4, 2

PL Panetelas or MC

Juan Lopez anything

Partagas SD4

Saludos amigo y como siempre excelente lectura! Avisa cuando vengas a DF

[PigFish]

My base philosophies are similar to Nino's. I don't age or collect, I am a hoarder! Aging is coincidental to hoarding! I have not bought cigars in a number of years, I don't need to.

I differ from Nino in that I don't rotate anything with any deliberate intent. My method requires no science, nor discipline just a guiding pholosphy. When I want a cigar, I go get one. Sometimes I have one in mind, sometimes one calls me when I get there.

I could care less how old a cigar is. The youngest cigars I have, unless sent by a friend are '08.

Water content is all that I can control in a cigar. Once rolled a cigar is like an unguided missile. I cannot control if it is a dud, all I can to dry it to the extent that I like to smoke it and hope for the best. All of my cigars are kept ready to smoke, for my tastes anyway.

I am a creature of habit. I have more or less grown out of needing a 'fix' of something new. I am not against new things, but experience has given me the wisdom that the grass is not always better on the other side of the fence.

I have a philosophy about time allotted for life and smoking. Smoking is to be a pleasure. If not, I will no longer pursue it. Having lived through the 'widow maker' heart attack; I realize my days are numbered! I don't have time for bad cigars. Trying something new therefore, is no excuse for smoking a bad cigar! Yes, it could result in a good cigar, I don't argue that, but more often than not I have found that when I stick to my principles of smoking, I get what I like most of the time and experience regret very little of the time… When always exploring new cigars, I got the experience certainly, and I smoked a lot of average and lousy cigars!

The key for me then is smoking a great cigar every time.

I don't believe in brand profiles and the like. There are only good, average and bad cigars. I always want a good one, and the flavors and complexity and all the rest will fall in line. There is enough variation in Cuban cigars to always keep my interest. The irregularities are in fact what keeps me interested, that is, as long as they are good. If cigars were all the same, like beer, cigarettes and soda, I would tire of them. I drink my beer rather quickly and seldom go back for another. Smoking is a lengthy process and I don't want to get bored with it. I tend to get bored rather easily! Smoking must change to remain interesting to me.

I can smoke through a hole box in a week if I am enjoying the cigars and I want to smoke that much. I don't typically smoke that much today, but I might continue with one box, from start to finish, without taking any different cigars in between.

Variation comes naturally via the design of the product. I need not change anything more than get another cigar to get the variation that I seek. The cigars themselves do that for me. My goal is always focused on keeping the level of smoking high as I can. If I find a good box of cigars then… I just smoke them!

I smoke a lot of the same cigars. The fact is, I typically choose a cigar for size based on my time frame, not based on what I expect from it in taste. I expect it to be good, always. The size matters only based on how long I want to sit in one place and smoke it… When I consider the variation that I taste in cigars, same brand, size, box… I could live with four sizes of cigars and they are 1, 3, 4 and 5. What box they come in or what band they carry means very little to me. Generally the more popular the cigar is, the more of them that the Cubans make, the less really great ones will be made! That is about all a brand and band means to me.

Nice thread Nino!

Cheers, -Ray

[Nino]

My base philosophies are similar to Nino's. I don't age or collect, I am a hoarder! Aging is coincidental to hoarding! I have not bought cigars in a number of years, I don't need to.

I differ from Nino in that I don't rotate anything with any deliberate intent. My method requires no science, nor discipline just a guiding pholosphy. When I want a cigar, I go get one. Sometimes I have one in mind, sometimes one calls me when I get there.

I could care less how old a cigar is. The youngest cigars I have, unless sent by a friend are '08.

Water content is all that I can control in a cigar. Once rolled a cigar is like an unguided missile. I cannot control if it is a dud, all I can to dry it to the extent that I like to smoke it and hope for the best. All of my cigars are kept ready to smoke, for my tastes anyway.

I am a creature of habit. I have more or less grown out of needing a 'fix' of something new. I am not against new things, but experience has given me the wisdom that the grass is not always better on the other side of the fence.

I have a philosophy about time allotted for life and smoking. Smoking is to be a pleasure. If not, I will no longer pursue it. Having lived through the 'widow maker' heart attack; I realize my days are numbered! I don't have time for bad cigars. Trying something new therefore, is no excuse for smoking a bad cigar! Yes, it could result in a good cigar, I don't argue that, but more often than not I have found that when I stick to my principles of smoking, I get what I like most of the time and experience regret very little of the time… When always exploring new cigars, I got the experience certainly, and I smoked a lot of average and lousy cigars!

The key for me then is smoking a great cigar every time.

