EAR: DO Custom Rolled Cigars Have Aging Legs?

[El Presidente]

EAR= Email Assistance Required. 

Broader input always the best way in these discussions. Gracias 

"quick question Rob. In your experience, do Cuban custom cigars from Yolanda, Alex, la China, Hamlet etc have legs for the long term? I have been a fan of Alex (before he left) and Yolanda rolls. I am finding that the four and five year examples that I am smoking now are good to very good but if anything have peaked. Is this normal? What do 10 year old examples smoke like? Should I just smoke them now?"

[Corylax18]

It depends. Asking if all customs age well is like asking if all Cuban cigars age well. Some do, Some don't. It really depends on the initial blend. If you get customs that are all volado and maybe not the best quality tobacco, they probably don't have much in terms of aging legs. In February I was handed a Behike 56 sized cigar that the roller "blended for the American Palate" AKA, extremely strong. It had a leaf and a half of Ligero in the blend and was way, way to strong for my palate. I was gifted a few more with customs that I ordered, but I don't plan to touch another one for at least a decade, maybe 15 years. They may not peak for 20 years or more. 

The two examples above are kind of the extreme ends of the spectrum and most cigars will probably fall somewhere between the two. But the Custom rollers get their tobacco from Tabacuba, so generally, they should age similar to banded cigars.  

[Fuzz]

Haven't smoked a La Puntilla in a while, or any of Reynaldo's petit coronas, that I have in my humidor. As they are all over 4 yrs old, I should revisit them and see how they are going.

[BrightonCorgi]

The majority of customs I have smoked I would say "no" to long term aging.  I find their intent is to be smoked right away which is a plus in my book.  Most don't have a punchy-tannic touch to them which I associate with cigars that can age decades. 

[anacostiakat]

I like them on the fresh side and don't keep any longer than a couple years at most.

[Mr. Japan]

I kept some Mareva plus of La China (3 left now) and Salomones of Hamlet (2 left) from 2006 .

Smoked them once a year and they never let me down. 

Improvement are on the smoothness as they loss all the ammonia and lost the roughness.

[Puros Y Vino]

I'm of the same opinion as @Corylax18.  It really depends on the roller and the blend and this is also true for official Habanos releases (blend in this case).  I've got many different blends and vitolas from Hamlet that are still smoking great or better 10 years onwards.  I'm finding the same for Monsdales, both Enrique and Jorges.  I have a bundle of La Puntilla which are still too young to make a determination. I have some anonymous rolls from 2013 that keep getting better.  What little I have from Santos is down to 1 or 2 sticks as I have found his to have a "Nutella" like flavour to them when fresh. I'm almost afraid to dip into the last ones for fear that they too have lost their luster.  I have noticed a decline in some Robaina customs.  I grabbed a fiver of their BHK54 sized sticks back in 2017. The one I had then and there was mindblowing. Like a chonky RACF.  Another a year later was still very good, but not as bold. I had one two years ago and it had really faded.  I'm hoping that the tobacco is just going through a sick period.  I will always try to grab customs as they make for excellent souvenirs.  Especially if you're picking them up yourselves.  

[JY0]

I have some Alex Lancero's that I got in 2018. I had one last night and it has definitely gotten better/transformed over the years. I'd even say last night's was one of the best cigars I've had in quite some time. I do not see the same progression with Puntila's.

[Nicko]

Not going to pretend that I am a smoker who can tell subtle differences between a cigar that is 10 years old as opposed to 8 or 9 - I smoke to enjoy rather than analyse and never make notes so most comparisons are with general recollections from months before.

However, I still have Alex’s from 2014, various Hamlets (also 2014), Lopez Monsdales from 12 and 14, various Reynaldo’s (12 and 14), Yolandas from 12 and although they don’t all get an outing every year, to me, there has been no noticeable degradation to any. Some improved, to my mind, and some stayed pretty much on par with my recall from the year or two previous.

I also have a number of various size Johnny O’s from a few different years and they seem to have varied more with age imho - some improved whilst some got worse as one might expect.