Aging Cigars

[theginguy]

Being a newbe to the cigar world, I was wondering on how much does aging cigars in a humidor do for them?

Are there store shelf bought cigars that are great without the need to spend time in the humidor?

Are there cigars that are just totally different once aged a year or more?

So far, I haven't really found anything that really blows me away taste wise.

What are some more mild cigars that are really "set apart" from your normal shelf variety?

and what might be a good milder cigar to start aging? a MONTECRISTO CLASSIC maybe?

Thanks.

 

[GDeAngelo]

This is a good question. It's also a common one. There was a question asked not to long ago that is similar to yours. Get familiar with the search tool. Me personally, I just read every thread till like page 5 when I first joined, lol.


Now to your question. Aging is all personal preference really. Yes, there are many cigars that taste better after aging. There many cigars that are great to smoke fresh. Heck, there are some cigars that aren't better aged then fresh. You can also buy many cigars pre-aged to save you the time or if you lack patience like some and I sometimes do. It's not always the brand or model of a cigar that is better for aging, but it's it contents. For example, me I like my Corojo and Criollo cigars with some age on them. I like a hefty cigar, but I think it really helps the taste. Now, I don't mean age like 2 months I mean aged. I also love Maduros. I know with some age, they mature more. I'm fine with smoking one fresh. The easiest way to determine what you like is to get a 1/4 wheel of smokes and smoke 1 every month or two. Take some notes and by the time the second year rolls around, compare your first with your last. If you start with a quality smoke, I know you will have a difference.

Aging is a complex process which requires special attention. While all cigars show some degree of maturity from additional aging, not all cigars age well. A common misconception is that a cigar which was rolled with “new” tobacco will lose its bite and harshness through humidor aging. No amount of humidor aging will mellow “new” or un-cured tobacco.

“The best cigars for aging are those which were well balanced and enjoyable to being with.”

Proper aging requires a designated humidor which will not be used for daily use. It should have a capacity that exceeds the amount of cigars to be aged by at least 20%. Cigars should be placed in the humidor without cellophane. Allow for space for the head and foot of the cigars evenly. The humidity source should be one that can exceed 70% humidity. Aging cigars should be kept at 70%-79% humidity depending on the thickness of the wrapper. Thicker wrappers require higher levels of humidity. Once desired age is achieved a cigar should be brought to 70% before smoking.

Recommended Aging
High Primes (Thicker Wrappers) Maduro/Habano/Corojo/Habano 2000/Criollo/Sumatra/3-7 years

2-3 Primes (Medium Wrappers) Low Primes/Ecuador Connecticut/2-5 years

1st Cut (Thinner Wrappers) USA Connecticut/Cameroon/1-4 years


Now if you are wanting to age, I recommend having two separate humidors. I know this wasn't a full answer to your question. I have a few Camacho Corojos that have been in the humi going on a year. I had one fresh and it about put me in my seat. I was curious to what it would be like with some time on it.

I hope this helped a bit.


-Gianni-

 

[Q_The_Cop]

Hey Gianni, very informative post.

Thumbs up! :thumbs:

 

[badhangover]

Proper aging requires a designated humidor which will not be used for daily use. It should have a capacity that exceeds the amount of cigars to be aged by at least 20%. Cigars should be placed in the humidor without cellophane. Allow for space for the head and foot of the cigars evenly. The humidity source should be one that can exceed 70% humidity. Aging cigars should be kept at 70%-79% humidity depending on the thickness of the wrapper. Thicker wrappers require higher levels of humidity. Once desired age is achieved a cigar should be brought to 70% before smoking.

That is far and away the highest humidity range(s) I've ever heard or read anyone recommend for cigars. A good 10% higher. I also don't understand why they should be without cellophane. The 20% extra capacity I find curious, and wouldn't consider it a rule or even rule of thumb, but seems otherwise innocuous. Just keep in mind - the greater the air exposure, the quicker the "aging" process. The cigars are more vulnerable to maturation/deterioration. Kinda like a tomb (except you don't want airtight either). I'd expect a mummy to fare worse commensurate to their exposure to the elements.

 

[badhangover]

Oh, and when I say a quicker "aging process, speed of ripening/maturity is rarely a good thing when it comes to flavor. Microwaved foods are a poor substitute to their slow roasted counterparts.

 

[junkman_56]

The relative humidity need to store cigars is a hot topic and is open for discussion.
I find that storing cigars at between 65 - 70% relative humidity is best.
IMHO anything over 75% is way too high.

 

[Rickets]

The humidity source should be one that can exceed 70% humidity. Aging cigars should be kept at 70%-79% humidity depending on the thickness of the wrapper. Thicker wrappers require higher levels of humidity. Once desired age is achieved a cigar should be brought to 70% before smoking.

:0
I don't know about going above 70%. A few years ago I had a small humi go over to about 74% and man- it blew up!

 

[CigarStone]

Cigars should be placed in the humidor without cellophane. Allow for space for the head and foot of the cigars evenly. The humidity source should be one that can exceed 70% humidity. Aging cigars should be kept at 70%-79% humidity depending on the thickness of the wrapper. Thicker wrappers require higher levels of humidity. Once desired age is achieved a cigar should be brought to 70% before smoking.

