Aged Bolivars....

[Mike 331]

I posted this on another board earlier and thought it would be nice to get some thoughts here as well.

When I first started getting into smoking, I wasn't really into the Bolivar brand. I had some good RCs, but nothing that made me a fan. Ever since my first GMs though, I have been impressed with the whole lineup. The recent stuff has been good, including the REs for the most part, but the aged stuff has been absolutely incredible.

All of the aged bolis have been remarkably consistent, no matter the year. The cigars have all been full-bodied and somewhat strong, though not as much so as the GMs. The profile is much the same as young cigars, but the earthiness is more subdued and the "creaminess" and leather are more pronounced. The best examples I have had are '99 CGs from dress boxes, '97 CGs from cabs, and '98 RCs. The '98 PCs and '99 CEs are also very, very good. There is a lot of talk about how well the marca ages, and I have to agree. While my favorite marca is still Ramon Allones, Bolivar has moved into a solid second due to the aged stuff. I still think there are better brands when it comes to recent production, such as Partagas. I am interested to hear others' thoughts about the how the brand ages and how it compares to other brands...

[habanohal]

I like em better fresh . I hear from alot of boards that the BOli GOld Medals wont be really good for 5 years or so. I dont see how they can get any better

[Jimmy2]

Like them much better fresh or with at most 3 years of age on them.

You cant compare fresh or aged because they both have differant taste profiles it just comes down to what you like best.

[Colt45]

Supple leather. That's Bolivar to me. The only ones I don't love are the RC and the BF, but I don't hate them either.

The CJ, PC, CE, Inmensa, CG (perhaps my favorite cigar, period) are all excellent and I feel age well.

I think that perhaps Bolivar may be the most consistent and reliable line of all.

[PartagasIV]

For me, I have fallen in love with 06/07 CE's--really astoundingly good.

Another vote for a CG with age, though--wish I had more 02's. Lastly, can't forget the CJ, both aged and fresh. Zinger of a cigar.

[anacostiakat]

Well for me the CG's are the top of the line. I like the CE's and RC's too. I just do not find myself picking the CE's that often for some reason. The 98's and 97's I have smoked have been very good.

Frankly anywhere from 3 years up is where I find them to be at their best for me. I honestly have not smoked many BBF's.

[josie67]

I love RC's both fresh and with 3+ years on them...... CG's with 3+ years = GODLY. I have about 10 BBF's from 2005, and I find them VERY bland (and they are the ones with light wrappers. I know Rob like the light wrappers on the BBF, but for me they are very boring). Now, I had a BBF the other night from early 2008 with a dark wrapper, and while you could taste the youth on it, it was a flavor bomb!!.

[donpepe]

I smoked an '03 BF last weekend and was very disappointed. It was mild to medium for the first 2/3, got strong then weakened out again? I have an unopened box of '06's in my humidor, hopefully they're a better batch.

[kyee]

Just about every RC and BBF I've smoked from '01 till now has been bland and uneventful. I tried one of the new Legendarios a couple of weeks ago, and those actually show a lot of promise.

[PartagasIV]

Just about every RC and BBF I've smoked from '01 till now has been bland and uneventful. I tried one of the new Legendarios a couple of weeks ago, and those actually show a lot of promise.

Not to thread-jack, but how would you estimate the strength of these, given the Boli RE propensity to be underpowered?

[joeypots]

I had a cab of '01 Corona Extra that were the bomb. Every time I shared one I got the same remark, "What a great cigar". It was a sad day when I smoked the last one.

"02 Corona Gigantes are also stellar. It took four years for these to get aged to where I like them, but once they got there they got really special. These cigars are only shared with people who will appreciate them.

BBFs have been spotty at best. A cab of '03s are OK, but nothing special.

I have a cab of '06 CE and debate sampling them. They look so good undisturbed that I can't bring my self to break them up.

I don't like fresh punchy cigars. Bolivars are one of my favorites once they get a few years on them.

[Tampa1257]

Joey, good seeing you posting here at FOH!

I just recently cracked open my last box of 97 Bolivar PC's, rich earthy and balanced, currently the best Bolivar out there in MHO.

BBF's were the bomb until 03 and then went south in a hurry. I recently sampled a Jan 08 BBF and feel they are on the come back to the stellar essence the BBF was known for.

Corona Extra's are a wonderful cigar and my 98's are just about gone, sad, very sad! Between 03-early 07, not much of the Bolivar marca tasted like it should for my palate, sort of like Bolivar "Lite".

The Feb 07 to present models have all be excellent for me.

[bassman]

BBFs really returned to form in late 07. Every Boli I've tried from 04 & 05 has been bland. 03 BCGs are fantastic, as are the 06 BCJ & BCE.

[anacostiakat]

BBFs really returned to form in late 07. Every Boli I've tried from 04 & 05 has been bland. 03 BCGs are fantastic, as are the 06 BCJ & BCE.

I regret that I burnt all my '03 CG's. But I just could not stay away from them. I have learned more self control now.

The '07 box I tried was good and showed a lot of promise.

