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

[BassMass]

I just found a B&M that closed when COVID started and just reopened. Everything in there is 5 years old. Everything in there tastes so much better than the non aged cigars. I even tried cigars I never heard of like Archetype Axis Mundi Corona 5" * 46 and an Edgar Hoill Vida and they were both very good. Agree some are already aged and don't benefit from more aging but if they are aged less then 3 years I think the extra aging will improve their flavors. IMHO

[jfire]

From a guy that had 1500 plus high end and micro/small batch NiCa/Dominican cigars aging…(2007-2012) even in that 5 year period. I noticed a huge decline in flavor. High end, collectible Tatuaje, Fuente, Padron Illusione the list went on. I couldn’t smoke them anymore. Many, almost all were like smoking hot air after just resting 4-5 years and full sealed boxes at that.Most of my cigar buddies that were forum members here and elsewhere, were the same. There’s a group of us that have gotten together for a HERF now since 2012 every year (a weekend away for camping, cigars, beer, whiskey and golf.). This HERF is still going strong till this day. The whole lot of us have switched to collecting and aging CCs. And all of us sold off thousands of NC’s to make the switch.  Will we still smoke a NC? Yes once or twice a year. 

J

(By the way, I wish I would of kept a few of Pete’s first edition limited boxes I had. I can’t imagine the value of a few. Some were 300 box releases like the T110 released out of Hawaii that I bought 4 boxes of.)

 

[Capn_Jackson]

On 4/15/2025 at 5:32 PM, Çnote said:

@Capn_Jackson these!

Somehow just stumbled on this thread today.

I’ve got a few boxes of Padron 1926 and 1964, Natural, that are five or six years out, and a handful of them in Maduro that are from the late 2010’s. Still delicious, smooth as can be. Not as much dried fruit and deep cocoa, but more buttery and...just smooth. Those flavors still exhibit, just more subtle. I like it.

Illusione, I’ve got some of two different lines that are over ten years old, and phenomenal right now. Fume d’Amour in particular, and keep in mind that blend has zero ligero.

A handful of my Warped sticks are going on five or six years, and are excellent right now. GR88.

I’ve had lots of Tats and Viaje via @Çnote that have shown excellent character after ten or more years.

Some Fuente, of course. Don Carlos, old Opus, and Añejo. I got a couple boxes of Añejo 46 that were, at the time, 8 years old. The first box didn’t last long after I got them, and I think I just gave the last stick away last month, it would be 13 years old. He said it was divine.

Ive had a couple Aladino Corojo Reserva six or seven years old, and a regular Aladino Corojo from around 2017 last year. All fantastic.

[joeypots]

How many long time FOH regulars cared before cigarmegeddon and has there been enough time to make a first hand evaluation?

[Çnote]

3 hours ago, Capn_Jackson said:

The first box didn’t last long after I got them, and I think I just gave the last stick away last month, it would be 13 years old. He said it was divine

I have some of those still! You are too generous.

On 5/13/2025 at 8:42 AM, BassMass said:

Archetype Axis Mundi Corona 5" * 46 and an Edgar Hoill Vida

These two particular items were very high quality tobacco. Edgar in particular only uses very nice leaves in his blends.

3 hours ago, Capn_Jackson said:

Somehow just stumbled on this thread today

Also you're in this thread back in April/25

How is that cold medicine?

[Hoosh]

Some interesting responses in this thread. The singular experience that I had with an aged NC happened purely by accident - and it reminded me of why I choose to smoke NC cigars the way the manufacturer suggests (or, more aptly, doesn’t).

I bought a fair number of boxes of the original Smoke Inn Tatuaje Anarchy cigars back in 2010/11; strong, bold, in your face. I sent a large number of them out in various cigar bombs. Fast forward to 2023 when I realize that I still had one left over. I expected awesomeness, though looking back, I was just setting myself up for failure. It sucked; bland, no strength, almost flavorless. It was with that cigar that I realized that if a manufacturer wanted you to “age” their cigar, they’d let you know. I’ve been let down with far too many-good-when-originally-released-but-have-been-aged cigars: LFD Andalusian Bull, AF Opus X, and countless numbers of Tatuaje.

I guess if all you’re chasing is flavor, by all means, put them away. But if you want the Viaje SuperShot 10 guage to smoke the intended way, light it up when you get it. Statistically speaking, I’d argue, you’ll be met with more disappointment with an aged NC than with the pleasure that was intended when it was rolled.

 

[Capn_Jackson]

41 minutes ago, Çnote said:

Also you're in this thread back in April/25

How is that cold medicine?

Helping me sleep, but that’s about it 🤒 

[JDoughty]

1 hour ago, Hoosh said:

Some interesting responses in this thread. The singular experience that I had with an aged NC happened purely by accident - and it reminded me of why I choose to smoke NC cigars the way the manufacturer suggests (or, more aptly, doesn’t).

I bought a fair number of boxes of the original Smoke Inn Tatuaje Anarchy cigars back in 2010/11; strong, bold, in your face. I sent a large number of them out in various cigar bombs. Fast forward to 2023 when I realize that I still had one left over. I expected awesomeness, though looking back, I was just setting myself up for failure. It sucked; bland, no strength, almost flavorless. It was with that cigar that I realized that if a manufacturer wanted you to “age” their cigar, they’d let you know. I’ve been let down with far too many-good-when-originally-released-but-have-been-aged cigars: LFD Andalusian Bull, AF Opus X, and countless numbers of Tatuaje.

