Aged Cigars vs Recent Productions

[jay8354]

After reading the various posts about Min Ron Nee's opinion that Cigars should be rested for 30+ years and a recent post about the oldest cigar that people have (some of which have about 15+ yrs) , I am curious.

Can anyone who have these older cigars advise the differences from aging them for this long, other than the flavours being more subtle?

Is it worth the effort to give such a long rest periods? If so, which are the ones to put away for long storage?

Generally, IMO I have thought that a good period is around 5-7 yrs.

Would love to hear what are members opinions and experiences are like.

[Tampa1257]

I have been smoking and aging cigars for a short period of time compared to MRN. Now while I respect his palate and opinion concerning flavors, I have been known to differ in opinion. Why?, Well, I have not had the same experiences that he has. I can only comment about my own. MRN is in a position that few people in the World can say they have a ready supply of aged Habanos that are 5-7-10-15-20-30 years old to choose from. If I had the same access, I might very well have the exact opinion that he has.

I find that I enjoy the majority of my Habanos with at least 3-5 years on them, and I have been buying enough to not only have them to smoke, but to have down the road to be able to enjoy with 7-10 years of age. I can flat tell a major difference between a cigar that is less than a year or two and a cigar that has been aging for a few years. Once upon a time, I really did not care for RASS, but someone sent me a 3 year old one that was close to nearly 4 years, and when I smoked that one, I finally understood what others found so interesting with the RASS about. Now I already enjoyed the RASCC and the RA898s. I have since acquired some with a little more age and I am aging some on my own to have down the road. For me as an example, a RASS needs at least 4 years to become smokable. Smoking one now, "Fresh Off the Truck", is a waste of tobacco, as the flavors that will come out have not yet had the time to develop.

I also agree that your stronger marcas will benefit better with age vs your milder marcas. A Hoyo, which is generally considered a mild Brand, is not going to build strength over aging time.

[DocRKS]

I recently acquired (and paid dearly) for some boxes of 1980-1981 RyJ of various vitolas - after all I reasoned - cigars that are 26 years old will surely be the things that dreams are made of right?

NO!!! These are a major let down - flat - in fact- almost tasteless.. As I have no doubt that they were properly stored all these years - my only conclusion is that organic matter over a long period of time tends to break down in several properties...These are long past their peak and paying extra to acquire these cigars was not a wise expenditure on my part. Just cause they're old doesn't guarantee them to be GOOD!

[shrink]

Thanks for the candid post, Doc...

I have had the same experience. Got an expensive box of '96 Punch Monarcas, which I believed had the moxie to age well, and they were blah! Not bad, just very muted. Just a reminder that some cigars pass their prime earlier than expected.

[guilow]

It takes some great patience, massive storage, and a lot of cash to age for such a long time. I'm don't have all those luxuries, so I am bound to smoking younger cigars (3 years max).

I will agree with Tampa on the 3-5 year aging taste difference. I have a few boxes of that age and they are unbelievable good. In fact, one of my favorites right now are some aged Partagas Aristocrats that are machine made! I subsequently cleaned Rob out on his stock after buying that first box of 01s. :-)

[Loki]

Doc, sorry to hear about the short coming of those sticks. I haven't been collecting for that long but IMO 3-5 yrs. seems to be the peak time for most of the cigars that I'v tried to age. It's so hard, they keep going up in smoke. On the rare occasion that I get to smoke a 5+yr. stick they have been good. How much better? I couldn't tell you due to lack of experience. The wisdom of the older cigar smoker has to be appreciated.

[spsurfin]

I think the 5-7 year is my goal. The problem I run into is so many cigars are smoking great young, it is hard to age them. I just do not have the space to purchase multiple boxes.

[Ken Gargett]

i think it really is a personal matter, though the general consensus seems to be about 6-8 years.

i have been going through a couple of boxes, both with about 7-8 years on them. the slr churchills have been mixed. a couple of good ones but i'm starting to feel that they may be the exception. the majority have been just okay without a lot of flavour. on the other hand, a box of older partagas lusi's has been a star. they have been, almost without exception, fabulous and will be much missed when they are gone. i have a box with a year or two on it away with hopes to leave it until it reaches a similar age (fat chance and buggered if i know what'll do in the meantime) and i think i may need a few more to cover the future.

[kab55]

Most of what I smoke is in the 3 to 5 year range, with a fair number of 7-8 years. To my taste, 3 or 4 years seems to make a major difference, with less change as they age longer.

[Ginseng]

Age changes two things. First, the cigars and second, the smoker. I assert that there is no real value in attempting to quantify, codify or otherwise apply to a scale either as the interaction of the two is so purely subjective. Furthermore, the experience resulting from this interaction is itself subject to so many contextual factors: time, place, mood, accompaniment, attitude, temperature, human company and many, many more.

Having said that, one can hope that as time passes, the smoker will gain experience, perspective and appreciation. These are all things that can contribute to heightened, deeper experiences. One can also hope that as time passes, cigars will mature in the general direction of desirability. That is, enriched flavors, softened angles and greater balance.

Another level of complexity on top of all this is that while memory certainly changes, even the language and connotations we use in each time period, however precise we wish to maintain it, will change.

So, though it may sound like I might be saying that it's a hopeless thing to try and compare experiences over the years, this is not the case. What I am saying is that in the best case, we grow and mature along with our cigars. This is the long and winding walk that is to be enjoyed.

Wilkey

[CigarZen]

One thing that we may be missing here is that the 20 or 30 yr old cigars that MRN discusses were made from different raw materials -- those tabacco strains do not exist today, at least as I understand it.

I have had older cigars that were flat and ones that were sublime. Who really knows how the flat ones taste when they were fresh -- they could have sucked in the 80s when they were made? I had some pre-95 Monte 2s that were very good when they were fresh but had a harshness that overlaid the great flavors. When those cigars were 5 or 7 years old they were sublime, but unfortunately gone. I wish I had not smoked a one until that age... oh well. Great raw materials, great aged product. On the otherhand, I have some from 00 that sucked then and still suck. Questionable raw materials, questionable aged cigar. Another example is a cab of 98 Punch DCs. They were very good new and now in 06 are better. That being mellower (less of an edge), richer and mostly more complex.

In sum, nothing is certain with cigars, imho, including aging them. But overall I think aging cigars from better raw materials yields a better balanced cigar.

[jjisaacson]

thanks to my "professor"... my palate has become spoiled... i prefer sticks with at least 2-3 years of age on them... and really would rather have them with at least 4-5 years...

with a couple years on them i really enjoy the smoothness beginning to shine through, along with the complexity and the subtle nuances of the cigar that start to show as the "freshness" twang begins to subside.

[El Presidente]

Good Point CigarZen.

I have almost been as disappointed with aged cigars as I have been with aged red wine (3-4 in 10 bottles being spoilt).

3 years in some lines and 5-8years in others is ideal for cigars. Again...just my 2 cents worth.

[Mel]

I love and hate this topic. Some aged cigars are good and other gain nothing and stand to loose from to much time. I like fresh cigars that are vibrant and flashy with that twang. I like older cigars for the subtle nuances of this and that.

I have some 95 Punch Punch that are not even as good my new RASS. Some like it all thats me.

[jay8354]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and comments.

It seems that there are no answer to this question. Just have to wait and see what the future holds.

Cigars and Wines, it is like gambling, just have to get something that is good and hope it gets better with time.

[twoodruff]

I just haven't had the resources to put together a nice aged cigar list

[Shiba]

I just use the Min Ron NEE book as a guideline for all of this. It clearly explains his thoughts on age. These books can be had with a little looking. :-)