CC's that DON'T age well

[polarbear]

There have been a lot of threads about the aging potential of various CC's as well as threads about what cigars are smoking well fresh, but I'm curious if there are any CC's out there that dont age well?

I know the NC industry is known for blending cigars that start to drop off after 3-5 years but I've never heard anyone say the Cuban Cigar X's profile dropped off after only a short stay in the humi.

I'm not talking about cigars that arent worth aging, but more cigars that tned to peak early and decline within 5 years

[shlomo]

Decline within 5 years? Only some ELs as I tend to like them within a year if at all.

Regular production, at least all the ones I have enough of a sample size to comment on, do not decline within 5 years.

[Dimmers]

I’ve no personal experience with this, but throwing out there for comment - I remember reading a forum post somewhere (can’t remember which forum though I believe someone may have been claiming to quote MRN??), that some bigger gauge sticks such as Monte #2’s will being declining earlier than what people think (say 7-8 yr mark), due to (i) higher proportion of volado leaves in such sticks generally; and (ii) flavour profile being bean based (ie coffee, vanilla), and these flavours dissipating sooner than other flavours.

Thoughts on this?

[Cisco]

It seems that many here like SLR Regios younger than older, at least that was the message I got when I asked the question here. While it appears that they can age, most here prefer them young. I've only had young examples myself, so I can't be of help with aged ones.

[Pilsner14]

Out of all the cigars that come and go in my humidor....(roughly 500-600 cigars at this point) . The only one that hasn't aged well is the the RyJ 2009 Duke for me. For whatever reason it was splendid young.........let it sit for a 4-5 years and revisited and after smoking a couple they were just off. Tasteless, super mild, no flavor. Further aging not in its future.....smoking the rest.

JD

[ramon_cojones]

well ELs for sure

and actually me and hiro were talking about the qdo superiores and how it was fantastic when it first came out; specifically loved the florality and richness to it...we were afraid it would definitely lose the vibrant flavor and had no idea what it would morph into so we agreed it probably couldn't get any better. It is one of the very few cigars I would have bought and smoked right away for fear of losing that aspect of its character. Never did end up with a box and now people complain how some are wind tunnels etc, If I'm paying that much for a box of robustos they better be spot on in the draw department.

[Charltonc]

It seems that many here like SLR Regios younger than older, at least that was the message I got when I asked the question here. While it appears that they can age, most here prefer them young. I've only had young examples myself, so I can't be of help with aged ones.

SLR Regios age beautifully. They are great fresh and with age IMHO.

[LGC]

Some of the cigars within the past 8 or 9 years... it's a crap shoot. Older is not always better. If you enjoy a cigar, and it doesn't show any signs of youth, just enjoy them. You just might leave cigars for many years without touching them... and only come to find out, at a later date, that they have lost their body and complexity. I know of cases like this with Cohiba robustos, Boli PCs and CEs, and RASS. It also happened with some 98 Part 898 Varn. that I had.

[Bartolomeo]

I am curious on this topic when it pertains to Customs....I tend to smoke Customs fresh and have enjoyed many by various rollers and with out checking my notes the oldest custom I have smoked has been like 5-6 years

Are Customs geared for immediate consumption or do they get better with time? I have spoke to many experts about this and have gotten their opinions but curious to see what others think?

TIA

Bart

[ewipper]

Some of the cigars within the past 8 or 9 years... it's a crap shoot. Older is not always better. If you enjoy a cigar, and it doesn't show any signs of youth, just enjoy them. You just might leave cigars for many years without touching them... and only come to find out, at a later date, that they have lost their body and complexity. I know of cases like this with Cohiba robustos, Boli PCs and CEs, and RASS. It also happened with some 98 Part 898 Varn. that I had.

Couldnt have said it better.

Some cigars that come to mind are late 90s ERDM Lonsdales.

Original release Robaina took a nose dive after 10 years.

Limited editions

[shlomo]

Out of all the cigars that come and go in my humidor....(roughly 500-600 cigars at this point) . The only one that hasn't aged well is the the RyJ 2009 Duke for me. For whatever reason it was splendid young.........let it sit for a 4-5 years and revisited and after smoking a couple they were just off. Tasteless, super mild, no flavor. Further aging not in its future.....smoking the rest.

JD

Dukes are one of the few ELs that I really enjoy! If you dont like them, I'll take them!

[ewipper]

I’ve no personal experience with this, but throwing out there for comment - I remember reading a forum post somewhere (can’t remember which forum though I believe someone may have been claiming to quote MRN??), that some bigger gauge sticks such as Monte #2’s will being declining earlier than what people think (say 7-8 yr mark), due to (i) higher proportion of volado leaves in such sticks generally; and (ii) flavour profile being bean based (ie coffee, vanilla), and these flavours dissipating sooner than other flavours.

Thoughts on this?