[Colt45]

I regret that I burnt all my '03 CG's. But I just could not stay away from them. I have learned more self control now.

I'm happy to still have a box and half from May 03

[greenpimp]

Bolivars are aprobably my favorite marca. Of course that changes all the time, with Partagas and Upmann and others taking the place for awhile, but overall I have more Bolivar in my cabinets than anything else.

Well aged Bolivars can be fantastic. The Bolivar earthiness, which I take as a great thing (Not a dirty flavor, but earthy like dark coffee or mushrooms,) becomes smooth but more intense to me, with a truffle quality. I find this occasionally in well aged Partagas', but in general it is in the realm of Bolivar and it is a divine flavor. Others may cherish the "black cherry" flavor I always read about, but for me the best correlative "flavor" I have tasted in a cigar is black truffle, on an aged Bolivar Corona Gigante.

I will also add that I find the Bolivar marca to be extremely inconsistant. I love the BBF, but would say the good-mediocre ratio I have encountered to be 1-3. And for a few years Habanos seemed to have left the marca to rot, until 2006 when certain vitolas really seemed to have returned to greatness (CGs and Immensas, to name a couple.)

[Jay Hemingway]

i've got a box of 98 boli PC's and they are one of the best smokes in my collection!

IMO boli's get amazing with good age.

[El Presidente]

It really comes down to having a great box to begin with.....and then age.

Aged Boli's I have had more than a few and where they have been very good to exceptional boxes young they ave turned into Exceptional boxes with age. Poor boxes I have set aside in the humidor have seldom come good. Crap in...crap out.

[Jimmy2]

I agree Prez if they dont taste good young or any cigar in general they wont magically become great with age 99% of the time. You need a good foundation to begin with for it to grow into something better down the line.

[Mike 331]

It really comes down to having a great box to begin with.....and then age.

Aged Boli's I have had more than a few and where they have been very good to exceptional boxes young they ave turned into Exceptional boxes with age. Poor boxes I have set aside in the humidor have seldom come good. Crap in...crap out.

While I think that's generally true Rob, all one has to do is look at the 99-01 crop and see what age can do to a cigar. Most of this stuff was passed over at the time due to poor quality, but now they are smoking like a dream for the most part. So, in my experience, even a bad box can be saved with some years put away in the humi. Granted, a good young box is more likely to turn into something special than a poor box. But, I think the beauty of Cubans is how well they age and the transformation that can occur if the box is cared for properly.

[Jimmy2]

A bad box is a bad box age will nothing for it 99% of the time.Cigars are made to be smoked fresh when made at a factory and than sold on the market.

You think a blender is going to blend a bland cigar fresh and can tell if it will be great with age?

He blends cigar on the flavor it has fresh or young period.

When a cigar tastes great young it will most likely age very nicely.

Cigars overall are smoked fresh or young as most dont age cigars around the world.

Plus age and fresh you cant compare them two differant flavor profiles.

But one thing for sure you need a good tasting fresh cigar to have some chance of a very good aged cigar.

99 and 01 in my eyes stink overall and no age will help them tight and bland as they were when fresh.But there are some 46 or larger ring gauges that have been good from those years.

[Mike 331]

A bad box is a bad box age will nothing for it 99% of the time.Cigars are made to be smoked fresh when made at a factory and than sold on the market.

You think a blender is going to blend a bland cigar fresh and can tell if it will be great with age?

He blends cigar on the flavor it has fresh or young period.

When a cigar tastes great young it will most likely age very nicely.

Cigars overall are smoked fresh or young as most dont age cigars around the world.

Plus age and fresh you cant compare them two differant flavor profiles.

But one thing for sure you need a good tasting fresh cigar to have some chance of a very good aged cigar.

99 and 01 in my eyes stink overall and no age will help them tight and bland as they were when fresh.But there are some 46 or larger ring gauges that have been good from those years.

The blender is not going to make a cigar solely for aging, but I again go back to the 99-01 period. Those cigars were rushed to market without proper fermentation and were terrible upon release. Now, most boxes are fantastic; at least the ones that draw. On the flip side, you can look at the HDM Piramides EL '03. Everyone thought they were fantastic upon release, and now there are a lot of reviews that think they have already expired.

You can even look at the LFDC Diadames and Short Churchills that weren't very popular or even good upon release, now are some of the most sought after vintage cigars because of what age has turned them into. To me, it is pretty obvious that the cigar doesn't have to be smoking good upon release to turn into something special down the road.

[Polargar]

I have laid down a box of BBF Cab dated June 2007 and have heard very positive things about them so am looking forward to warmer weather - many, many months from now given where I am!

[shrink]

I have laid down a box of BBF Cab dated June 2007 and have heard very positive things about them so am looking forward to warmer weather - many, many months from now given where I am!

Chris, if I were you I would find an indoor venue for your cold-weather smoking. If nothing else, I would construct an igloo, bro'.

[Polargar]

Chris, if I were you I would find an indoor venue for your cold-weather smoking. If nothing else, I would construct an igloo, bro'.

Tell me about it! I do need to get off my butt and heat my garage so that I can smoke in there.