What CCs do y'all smoke young?

[Hibauchery]

I have found that RASS and Connie 1's with a year, or even a little less, of box age smoke great.  What others do y'all like young?

[jakebarnes]

RASS, Party Shorts, JL 2 with 8+ months, Petit Edmundos. 

[Bri Fi]

Almost anything since the quality of production increased in 2019. My 2019-2021 stock is smoking better than my 2015-2018

[Chas.Alpha]

I started smoking Flor de Cano when I was about 7 or 8 years old, or is that not what you meant? 🤔

[JohnS]

5 hours ago, Bri Fi said:

Almost anything since the quality of production increased in 2019. My 2019-2021 stock is smoking better than my 2015-2018

I could give personal preferences, but in general I concur exactly with this statement.

[GaryK 54]

3 minutes ago, JohnS said:

I could give personal preferences, but in general I concur exactly with this statement.

I also concur with what @Bri Fi says. In general, after 60-90 days of rest and acclimatization to my storage conditions, everything I’ve smoked young from 2019 onwards has been good.

No doubt, a few years of aging does improve certain Marca. But for many cigars, the difference is not significant enough for me to wait more than 2 to 3 years for those Marca and vitola for which the flavour profile is improved by aging. 

[Tstew75]

The only ones that seem to need obvious rest are:  ELs, (most) regionals, Cohiba Linea Clasica, Por Larranga. IMO

[RDB]

Monte.

[gustavehenne]

I've smoked (at least) one cigar from each box I've got and found them all to be perfectly smokeable and enjoyable. I'd concur with others and say that Cohiba does benefit from time down. @torsion and I concurred that the recent aged Siglo III available on 24:24 was just sublime and much better than the 2021 production of Siglo III.

I got a cab of 50 Hoyo DC from 2020 (or 2021 I can't remember) and it is a dream. Do I want it to change? Frankly, not really.

I like what Rob says about 'mongrel' in the cigars, it's a character I really like. So when I pick up a Mag 46, Party 898 etc. I really want to get kicked around the room a bit - I value that in a cigar. I've had some older examples of BBF, Mag 46 etc. and I mostly prefer the more recent production smoking young. Each to their own I guess.

[Dr Process]

“Get kicked around the room a bit” 

haha I like how you phrased that!  
 

I know what you mean and I agree.  
 

had a young JL2 I scooped up off 24:24, pretty good.  

[Silverstix]

Honestly, more important than young or aged, is your storage. Recent production is really good and “young” cigars really just need to acclimate to the proper smoking conditions. It’s the moisture that contributes to bad taste, poor burns, etc. Get that moisture down, and get them acclimated, and for the most part you’ll be good to go. Some cigars do change over time like PLPC and PLMC for example. Better? That’s subjective. But they do change for sure. But most regular production these days will be good to go
 

 

17 hours ago, stevenhaugen said:

I've smoked (at least) one cigar from each box I've got and found them all to be perfectly smokeable and enjoyable. I'd concur with others and say that Cohiba does benefit from time down. [mention=21506]torsion[/mention] and I concurred that the recent aged Siglo III available on 24:24 was just sublime and much better than the 2021 production of Siglo III.
I got a cab of 50 Hoyo DC from 2020 (or 2021 I can't remember) and it is a dream. Do I want it to change? Frankly, not really.
I like what Rob says about 'mongrel' in the cigars, it's a character I really like. So when I pick up a Mag 46, Party 898 etc. I really want to get kicked around the room a bit - I value that in a cigar. I've had some older examples of BBF, Mag 46 etc. and I mostly prefer the more recent production smoking young. Each to their own I guess.

I scooped up a pack of those Sig III from 2017 as well. They look great, smell great, they are currently getting acquainted with the rest of their cousins in my humidor


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[Capn_Jackson]

23 hours ago, Bri Fi said:

Almost anything since the quality of production increased in 2019. My 2019-2021 stock is smoking better than my 2015-2018

I agree. Most of my smokes I now just rest for a month or two in the wineador, and they are very enjoyable after that point. I really don’t mind a little mongrel, and find that it can kick things up a notch in terms of complexity - sweet with a little bitter, floral with a little earth, dried fruit with a little ground pepper, spice with a little more kick, etc.

I personally have a few exceptions: I have a box of JL1 from 2018 and a box from 2021. The 2018’s are supreme, and by comparison I do think the 2021’s need to rest longer. They are great, but they don’t match the 2018’s, to me. That 2018 box is just mind-blowing.

