Non Cuban Cigars don't age? Agree, disagree...your thoughts.

[Havanaaddict]

I have not had a NC in 20 years but back when I was smoking and putting them down I found that the Padron X000 series would start to taste like the 1964. Also the VSGs & OpusX always held there own, along with the AF 858 SG!

 

[Çnote]

12 hours ago, Wlu1988 said:

Paul Garmirian

Another great brand I forget about due to availability. These have more than likely aged until they show the richness of PLPC and Dieux without waiting, and dirt cheap for what they are. Show up with a box of these and be the hero.

[bmac]

The good ones get better. I smoked a AF Unnamed Reserve today that was rolled in 2016. Unreal-sublime and more potent than when I purchased them 4 years ago. Pale wrappers have blossomed into dark and oily.

[SCgarman]

I really disliked the bundle of Spada Gorda when they first arrived. The cigar has evolved and become enjoyable. Smoked one Saturday evening. Perhaps a year of resting has helped the blend evolve and marry into something really good. They have definitely changed.

[Capn_Jackson]

19 hours ago, Çnote said:

@Capn_Jackson these!

I’ve still got some Padron 1926 with a few years or more on them. I enjoy them. Very smooth.

Illusione Fume d’Amour have been great with years on them. I still have some from a 2015 box, and they’re excellent. I also have some Illusione Original Documents robustos, and Haut 10, about four years old and smoking great.

Don Carlos. Some Tats. Definitely Viaje, especially the Oro line. 

[griller]

I agree with others here that the Illusione Epernay line does age well, along with a box of Holy Lance (Lancero size) that are evolving nicely. So far the Nudie Carlota and Lancero bundles I picked up a few years ago have also aged well. Although I LOVE the Leaf By Oscar Corojo line when fresh, I've found that aging them has been less productive. Going forward I'll smoke them fresh.

[BrightonCorgi]

It's like wine, some can age, some cannot. I had a twenty year old Hemingway's that were great and 6 year old Avo's that smoked like rice paper.

[GVan]

Agree with many of the points above -- some NCs (probably because of their blends - I agree with @El Presidente) age spectacularly. Some do not age well. As others have said that's also true for CCs - I've got a box of 2018 Partagas Shorts that I'm still trying one every 6 months and I believe this box may never come around. One of my top ten cigars of all time was a 15 year old Padron A - wow!

Right now the best examples of aging on NCs in my collection are:

• Ashton VSGs - the Torpedo's from 2009 are now all gone as they were spectacular. Smoked the last one on New Year's day.  I'm aging some Churchills from 2021 and probably won't touch them for another 3 to 4 years. just like some CCs; 5 to 7 years and beyond is their sweet spot.
• Aging Room Quattro Concerto's from 2018 are a real treat in my rotation.  I've been hitting them for about a year and the chocolate has become much more pronounced.
• Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2021 LEs - the pepper is now minuscule allowing the roasted mushroom flavors to shine.  Often, I'll say to a smoking friend have you ever gotten mushroom flavors off of a cigar - when they smile and say no - I hand them one of these.
• Padron 1926's # 35's from 2011 and 2014 are a real treat.  As someone said above they have mellowed and you can really differentiate the leather and earth flavors from the bread, almonds and chocolate flavors - the 2014's are the better box.
• Oliva Serie V's Lanceros from 2019 - the ones that came 36 to a box - now have evolved to a pronounced nutty pistachio flavor; verified by several cigar smoking friends.  That flavor was not present when young.
• One of the best NC aging examples is Tatuaje Black Labels.  These can be found at very reasonable prices that allow you to put away a few boxes and forget about them.  The 2017 Petite Lanceros came around in 2023 and have mellowed into sweet leather, earth. espresso coffee with almost no black pepper.  These are the only aged NCs I've ever tasted that can come close to a Boli CJ!  The only pepper I get is a slight cayenne aftertaste on the finish that is enjoyable.  I have 2 - 2023 boxes of corona gordas that will continue aging and I will begin trying one every 6 months about 2028 / 2029.
• Lastly, I have some Southern Draw Fraternal White and Blues from 2021 and they are not ready to smoke yet.  I've got 3 boxes of SD Kudzu Lustrom's Lonsdales' (Nicaraguan Medio-Tiempo, Ometepe and NC fillers) a limited release from 2021 that already had 5-years of tobacco aging on them when shipped.  Reviews by the Katman gave it 100 points after 2 years of additional aging in 2023.  I'm still waiting and think these will be spectacular when the tobacco hits the ten year point about 2028.

There are others that I could mention, but the closest to home example is the 2021 Puro Desnudo Carlotas that are on 🔥🔥🔥 and continue to evolve.  Wish I had more of the Maduro Lanceros!!!

[Capn_Jackson]

17 hours ago, GVan said:

2021 Puro Desnudo Carlotas that are on 🔥🔥🔥 and continue to evolve.  Wish I had more of the Maduro Lanceros!!!

Forgot to mention these! I still have several 2021 Carlotas, as well as 2021 Lanceros in both maduro and rosado. All of them smoke great right now, and I’m so glad I held some back.

[Blazer]

It really depends on the blend. I was sick for 4 years and couldn't smoke and am just getting back to some old NCs. Some have been very good and some taste & smell just like wet cardboard. 

[Mr. DD]

I’m unsure why NC cigars would ‘not age’? The question is more ‘do they age well?’ I’ve had some aged OpusX, Fuente Añejo, Paul Garmirian and Illusione cigars that were fantastic. OpusX in general seems to improve with years of age. I have boxes of Roma Craft Quinquagenario and HVC Esentiales No.1 I’m aging to evaluate.

