Limited Edicion Cubans

[groucho898]

If that's what Bill said then give that a try. I like my cigars a bit more on the dry side.

I totally agree with Bill and this is a constant debate, but maybe take this into consideration: The length of time one plans to age and when they plan to smoke.

Long term agers and short term agers. Usually long term agers have larger stock on hand

In my experience aging really long term, say 10-20 years, is better at a lower temp and higher humidity, around 65-70 temp and then 67%-70%. Because for me if they age too fast I might be left with a ton of cigars that all need to be smoked in the next x amt of time, and I can't smoke that fast.

CCs need time to age to get some really awesome flavors and that peak window varies based on the cigar itself. Yes that window can be rather large, around 5-10-15 years, but timing your stock so that you don't have too much all "coming due" at the same time is important.

Are the guys smoking these 40 year old cigars really enjoying the same batch as it was with only 15-20 years?

If you have cigars that are smoking well right now and and you plan on smoking them in the next year or so (Meaning you are not really looking for them to age and change flavor further) then by all means, I have those hanging out @65% in a desktop humi in a warmer area (cold cigars don't taste as good as cigars that have been in recent, warmer conditions.) ready to smoke. No need to dry box IMHO, just have a desktop of stuff "on deck" @65% and warm.

What I have found is that long term aging at 62%-65% causes the cigars to get too loose on the draw too fast and lose flavor too fast. Also at higher temps they age too fast (this is probably a good thing for many).

Again it all boils down to the window of peak smokibility for the smokes in question: that window can be rather large, around 5-10-15 years, but timing your stock so that you don't have too much all "coming due" at the same time is the trick. Or speeding up the aging process if you have nothing coming due and need to get there faster (not a good problem to have).

 

[groucho898]

The time it will take to acclimate will depend on what they were stored at previously.

If I cut a cigar and the draw is tight I just put it back in the dry box and keep checking it periodically after a few weeks if it's still tight then I attack it with the perfect draw

Agreed, and if the draw is too loose there's not really much you can do except store at a slightly higher, 69%-70% and hope the filler and binder expand a bit, put it in a tube and warm it up in indirect sunlight about 20 mins before smoking (I'm reaching at straws here) to some how compensate for the loose draw. Pretty much a loose draw is not fixable. I have some really loose draw 20 year old smokes that were stored too dry and the only thing I can do is have low expectations when I do actually smoke one, hoping I get lucky and it has some decent flavor. Use these smokes as a warm up, apetizer at a BBQ or something like that.

 

[CigarStone]

Agreed, and if the draw is too loose there's not really much you can do except store at a slightly higher, 69%-70% and hope the filler and binder expand a bit, put it in a tube and warm it up in indirect sunlight about 20 mins before smoking (I'm reaching at straws here) to some how compensate for the loose draw. Pretty much a loose draw is not fixable. I have some really loose draw 20 year old smokes that were stored too dry and the only thing I can do is have low expectations when I do actually smoke one, hoping I get lucky and it has some decent flavor. Use these smokes as a warm up, apetizer at a BBQ or something like that.

Might as well just smoke Gurkhas at that point? Well ...... maybe ...... at least the other cigars were decent at one point in their life.

 

[groucho898]

You guys talk alot about Gurkhas, don't know much about them but I suspect they are the Lars Tetens of today? Or are they seriously good cigars? I'm pretty much a domestic noob since not really smoking any the past 22 years

 

[CigarStone]

You guys talk alot about Gurkhas, don't know much about them but I suspect they are the Lars Tetens of today? Or are they seriously good cigars? I'm pretty much a domestic noob since not really smoking any the past 22 years

They are a fair $3 cigar you can buy at gas stations for $20 and up.

They advertise them as if they are superior quality, they are mostly garbage.

 

[groucho898]

They are a fair $3 cigar you can buy at gas stations for $20 and up.

They advertise them as if they are superior quality, they are mostly garbage.

OK so like Lars Tetens back in the 1990s - somehow there is a weird following for no good reason. Glad I didn't step on one.