I don't believe in brand profiles and the like. There are only good, average and bad cigars. I always want a good one, and the flavors and complexity and all the rest will fall in line. There is enough variation in Cuban cigars to always keep my interest. The irregularities are in fact what keeps me interested, that is, as long as they are good. If cigars were all the same, like beer, cigarettes and soda, I would tire of them. I drink my beer rather quickly and seldom go back for another. Smoking is a lengthy process and I don't want to get bored with it. I tend to get bored rather easily! Smoking must change to remain interesting to me.

I can smoke through a hole box in a week if I am enjoying the cigars and I want to smoke that much. I don't typically smoke that much today, but I might continue with one box, from start to finish, without taking any different cigars in between.

Variation comes naturally via the design of the product. I need not change anything more than get another cigar to get the variation that I seek. The cigars themselves do that for me. My goal is always focused on keeping the level of smoking high as I can. If I find a good box of cigars then… I just smoke them!

I smoke a lot of the same cigars. The fact is, I typically choose a cigar for size based on my time frame, not based on what I expect from it in taste. I expect it to be good, always. The size matters only based on how long I want to sit in one place and smoke it… When I consider the variation that I taste in cigars, same brand, size, box… I could live with four sizes of cigars and they are 1, 3, 4 and 5. What box they come in or what band they carry means very little to me. Generally the more popular the cigar is, the more of them that the Cubans make, the less really great ones will be made! That is about all a brand and band means to me.

Nice thread Nino!

Cheers, -Ray

Thank you for the extended reply Ray, with many points that I subscribe to as well !!

Only a slight differ : Like you, I don't rotate anything with any deliberate intent.

I look at my inventory and decide what I am getting out. Nothing scientific or "planned" at all. Just the hunch that it will be good.

As you rightly write - The key for me is to smoke a great cigar everytime.

Also, like you, I mostly smoke off the box in one go with small variations if I find it tasty. No problem.

And also again, time frame decides size. Expectation is always that it will fullfill it.

Cheers - Nino

[Nino]

I think the new slogan for flying cigar should be "Bundles of Partagas Lusitania Gran Reserva!!"

Normally I smoke 1 cigar a day in Mexico city, but whenever I go to sunnier climates I smoke 2 or 3 (time depending)

My rotation keeps changing, but right know I been smoking most of all

ERDM PC

Monte 4, 2

PL Panetelas or MC

Juan Lopez anything

Partagas SD4

Saludos amigo y como siempre excelente lectura! Avisa cuando vengas a DF

Sunnier than DF's weather ... what can those climates be :-)

Excellent selection.

Gracias por tus amables palabras, pero por favor, no avises lo de los mazos de P GR pues sino me vienen a robar la cava.

[PapaDisco]

Hola El Nino,

Enjoyed reading about your storage methodology. Would you say that the individual plastic bags on each box are there solely for humidity control? Or do they serve as a way of controlling oxidation, or do you intend for them to affect the slow chemistry of the cigars over time?

It seems to me (and this is just anecdotal from reading reviews) that the 'shrink wrappers' and baggie storers report better flavors in cigars as they age as opposed to the guys storing sticks as singles, or without a plastic barrier, who report more 'flat' cigars at 5+ years. Unscientific 'survey' I know, but I'd be interested in your thoughts on the subject.

[Nino]

Enjoyed reading about your storage methodology. Would you say that the individual plastic bags on each box are there solely for humidity control? Or do they serve as a way of controlling oxidation, or do you intend for them to affect the slow chemistry of the cigars over time?

It seems to me (and this is just anecdotal from reading reviews) that the 'shrink wrappers' and baggie storers report better flavors in cigars as they age as opposed to the guys storing sticks as singles, or without a plastic barrier, who report more 'flat' cigars at 5+ years. Unscientific 'survey' I know, but I'd be interested in your thoughts on the subject.

I certainly belong to the baggie storers, so count me in the "better flavors" part of the survey ... just kidding, but there may be a grain of truth to that claim.

The plastic bag serves several purposes IMHO : slower oxydation by less exposure to oxygen, maintaining the original humidity and protection in case of beetles ( never had the problem, but I don't freeze ).

Not the last purpose is the incredible aroma when you open the bag.

[anacostiakat]

I find it heartening that there are others who smoke similar to me. As usual Nino's threads provoke thoughts and are informative.

I like to smoke through boxes myself (not a strict rule but in general). Although if I open the cabinet and something calls to me than that is what I have.

Not having the storage facilites of some I continue to acquire and "test". What I like about this is I get to see what a box of cigars is over a period of time that I go through them. Oh and I think that other then trying cigars I do like the 3 - 5 year window in general. But not exclusively.

Thanks again!