[yuppie]

On 4/14/2025 at 12:48 PM, Lucas Buck said:

Near 25 years aging cigars and though I rarely smoke NC these days there is no doubt in my mind that they age just as well as Cuban cigars generally speaking. A bad cigar won’t improve but a good one almost always gets better at least for my taste. I usually get raves when I gift aged NC as well. 

How do you store your sticks? Is it on the higher end like 67/68% or is it more dry like 62%? I have to think that humidity and temp play a role. I've heard some brands will slowly swing the humidity of their leaves month by month. I've heard Cubans smoke better when they are more dry while NWs can have more flavor with higher humidity.

I'd love to know what values people are storing their Cubans and Non-Cubans at.

[Lucas Buck]

9 hours ago, yuppie said:

How do you store your sticks? Is it on the higher end like 67/68% or is it more dry like 62%? I have to think that humidity and temp play a role. I've heard some brands will slowly swing the humidity of their leaves month by month. I've heard Cubans smoke better when they are more dry while NWs can have more flavor with higher humidity.

I'd love to know what values people are storing their Cubans and Non-Cubans at.

I store at 65% & 60F - it seems lower RH and temp causes slower more graceful and flavorful aging. That’s my perception anyway. 

[yuppie]

2 hours ago, Lucas Buck said:

I store at 65% & 60F - it seems lower RH and temp causes slower more graceful and flavorful aging. That’s my perception anyway. 

Interesting! 60ºF is pretty cold, but I will try that out.

[loose_axle]

Speaking of Opus I have found that God of Fire also need a fair bit of age. The box I had I couldn't get the fuss until around the 4-5 year mark and then they took off and were magical. 

[garbandz]

My 2001 Camacho sticks have reached a point of grace and harmony I would never have believed. Back then, they were possibly the strongest sticks on the market, and even after 5 or 6 years of age, they would thump you around pretty well. As said before, it depends on which cigars you try to age, and how they are kept.

[Jimmy2]

All cigars age don’t matter where they are from. Personal choice if you like them early or with serous age .Flavor profiles of all cigars change with age some better than others.🙂

 

[BoliDan]

Opus X definitely needs age. I dont think its good young, but excellent with some years. I've heard cigars like Liga Privada only lose flavor with age. But I don't know, I don't patronize Drew Estates. I certainly patronize Padron and Fuente.

[meadeweber]

6 hours ago, garbandz said:

My 2001 Camacho sticks have reached a point of grace and harmony I would never have believed. Back then, they were possibly the strongest sticks on the market, and even after 5 or 6 years of age, they would thump you around pretty well. As said before, it depends on which cigars you try to age, and how they are kept.

I was just recently gifted a Camacho from around that time. It was amazing!  One of the best cigars I ever smoked actually. I'd guess the dimensions were about 7.5 x 46. The pre-light smell was incredible: from the foot I got very strong chocolate with some barnyard and the wrapper smelled like chocolate and molasses.  The smoke was great. Started with earth and pepper that mellowed and receded by the end of the first third.  Chocolate came in at the end of the first third and remained throughout. There was also some lemon in the middle third which was nice.  

I can understand your disbelief. I did not expect that experience either.

[joeypots]

Most, if not all, of the Nudies and MOFOS benefit from time. A lot. Mine are in a tupperdor with a 65% boveda and they are all much better than they were when I had them fresh. I agree that Opus X would come around a bit but I only smoked a few before I made the switch to Habanos.

[Lamboinee]

On 4/15/2025 at 5:14 PM, SCgarman said:

I really disliked the bundle of Spada Gorda when they first arrived. The cigar has evolved and become enjoyable.

Guess it's time for me to revisit the bundle I laid down to rest. I was not a big fan when I first tried them over a year or so ago. 

[Lamboinee]

I'm curious. What are the reasons that we would think that NC's don't benefit from age in a somewhat similar way to CCs? Are specific attributes of the tobacco or processing that make CCs better aging candidates? 

[El Presidente]

5 minutes ago, Lamboinee said:

I'm curious....what are the reasons that we would think that NC's don't benefit from age in a somewhat similar way to CCs? Are specific attributes of the tobacco or processing that make CCs better aging candidates? 

Large part of the theory is that NC's already use older tobacco in the blends. This is not always true but the majors will use 4+ year old tobacco.  Regular production CC's generally use younger. 

Through Nudes/MOFOH, we are finding good quality NC Honduran Viso ages well. Early days but the 2 year transition of the cigars  has been evident. 

[Lamboinee]

1 hour ago, El Presidente said:

Early days but the 2 year transition of the cigars  has been evident. 

I love that you're using a lot of Honduran tobacco. I've always been a big fan since my first Gispert back in the day.

Concur. One of the most definitive things I can say about cigars and aging is that somewhere between 2 and 7 years seems to give me the best chance of having a great tasting cigar....I'm currently working to learn how much impact extended periods of 10+ years have on cigars, but it's a slower and more difficult thing to test through experience. 

[BJack]

On 4/14/2025 at 4:28 PM, Duxnutz said:

Many go bland after a few years. The broadleaf cigars are the worst offenders of this. 

I had a box of Nica Rusticas and I usually smoke them pretty fast. But this particular box stayed in my humidor for almost a year due to me trying other cigars. When I finally pulled one out to smoke the flavor was muted and bland. I ended up tossing the box after trying a few more with the same taste. This also happened to my Perdomo 20ths as well. So I try to smoke my NC within a 3-6 month time frame.


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