Samplers and aging

[ElReyDel757]

I recently purchased the NEW TO HABANOS SAMPLER. I have a few questions.

1. For hand picked samplers, from anyone's experience or direct knowledge, are all cigars ready to smoke, or is it recommended to age them? If so, any recommended aging length?

2. Are cigars purchased from *****INT shipped with boveda packs or any other kind of humidification?

3. Will I need to put the cigars away for any length of time just to recover from the shipping process (to eastern North America)?

Thank you very much in advance.

[JWBurns]

Looking at purchasing that same sampler.

[Smallclub]

"Aging" means several months at minima. When you purchase a sampler, I suppose you want to sample before next summer

Most habanos are now enjoyable in their young age; let them rest after their trip (many people follow the 30 days rule), and enjoy!

[parabola66]

I see you are fairly new so WELCOME!!!

To my knowledge no singles nor boxes purchased either from the 24:24 or from the shop come with Boveda.. at least none of my orders have. All my singles have been sealed in ziplock bags very nicely and the shipping process wouldn't be long enough for them to dry out. (Don't get me wrong with the ziplock bag part.. Everyone at FOH takes great care to make sure your order is packaged nice and safe... they don't just throw them in a bag and ship them.)

Anything ordered should be layed down to rest for at least 30 days after receiving. This will let them settle and relax from the stress of travel... It does make a difference. I smoked a Party D4 the day I received a box, and would have thought it fake if I didn't trust our host. 2 months later it was a high quality delicious smoke.

Also, I could be wrong here but I am pretty sure the samplers are designed to smoke right away (after the 30 day resting period). I don't see why Rob would create a sampler you have to age, unless otherwise noted.

Hope that helps, maybe some can confirm or deny my uncertainties.

[ElReyDel757]

Thanks guys. My order will ship next week. Here's to hoping I get it soon enough to lay down for 30 days. Hoping to light up on my birthday 21 February.

I forgot to mention I also ordered 5 singles to make it a nice 25 cigar purchase when combined with the New to Habanos sampler:

1. Bolivar Belicoso Fino

2. Bolivar Corona Gigante

3. Partagas Lusitania

4. Ramon Allones Superior

5. Romeo y Julieta Churchill

I desperately wanted the Partagas 898 Varnished, next time!!!

[irratebass]

Great question AW, I have been thinking the same thing & have been eyballin' that sampler. Like Parabola said I would think these are ready to go after the 30 days resting period.

[ElReyDel757]

I'm thinking I will keep ordering this sampler every time I need to restock, plus 5 alternating singles. I love the variety.

[irratebass]

Thanks guys. My order will ship next week. Here's to hoping I get it soon enough to lay down for 30 days. Hoping to light up on my birthday 21 February.

I forgot to mention I also ordered 5 singles to make it a nice 25 cigar purchase when combined with the New to Habanos sampler:

1. Bolivar Belicoso Fino

2. Bolivar Corona Gigante

3. Partagas Lusitania

4. Ramon Allones Superior

5. Romeo y Julieta Churchill

I desperately wanted the Partagas 898 Varnished, next time!!!

Looks like a nice haul my brother....I too wanted that 898, but just not in the cards yet. Oh well only the 1st of many 24:24's

[Wrangler]

I got that sampler a couple moths back and they are smoking wonderfully! Its a great sampler!

[foursite12]

Agree completely with all that has been said above. Don't confuse aging with acclimatization. Rob is a smart man; he knows samples will likely lead to continued interest in this forum and the product. Samples I have received have tended to be high caliber representatives of their line and are more than ready to smoke--even if like all cigars they may benefit from future aging. Having said that, I will tell you that it is absolutely critical to put 'em down for at least 30 days after arrival to acclimate.

It seems like an appropriate time to point newcomers to threads on here that concern humidification. There are disparate opinions among the inmates, but many of us feel that many perceived construction and burn issues are due in large measure to a tendency to over-humidify Habanos. Our resident SME is PigFish and there is a ton of information on the subject to be found through a site search.

Welcome to FOH.

[JohnS]

"Aging" means several months at minima. When you purchase a sampler, I suppose you want to sample before next summer

Most habanos are now enjoyable in their young age; let them rest after their trip (many people follow the 30 days rule), and enjoy!

Great advice!

I'm thinking I will keep ordering this sampler every time I need to restock, plus 5 alternating singles. I love the variety.

You may find that you'll start to distinguish between marcas you enjoy and others you don't so much. At some point, you'll probably move on to purchasing boxes from 24:24, then again, you may not. Everyone's Habanos journey differs, doesn't it?

[Scrubber]

I've had 3 or 4 different samplers from Rob including the new to Habanos sampler. Once they have acclimated they are ready to smoke. Always received high quality sticks and have been very happy.

Get ready to start purchasing boxes once you find out what you enjoy the most. I'm sure your collection will quickly grow just like the rest of us on here.

Enjoy the journey!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jazzboypro]

I bought this sampler in July 2014 and started smoking them about 2 weeks after a got them. Most were ok but i should have waited longer. I think i have posted my comments about each one somewhere on this forum.

Good luck and welcome

[jimsta10]

Any sticks purchased should be rested for at least 30 days. All cigars can be aged. Aging can change the taste (smooth, mellow, complex)...mostly for the good and stronger cigars tend to age better (from what i have read). The climate for aging should not fluctuate...

