A box you left too long?

[El Presidente]

I do hate when it happens. The box or boxes of a cigar you lay down to achieve that near perfect smoke. At 3 years they were a 92...at 5 years a 95....at 7 years a 96 at 8 years ....a 92..you try 2 and then 3....yep...back to a 92 and moving away from the flavour profile you enjoy

Happened to me recently with HDM Epi 1's I had put away. Should have really hoe'd into them when they were consistently a 95.

Has this happened you? While not life and death.....it does peeve one no end

[anacostiakat]

I know this has happened but the only current one that stands out for me is the 2006 Bolivar Alemania Colosales. For me, these seem on the way down and need to be smoked now. Which reminds me I think I have some left. . .

[Hunter1974]

I do hate when it happens. The box or boxes of a cigar you lay down to achieve that near perfect smoke. At 3 years they were a 92...at 5 years a 95....at 7 years a 96 at 8 years ....a 92..you try 2 and then 3....yep...back to a 92 and moving away from the flavour profile you enjoy

Happened to me recently with HDM Epi 1's I had put away. Should have really hoe'd into them when they were consistently a 95.

Has this happened you? While not life and death.....it does peeve one no end

OK now youve really messed me up Prez ! my taste aint that refined ! nor my inventory that vast I think I am gonna stick to my rule If I get a stick in that reguires aging I will try one every 3 months until they hit their stride because if this happened to me I would probably cry .

[PapaDisco]

How do you store for the long term Rob? The box/cab on a shelf left unmolested except by air? Or do you seal them in any way, or even have the box stacked amid others? What does the PCC aging program look like? Boxes on a shelf or boxes in a master case?

[smokum]

I just start enjoying the new flavor profile and marvel at the changes that occur with long term, proper aging. Hell most of the time I dont even remember what a particular box smoked like 8 years ago !!! Its like opening a new box every time I pull one out ! One of the few times it pays me to be a happy idiot.

[laficion]

Happened to me recently with HDM Epi 1's I had put away. Should have really hoe'd into them when they were consistently a 95.

Dear Rob,

I never keep them that long to notice. Cheers bro.

[Habanos2000]

I have a box of Punch Black Prince, 99 or 2000 production I believe. They were so good, once upon a time. Just ghosts now though unfortunately. Probably have a good half dozen left and always find something better to pick when looking for a smoke.

[El Presidente]

How do you store for the long term Rob? The box/cab on a shelf left unmolested except by air? Or do you seal them in any way, or even have the box stacked amid others? What does the PCC aging program look like? Boxes on a shelf or boxes in a master case?

I keep the stock I set aside for myself in box and then in sealed cardboard cartons. I store at 16 degree Celsius and 62-63% RH.

My personal tastes see a general sweet spot in cigars that need time down at 7 -8 years. I rarely go past 10. I smoke my personal stock as they are not intended for resale.

The PCC Vintage program is simply a case of a % of stock (mastercases) set aside in their climate controlled warehouse for 5 years before release.

[subport]

I still like my ´05 Cohiba Lancero´s but they´re over their prime

going through the box as fast as I can (what is not fast enough)

[polarbear]

40% of my NCs have aged out

I try not to smoke the same cigar more than once a month (variety is the spice of life) so it can take years for me to burn through a 20 count box

Unfortunately, 3 years is often too long for most NCs and what start out as full bodied flavour bombs quickly become flavourless cardboard before the box is 2/3 empty

The better aging potential is one of the reason I turned back to CC's 5 years ago

[CdnLimitada]

I would say in the few years I have been doing this there have been a few boxes that changed for the worse but I haven't had them long enough to know if they will come back. Example is the Royal Robusto recently 2011 or 2012 (can't remember). Started off amazing. The last 4-5 I have smoked have been just mediocre.