This is a great point. As with anything it's about raw materials. As a general rule, I prefer cigars with what MRN calls beany flavors such as Cohiba and Montecristo fresh. That's assuming that the cigar is blended right to begin with. But that doesn't mean that there aren't finely aged examples from great harvests. For many years, Dunhill was responsible for a large portion of Montecristo production and the raw materials lasted forever, just as beany as you could imagine.

I would say that in the last 5-7 years, El Laguito is rolling cigars that are much better fresh and precipitously decline after 3-4 years.

[MontrealRon]

I would say that in the last 5-7 years, El Laguito is rolling cigars that are much better fresh and precipitously decline after 3-4 years.

Thing is, it is pehaps to early to tell if this is a permanent decline, or a period of dormancy.

Only when these cigars reach 10-12 years of age, will we know for sure.

[El Presidente]

With all new releases you are "punting" based on your experience with similar flavour profiles when young.

I still get caught out.

I think we need to define what is young ? What makes it more difficult is palate. Each is different.

For me, what I smoke young on purpose (up to 5 years) are :

Regios

Monte 2

Shorts

Edmundo

Petit Edmundo

Epi 2 (on the cusp)

Cohiba Siglo VI (yes I am a barbarian)

Upmann Mag 50

HDM epicure 1

Partagas Petit Corona

D4 (again, on the cusp).

Mag 46 same

Mag 48....right now, wait no longer.

R&J Petit Corona

Monte 4

[fingerburner]

well ELs for sure

and actually me and hiro were talking about the qdo superiores and how it was fantastic when it first came out; specifically loved the florality and richness to it...we were afraid it would definitely lose the vibrant flavor and had no idea what it would morph into so we agreed it probably couldn't get any better. It is one of the very few cigars I would have bought and smoked right away for fear of losing that aspect of its character. Never did end up with a box and now people complain how some are wind tunnels etc, If I'm paying that much for a box of robustos they better be spot on in the draw department.

+1

I went long on these after smoking a handful of singles that were simply outstanding. Nothing I've smoked from box purchases have come within a bull's roar of that initial flavour spectrum. Feel like I'm chasing the dragon on these now, but my fingers are crossed for a classic QDO revival down the track.

[Guest rob]

Totally agree on the Mag 46 being a great young smoke. It's just delicious. Ive been through 2 cabs this summer.

[OkieJoe]

Totally agree on the Mag 46 being a great young smoke. It's just delicious. Ive been through 2 cabs this summer.

+ 1

[Orion21]

RyJ Short Churchills have not aged well for me. I loved them back in '09 and '10 and they went downhill since. They lost a lot of the depth of flavor they had fresh.

[MontrealRon]

With all new releases you are "punting" based on your experience with similar flavour profiles when young.

I still get caught out.

I think we need to define what is young ? What makes it more difficult is palate. Each is different.

For me, what I smoke young on purpose (up to 5 years) are :

Regios

Monte 2

Shorts

Edmundo

Petit Edmundo

Epi 2 (on the cusp)

Cohiba Siglo VI (yes I am a barbarian)

Upmann Mag 50

HDM epicure 1

Partagas Petit Corona

D4 (again, on the cusp).

Mag 46 same

Mag 48....right now, wait no longer.

R&J Petit Corona

Monte 4

Love to get some of those young Partagas Petit Coronas!

Still, because many cigars are great young does not mean that they will not age well.

Mag 46, for example, are wonderful fresh, then shut down for years,

emerging like a butterfly from a cocoon at around the age of 8-10.

Many great Bordeaux wines, especially in top vintages, are delicious young,

then after a few years as the primary fruitiness recedes, the tannins take center stage.

If the wine has been well made, a time eventually comes when the tannins soften

and come into a new balance with the fruit and the acidity,

which with the chemical effects of reduction in the bottle,

gives rise to a beautiful complexity that far surpasses the freshness of its youth.

It is at this stage that a wine may justify its high price.

My advice, FWIW, is that if a box of cigars seems to go flat,

simply toss it to the bottom of your storage.

Try another one in a couple of years; if still not right, repeat.

More often than not, you will end up pleasantly surprised.

[mk05]

...You just might leave cigars for many years without touching them... and only come to find out, at a later date, that they have lost their body and complexity. I know of cases like this with Cohiba robustos, Boli PCs and CEs, and RASS.

What a coincidence, I cracked one of my cabs of unvacuum-packed TEB08 Bolivar CEs this weekend, to find that they have matured to a perfect balance for my liking. I immediately removed them into ziplock to further slow down aging while I enjoy them, and have put the others into cryo as well.

[ZinZan]

Never tried anything more than 5 years. For me aged is 2 years. Hahahahaha.

[Smallclub]

Love to get some of those young Partagas Petit Coronas!

There is no young Partagas pc nowadays, this cigar was discontinued in 2002. Rob evokes the Petit Corona Especiale which is available everywhere…