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When Is a Cigar Too Old?

FractalFractal Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 11
What it is the maximum length of time a cigar should stay in a humidor? Does a cigar ever get too old to smoke?

Comments

  • cabinetmakercabinetmaker Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 2,561
    When you pick it up and it disentigrates in your hand it has sat too long.
  • Dustin1981Dustin1981 Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 410
    My understanding is as long as you have the correct conditions like humidity and temp you can keep a cigar as long as you want.
  • txjayhawktxjayhawk Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 311
    cabinetmaker:
    When you pick it up and it disentigrates in your hand it has sat too long.
    haha nice...
  • ironhorseironhorse Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 469
    I think sotherby's just sold a box of some cubans from the 60's for 6 grand or something like that. Haha, those details and fact checking suck, but my point is, the older the better (for some people).
  • j0z3rj0z3r Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 9,403
    The reality is that no two cigars are the same, so "too old" is completely relative. It's true that cigars have a window of time when they'll be at their best, depending on certain factors this could be one year and it could be ten. The best way to find out is to age a box of cigars and smoke one every 6 months, when they stop getting "better" you can assume they are in prime smoking condition and go to town.
  • denniskingdennisking Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 3,681
    Cigar Afficianado has pre-embaro cubans they break out from time to time.
  • KCWKCW Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 1,253
    A friend of my Father In-Law's has quite a collection. He has thousands of cigars!!! He has (at least one) that is from the 1940's that he said was from his Grandfather's collection.
  • DiamondogDiamondog Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 4,169
    Cigars will remain fresh for indefinate periods of time when stored properly.
  • betasynnbetasynn Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 1,249
    cabinetmaker:
    When you pick it up and it disentigrates in your hand it has sat too long.
    When you die before you smoke it.
  • FourtotheflushFourtotheflush Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 2,555
    Diamondog:
    Cigars will remain fresh for indefinate periods of time when stored properly.
    I dont completely agree with this. although it will stay humid and smokeable some of the oils will dry up or evaporate thus de-flavoring (word? ) the cigar over a longer period of time. I read in the latest CA that an older smoke (15-17 year old) was starting to lose its flavor and that any additional aging probably would go to waste.
  • j0z3rj0z3r Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 9,403
    Fourtotheflush:
    Diamondog:
    Cigars will remain fresh for indefinate periods of time when stored properly.
    I dont completely agree with this. although it will stay humid and smokeable some of the oils will dry up or evaporate thus de-flavoring (word? ) the cigar over a longer period of time. I read in the latest CA that an older smoke (15-17 year old) was starting to lose its flavor and that any additional aging probably would go to waste.
    Well, he's right that the cigar itself will stay fresh, though I agree it will not be good indefinitely. Very few cigars have really long term aging potential, and like you said after enough time most will simply lose their flavor to a great degree. I've got some cigars that I think are good aging candidates that will see 5+ years of box aging, some of them may approach 10 years depending on how they hold up.
  • ejenne87ejenne87 Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 1,921
    betasynn:
    cabinetmaker:
    When you pick it up and it disentigrates in your hand it has sat too long.
    When you die before you smoke it.
    Exactly my thoughts... If there is a cigar I have not tried when I die I will consider my life a waste...
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 14,471
  • lilwing88lilwing88 Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 2,787
    So how do Pre-Embargo smokes factor into this? I have a Camacho Pre-Embargo and from my understanding it's constructed with Cuban tobaccos that were harvested before the embargo and stored away. That'd make the tobacco leaves almost 50 years old. I hope I didn't spend $30 on a 50 year old dog rocket!
  • mustluvcigarsmustluvcigars Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 686
    the cigar is not 50 years old and it only has a few of the cuban leaves. plus im sure these bundles are stored in ideal conditions for preservation, but send it to me ill check it out for you to be on the safe side :)
  • rwheelwrightrwheelwright Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 3,294
    lilwing88:
    So how do Pre-Embargo smokes factor into this? I have a Camacho Pre-Embargo and from my understanding it's constructed with Cuban tobaccos that were harvested before the embargo and stored away. That'd make the tobacco leaves almost 50 years old. I hope I didn't spend $30 on a 50 year old dog rocket!
    IIRC, the Camacho PE only has one leaf of PE tobacco in it per cigar. So, that means that the rest of the filler is much much newer. Supposedly, that cigar shines because of the wrapper and not the PE tobacco in it. I found that cigar to be just so so.
  • urbinourbino Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 4,517
    When you open your humidor and it shouts at you to get out of its yard.
  • FourtotheflushFourtotheflush Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 2,555
    urbino:
    When you open your humidor and it shouts at you to get out of its yard.
    Just think about this one for 2-3 seconds. Its hilareous!
  • Alex SvensonAlex Svenson BlogAdministrator, Everyone, ForumsAdministrator, Moderator, Owners, Registered Users Posts: 1,204
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