I will leave this to the experts.....heck I haven't even stayed at a Holiday Inn Express lately! But I would be VERY CAREFUL with the shoulds and shouldn'ts. Cello versus no-cello will be debated till the end of time. Anything above 70% is an invitation to mold IMHO. And the RH you enjoy your smokes at is a personal preference issue.

 

[GDeAngelo]

The main body of my post is from Oliva's website. I haven't done a lot of aging personally, but I have done some reading. Leaving your sticks wrapped in celo I think it a preference but it makes sense to leave them naked, to me at least it makes sense. If you are aging singles, it's makes sense to me to leave them wrapped. You will have a lower chance of blending flavors or exchanging oils. If you are aging boxes, a lot of sticks are naked to begin with. Now, when I first read that 70-79% I thought it was a bit high for aging. I've been doing more research since my initial post in this thread. I'd never want to mislead a fellow BOTL. The Oliva website so far is the only website I can find that recommends AGING sticks at such a high RH. Now, keep in mind, I personally wouldn't care for my smokes if I've stored them in a 70-79% RH. But I'd also put them in a dry box or a desktop with a lower RH prior to smoking them. I shall continue my research and will post again shortly.


-Gianni-

 

[tomthirtysix]

Being a newbe to the cigar world, I was wondering on how much does aging cigars in a humidor do for them?

The best way to answer this is to age them yourself. I see later on in your post you haven't found anything that has blown you away yet. Well, once you do, buy a box, and put them away. Smoke one every 2 months. If it's a box of 24, that'll take you 4 years to go through. Keep notes, and you'll get to see what the aging does.

 

[H311oLHD]

Being a newbe to the cigar world, I was wondering on how much does aging cigars in a humidor do for them?

The best way to answer this is to age them yourself. I see later on in your post you haven't found anything that has blown you away yet. Well, once you do, buy a box, and put them away. Smoke one every 2 months. If it's a box of 24, that'll take you 4 years to go through. Keep notes, and you'll get to see what the aging does.

That definitely sounds like a fun experiment. . I suffer too much of Cigar-ADD to do that though. I'll forget about that experiment after a month. :laugh: (Unless it's a box of Illusione, and then those sticks wont make it out of month three. :whistling:

 

[Rickets]

I shall continue my research and will post again shortly.


-Gianni-

Interested in the results! :thumbs:

 

[grateful1]

This is a good question. It's also a common one. There was a question asked not to long ago that is similar to yours. Get familiar with the search tool. Me personally, I just read every thread till like page 5 when I first joined, lol.


Now to your question. Aging is all personal preference really. Yes, there are many cigars that taste better after aging. There many cigars that are great to smoke fresh. Heck, there are some cigars that aren't better aged then fresh. You can also buy many cigars pre-aged to save you the time or if you lack patience like some and I sometimes do. It's not always the brand or model of a cigar that is better for aging, but it's it contents. For example, me I like my Corojo and Criollo cigars with some age on them. I like a hefty cigar, but I think it really helps the taste. Now, I don't mean age like 2 months I mean aged. I also love Maduros. I know with some age, they mature more. I'm fine with smoking one fresh. The easiest way to determine what you like is to get a 1/4 wheel of smokes and smoke 1 every month or two. Take some notes and by the time the second year rolls around, compare your first with your last. If you start with a quality smoke, I know you will have a difference.

Aging is a complex process which requires special attention. While all cigars show some degree of maturity from additional aging, not all cigars age well. A common misconception is that a cigar which was rolled with "new" tobacco will lose its bite and harshness through humidor aging. No amount of humidor aging will mellow "new" or un-cured tobacco.

"The best cigars for aging are those which were well balanced and enjoyable to being with."

Proper aging requires a designated humidor which will not be used for daily use. It should have a capacity that exceeds the amount of cigars to be aged by at least 20%. Cigars should be placed in the humidor without cellophane. Allow for space for the head and foot of the cigars evenly. The humidity source should be one that can exceed 70% humidity. Aging cigars should be kept at 70%-79% humidity depending on the thickness of the wrapper. Thicker wrappers require higher levels of humidity. Once desired age is achieved a cigar should be brought to 70% before smoking.

Recommended Aging
High Primes (Thicker Wrappers) Maduro/Habano/Corojo/Habano 2000/Criollo/Sumatra/3-7 years

2-3 Primes (Medium Wrappers) Low Primes/Ecuador Connecticut/2-5 years

1st Cut (Thinner Wrappers) USA Connecticut/Cameroon/1-4 years


Now if you are wanting to age, I recommend having two separate humidors. I know this wasn't a full answer to your question. I have a few Camacho Corojos that have been in the humi going on a year. I had one fresh and it about put me in my seat. I was curious to what it would be like with some time on it.

I hope this helped a bit.


-Gianni-

Gracious...saw the 'G' in your name and did a double take, as the post reminded me of someone!

Nice information. :thumbs: