Determining a cigar's peak...

[JoeyBones777]

I've tried searching the forum but couldn't seem to find this subject dispute being certain it had to have been discussed. 

So my question is, when aging cigars how does on know it has peaked and won't get any better? I realize this is a matter of preference to a certain extent but my main concern is determining the point of diminishing return.

[luckme10]

Every cigar is different. Smoke the cigar on a regular routine. When it starts to lose some of its flavor, it's hit the point of diminishing return.

[LLC]

Much like with wine, it really come down to years of experience and keeping note or remembering how a certain cigar type typically evolves and using that as a reference. But because every box might be a bit different it comes back to the years of experience and good understanding or intuition in many cases. No real science to it.


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[topdiesel]

I don't think you will know until you have finished the entire box.  To add to the confusion, I have had cigars that I thought were past their prime.  Then I smoked another from the same box a year later and it was better than some smoked years earlier.  Each cigar is different, even within the same box.  Most will agree, to some extent, that 10 years is a pretty safe bet with Cubans.  Beyond that, it depends on the palate, tobacco and most importantly storage conditions.

[ayepatz]

Taste. One man’s chalk is another man’s cheese.

Buy a box. Delve in every so often.

Figure out when your own sweet spot is.

Rinse and repeat.

(hint - there’s no right and wrong. This can be an expensive hobby. Figure out what you like and ignore the rest.)

[SCgarman]

There is really no way to know over a long span of say 10-20 years when a cigar is at it's best. It is especially hard when you have multiple boxes of the same cigar and it takes a year or so in rotation to burn through a box. I just smoke them regardless of age ( most of my stuff has several years aged) and hope for the best.