[NSXCIGAR]

On 6/22/2015 at 6:42 PM, CdnLimitada said:

I would say in the few years I have been doing this there have been a few boxes that changed for the worse but I haven't had them long enough to know if they will come back. Example is the Royal Robusto recently 2011 or 2012 (can't remember). Started off amazing. The last 4-5 I have smoked have been just mediocre.

Not sure if you're referring to the RR 2012 EL but I just picked one up today and it was excellent with even more room for improvement. I recall the last LCDH RR I had a few years ago was fairly unremarkable. These are far superior. If there was any EL character to them initially it's gone. These are Upmann through and through and I'd say even remind me a bit of the Mag 56. These may have the same potential and the sweet spot may be 8-10 years on these, but now is a great time to start dipping in to these.

[Smallclub]

Montecristo “D” EL from 2005. Became almost bland somewhere between 2011 and 2016…

[SaintMickey®]

On 6/22/2015 at 4:32 PM, El Presidente said:

I keep the stock I set aside for myself in box and then in sealed cardboard cartons. I store at 16 degree Celsius and 62-63% RH.

My personal tastes see a general sweet spot in cigars that need time down at 7 -8 years. I rarely go past 10. I smoke my personal stock as they are not intended for resale.

The PCC Vintage program is simply a case of a % of stock (mastercases) set aside in their climate controlled warehouse for 5 years before release.

I like this temp and RH...!

[Pilsner14]

2009 RyJ Duke EL

[Ethernut]

2003 Des Dieux

[Dimmers]

1 hour ago, Ethernut said:

2003 Des Dieux

No way sorry to hear ! My (dwindling) friends are still ace.

For me, Upmann Mag48 LE (maybe, need more time/testing to confirm).

 

 

[LGC]

1998 Partagas 898Varn. 2001 RA PCs

[Ethernut]

7 hours ago, Dimmers said:

No way sorry to hear ! My (dwindling) friends are still ace.

They are still great cigars, beginning to lose that cedar that I loved so much. Still tons of creme. Can nub them no problem. 

[Philc2001]

My 2001 Partagas SD #3 EL turned a corner about 2 or 3 years ago and are slowly declining. They hit their peak around 2012. I better get smoking!

I've had some that go flat after they age for too long, especially if they were mild to begin with. Less so with cigars that had loads of ligero.

In a related note, I recently smoked some late nineties cigars that friends had put into vacuum sealed storage, and it seems to me they were successful in slowing the aging process.

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[joeypots]

If I have a box that's hit it's stride I usually have a tough time keeping my mitts off of it. The '07 Siglo IVs come to mind. I smoked them all in about 2 years and finished them off last year. So I don't have too many cigars that have 10 + years on them. I often put one or two cigars from a good box that's "on" in tubes or in plastic bags just to see what happens as much as anything. I think the only cigar that I ever smoked that was expired was an '85 Sir Winston. Not bad but kinda bland and lifeless. MRN said that there are second and third dumb periods with cigars that are getting old, Rob, May be the cigars at 8 years needed to be put away for another 5 to hit their second peak.

[watches_whiskies_cigars]

Great thread! I find, for me, the HdM marca doesn't age particularly well over a long period in that it feels like you're smoking air. I'd be curious if someone else also has had that experience for the marca.

[Notsocleaver]

Punch DCs from 06 got super bland except for the last inch, which were amazing, just not worth smoking through two hours to get to.

[rootsrock]

Actually I have had this issue with a box of Trinidad short robusto t as well as a box of RASS


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[El Hoze]

On 6/22/2015 at 5:35 PM, subport said:

I still like my ´05 Cohiba Lancero´s but they´re over their prime

going through the box as fast as I can (what is not fast enough)

This is interesting. I am far less experienced than most of you guys and have never had an '05 Cohiba Lancero to my knowledge but based on some some earlier and later stock I have I'd think the 05s right now would be pretty good. I better start to smoke more of these, I actually smoke probably three or four CoLas a month these days I'd say. Room for growth.