I guess if all you’re chasing is flavor, by all means, put them away. But if you want the Viaje SuperShot 10 guage to smoke the intended way, light it up when you get it. Statistically speaking, I’d argue, you’ll be met with more disappointment with an aged NC than with the pleasure that was intended when it was rolled.

I know you like some oomph in your cigars. I don't mind oomph but prefer subtle and complex flavors. I have had good experiences with aged Tatuaje, LFD and Liga Privada. Did you smoke the "Ice pick" stick I sent over yet? That would probably be a good case in point of how an older all ligero pepper bomb ages. Hopefully it did not disappoint too much since I'm sure it did lose considerable strength. 

[Hoosh]

14 hours ago, JDoughty said:

I know you like some oomph in your cigars. I don't mind oomph but prefer subtle and complex flavors. I have had good experiences with aged Tatuaje, LFD and Liga Privada. Did you smoke the "Ice pick" stick I sent over yet? That would probably be a good case in point of how an older all ligero pepper bomb ages. Hopefully it did not disappoint too much since I'm sure it did lose considerable strength. 

I have not - the Tat Anarchy showed me though what I could expect from a strong cigar with age on it though, and for me and what I enjoy, that word started with a “D” and ended with a “T.”

Here was another…a 2012 Illusione MJ12 smoked in 2023. Huge letdown.

[NYGuido]

I just bought 12 Davidoff Millennium Churchills, a vitola they discontinued more than 10 years ago and that I smoked so often that I remember them as clear as day. I can't wait to acclimate these and smoke them to see how 10+ years has changed them, and I will report back compared to what I remember.

For me, I think that a lot of Davidoff and Padron age beautifully, OpusX needs at least 3-5 years to settle, and the Foundation and Liga offerings even out and lose their aggressive pepper bite once they've had chance to settle.

One thing I wonder is what folks consider aging -- is 1 year aging or resting?

[Hoosh]

I think the bigger question here - and I’m certain @El Presidente can weigh in on this - is, what are the guys that are doing the blending on the tobacco floor wanting you, the actual end line smoker, to taste? As they are puffing on the various leaves, and putting them together with others, are they not blending the tobacco for how it tastes right then - unless they explicitly tell you to wait/age it? Isn’t this the very reason why most NCs use aged tobacco?

As an example, when LFD rolls a Double Ligero cigar, aren’t they wanting you to taste the strength of their cigar? Or, they expecting you to buy now and hold out and wait until that strength dies down to find some mythical flavor that may be there years later? This just seems counter intuitive. I most certainly could be on the wrong end of that belief, but then why call the line Double Ligero? The same thing applies to numerous cigars across the NC line…

While some may “like” the flavors that come from aging aged tobacco, was that, is that, the intention?

[LordAnubis]

In my opinion and very limited NC experience, I think NCs certainly get milder as they age but I wouldn’t say they evolve into new beasts that alters them in any positive way. I think Cubans have a shift in profile after 4-7 years for the better, though recent production stuff seems to be smoking really well fresh and will be interesting to see how it settles around 2030 or so. 

[JDoughty]

19 hours ago, Hoosh said:

I have not - the Tat Anarchy showed me though what I could expect from a strong cigar with age on it though, and for me and what I enjoy, that word started with a “D” and ended with a “T.”

I am going to recommend you keep the 'Icepick'/El Picador as a souvenir then. Am pretty sure it will not be to your taste. But it is a fun little bit of cigar history. I'll have to  be the sacrificial lamb and smoke one of my remaining to see how it has changed since 2010.  https://halfwheel.com/my-father-el-picador/9605/

[carsncigarsuk]

Get some Padron 1000 series of whatever vitola, chuck them in the humidor for a few years and this will answer the question. 

[KCCubano]

4 hours ago, carsncigarsuk said:

Get some Padron 1000 series of whatever vitola, chuck them in the humidor for a few years and this will answer the question. 

I learned by accident. Purchased one at a local shop and tossed in singles drawer. It was in there for years before I sampled as I don't smoke a lot of NCs. It was superb!!!

[Çnote]

58 minutes ago, carsncigarsuk said:

Get some Padron 1000 series of whatever vitola, chuck them in the humidor for a few years and this will answer the question. 

It is ridiculous value that these age so well for so many.

 

[AshMe Nothing]

4 hours ago, KCCubano said:

I learned by accident. Purchased one at a local shop and tossed in singles drawer. It was in there for years before I sampled as I don't smoke a lot of NCs. It was superb!!!

I did the same thing with a 10 pack of Padron 2000 Maduro. Smoked as soon as I got the out of the mail box. Hated it. Didn’t understand correct humidity or resting/aging. It was a year or so later before I realized that “this is the way”. It was excellent.

[Hoosh]

Don’t come to my house; there are zero aging Padróns in my humidor. 😆

[Ford2112]

My time on earth is limited. I ain't got time to age.