[Drguano]

Excellent choices for the extra five. I usually wait the 30 days but I am smoking a La Ecepcion a week after arrival to decide if I want more. It is unraveling 2/3s of the way down. A sign that it needs to acclimatize. Tasty though...

[maxcjs0101]

Great advice!

You may find that you'll start to distinguish between marcas you enjoy and others you don't so much. At some point, you'll probably move on to purchasing boxes from 24:24, then again, you may not. Everyone's Habanos journey differs, doesn't it?

Spot on. To the thread starter, try figuring out what you like and continue from there.

[Smallclub]

Any sticks purchased should be rested for at least 30 days. All cigars can be aged. Aging can change the taste (smooth, mellow, complex)...mostly for the good and stronger cigars tend to age better (from what i have read). The climate for aging should not fluctuate...

Sorry but you're wrong on several points.

The 30 days rule was established from people whose cigars (ie habanos) spend over a week in transit, a transit including air travel and change of climate zone. When I order from Switzerland or Spain or Italy, the cigars arrive in the exact state they were in the shop. In most cases, they're smokable ROTT.

Stronger cigars don't age better, they simply age in a more spectacular and easy to detect way. Mild cigars as El Rey del Mundo, Sancho Panza, Hoyo, age better and in a more refined way than Partagas or Bolivar.

[Guest rob]

I am clearly a barbarian - as I smoke cigars as soon as they arrive.

[foursite12]

Try one rott.

You might find that it isn't "absolutely critical" to rest them for 30 days.

If you ask me that's an old wive's tale...

I'll readily admit to being old...

Having given in to the ROTT itch many times, I've been lucky some but not so lucky more often. When it's a box, "trying one" poses little risk; at worst you shrug and park the remainder for awhile. When it's a sampler that unravels and tastes like crap, you may lose your interest in ever trying another one, which is a shame and destroys the whole purpose.

After spending a couple of weeks in transit, organic matter is affected and needs a stable recovery environment for awhile. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[ElPuro]

I'll readily admit to being old...

Having given in to the ROTT itch many times, I've been lucky some but not so lucky more often. When it's a box, "trying one" poses little risk; at worst you shrug and park the remainder for awhile. When it's a sampler that unravels and tastes like crap, you may lose your interest in ever trying another one, which is a shame and destroys the whole purpose.

After spending a couple of weeks in transit, organic matter is affected and needs a stable recovery environment for awhile. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Agreed. No reason to rush it. That's sorta the point with cigars anyway, right?

[jimsta10]

Sorry but you're wrong on several points.

The 30 days rule was established from people whose cigars (ie habanos) spend over a week in transit, a transit including air travel and change of climate zone. When I order from Switzerland or Spain or Italy, the cigars arrive in the exact state they were in the shop. In most cases, they're smokable ROTT.

Stronger cigars don't age better, they simply age in a more spectacular and easy to detect way. Mild cigars as El Rey del Mundo, Sancho Panza, Hoyo, age better and in a more refined way than Partagas or Bolivar.

You must live in a location where custom laws are more flexible or non existent. Here in AU you can expect delays up to 5 weeks. And if you buy from Rob he would recommend 30 days to sit...no I'm wrong.

As for the aging part, I'm just quoting what I have read (which I explained). Everyone has their own preference or niche, each to there own IF you can resist the aging process.

Your refined process for aging sounds interesting, tell us how it goes in 4 years would love to here the outcome.

[Smallclub]

Your refined process for aging sounds interesting, tell us how it goes in 4 years would love to here the outcome.

Where did I mention "my refined process for aging"?

[Jeremy Festa]

I am clearly a barbarian - as I smoke cigars as soon as they arrive.

You farken maniac

Sent from my iPhone

[ElReyDel757]

My shipment will probably be in transit for a little while, as I reside on the East Coast of North America. I will lay them down until 21 February, then smoke 1 of my 3 Bolivars, probably the Petit Corona so I can save the Belicoso Fino and Corona Gigante. Then I will hold off for a few more weeks, should be good.

My initial 25 smokes will be gone fast, as I've only ever smoked Cohibas of various kinds over the years, so I need to find out what my favorites are. Other than Cohiba, I am a Cuban cigar rookie, but again I have smoked many legit Cohibas over the years.

[wabashcr]

How exactly is organic matter affected by transit? Do the oils move around, or does the DNA get rearranged somehow?

I can see maybe losing a bit of moisture, but imo if a cigar goes from say 65% rh from day of shipping down to say 60% it's not going to turn a great cigar or even a good cigar into a shitty one.

I think if you smoke one rott and its crap then it was probably a crap cigar to begin with.

As far as unraveling goes, what does that have to do with shipping? The only times I've had a cigar unravel on me is when I've clipped it too far or damaged the wrapper by removing the band.

Nothing wrong with letting your cigars sit for 30 days (arbitrary) but I've yet to be convinced that it matters.

I find the effects of travel tend to be more or less negligible. I know there are all kinds of temperature, pressure and humidity changes. But the primary reason I acclimatize my cigars upon arrival is to make sure they aren't too wet. A lot of places keep their stock at a much higher humidity than I prefer, presumably to protect the cigars during the shipping process. I find a month in a cooler at 62RH is a good safeguard against over humidified stock.

I'm pretty sure every bad experience I've had smoking ROTT is directly attributable to cigars being too wet. I don't know if this applies to FOH or not. Rob always recommends 30 days to acclimatize, so I do it. I assume most of what I get from him could be smoked ROTT without any problems, though.