Also, I have some BBF from 2020 that have lost some roughness and are vastly more enjoyable now than they were last year. Some baking spices and even a bit of orange peel pop through, when they were just not quite as present before. The orange peel I didn’t get at all when I smoked them last year, but I usually do now. 2021/2022 BBF’s are still great after a few months of rest, to me, but right now my 2020 BBF’s are really shining.

Lastly, Punch Short de Punch from 2019 seem to be more enjoyable than 2021. I have two boxes from 2019, and one from 2021. I tried one of the ‘21 after resting and found that it was missing some of what I love in the 2019 boxes. Just sort of muddled. The flavors were there, but sharper and less pleasurable. I also have a few singles from 2020, and they already seem better than the 2021’s. This doesn’t necessarily speak for other Punch, just the Short, and only my opinion.

Nearly everything else, Upmann’s, Monte’s, Partagás (especially Shorts), and HdM’s are all smoking great even with only a few months’ rest. I have some Connie 1’s that could probably stand more age but I kinda like the filthy little buggers where they are now, haha! I also have some Allones Superiores I want to age more, just because I have heard great things.

Your mileage may vary, and all taste buds are different, but these are just my experiences.

Cheers!

[KCCubano]

The ones I smoke young most often are usually the minutos/perlas like RASCC, Party Shorts, Monte 5. I reach for them when I want a stronger and punchier smoke. Tbey fit the bill for me quite nicely. 

[garnett]

P 898

[rcarlson]

All Montes.  

[Glass Half Full]

3 hours ago, rcarlson said:

All Montes

Agree …with the exception of Especiales and Especiales No. 2, both of which (I believe) benefit greatly from age.

[Hibauchery]

On 9/4/2022 at 5:27 PM, rcarlson said:

All Montes.  

This surprises me.  I probably smoke more Monte #4's than any other cigar, and I have found that they tend to be much improved with 3 or 4 years of age on them.  I still smoke them young, but I definitely prefer them with some age.  I assumed this would apply to the other Monte vitolas as well.

[rcarlson]

42 minutes ago, Hibauchery said:

This surprises me.  I probably smoke more Monte #4's than any other cigar, and I have found that they tend to be much improved with 3 or 4 years of age on them.  I still smoke them young, but I definitely prefer them with some age.  I assumed this would apply to the other Monte vitolas as well.

I'm, of course, talking about aging rather than rest.  I've found that if they're not firing on all cylinders in 1-2, they don't blossom at yr. 5.  

I've got few of the 2010 GEs.  They're well past their prime.  Just smoked a 2016 LE, it was better than a few years ago, but nothing to write home about.  

I just find that Montes peak 1-3, with nothing magic occurring after that.  In fact, they tend to flatten out IMO.  

[mprach024]

3 hours ago, rcarlson said:

I just find that Montes peak 1-3, with nothing magic occurring after that.  In fact, they tend to flatten out IMO.  

Yeah I agree 100% here

I will say the last couple years, pretty much everything is pretty darned good after the initial rest.  Aging is not as important as it used to be.  

[Chucko8]

I've found the punch short de punch and the media luna great as young sticks. Alas not really prone to do that now with the media luna at the new price range

[BrightonCorgi]

Juan Lopez are good young along with most Montecristo.  Hard to find young Habanos that are as punchy as they use to be.  They were a treat when you could get them that fresh.

[mprach024]

Pretty much all are pretty good young these days.  But Montecristo, Bolivar, RA, JL have been standouts last couple years after the initial rest is given.  HDMs and Upmanns (with the exception of Mag 46 and Epi 2) still need a bit of down time, but not like they used to.  

I have zero science to back this up, just my own small sample size, but going thru my 20s and 21s the big jump seems to happen at 1 year now.  Where before I felt the 3 year mark was kinda the safe/gold standard.  To me 1 year is the new 3 year.  At same time my 16/17/18s haven’t really progressed much more the last couple years, if at all.  Don’t know, could just be what I’m smoking, and obviously impossible to know what 20s and 21s with 3 years on them will be like, maybe they’ll be outrageous.  Curious if others see the same.  

[Frinkiac7]

Try some from every young box. If they are smoking good, keep smoking. 

[havanaclub]

All them


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[OrangePaw]

There is no doubt ageing PLPC around the 5 year mark is golden, but dang I’m enjoying them fresh.