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Good Cigar to Age
I am just finishing my coolidor and I need suggestions on a few good cigars to age. It's a 60 qt cooler and I'm using beads to keep it humidified. I will keep them in smaller wooden cigar boxes. I want to try to keep it under $5 a stick. I'm looking for something medium to strong. I love the maduro wrapper, but i hear that aging them doesn't really improve the cigar.
Also, approximately how long does it take to age, and improve the cigar? Is 6-9 monthes long enough, or do I need to leave it for a year or 2? I apologize if this question has been asked already. All responses are appreciated.
-Streater
Also, approximately how long does it take to age, and improve the cigar? Is 6-9 monthes long enough, or do I need to leave it for a year or 2? I apologize if this question has been asked already. All responses are appreciated.
-Streater
Comments
http://www.cigar.com/cs/search/SearchResults.aspx?q=aging+cigars&s=13&PageIndex=2
Whats kinda ironic is what comes up on page one of the search as this subject is also in the "things newbs should know thread" Take care..
EDIT
Just trying to help you and others who may have some of these same questions,, theres a ton of info floatin around here..please take a little time to uncover it and reuse some of the older threads if applicable.. another advantage of using an older thread is it brings alot of hidden info back to life
Diesel UC & Shorty
5Vegas Miami
JdN Antano Dark Corojo
IMHO these all improve dramatically after 6 months, and even more after a year.
I have heard the JdNs continue to improve beyond that.....
http://www.cigar.com/cs/forums/2/49795/ShowThread.aspx
Just a thought
Good choices. I like to also age Park Avenues and Symphonies. They mellow well.
if you venture to age more expensive stuff then OpusX ages VERY well, Avo Domaine is great after 2-3 years, and Davidoff Millennium is great after 2-3 as well.
BTW I re-read the 101 for noobs thread which was most helpful. Thanks for the reminder!
#1 Diesel Unholy Cocktail (after 18 months, you will smoke one and wonder why you don't have 5 or 6 boxes of them, especially considering their price)
#2 DPG Blue
#3 JdN DC
these are my affordable suggestions. All can be had for $4 or under (Diesel as little as $1.75 or so on the Sprint) and are available at Ccom.
^this... I had a Black Dragon robusto with roughly 18 months on it and I needed a towel when I was done. Not too shabby ROTT, but sooooo much better with some rest.
I was re-reading the old "The need for aging" article that Svenson posted on in 2009. What he refers to as Maturation 2 most of the non-tobacco professionals call "rest". When someone says a cigar needs rest they almost always mean that the maturation 2 was not properly completed at the factory. ISOMs are known for this. As were a lot of Maduros and oscuros.
ALTHOUGH another example of a cigar that needs rest but it isn't a maturation or fermentation problem are all the Kristoffs, they all leave the factory soaking wet. I remember asking Glen why they were like that. He told me, I don't care what anyone says a cigar is not humidified typically from the time it leaves a factory until it lands in the retailers humidor. So he over humidifies them before they leave the factory. I noticed when I get them they burn like a wet cigar.
601 Green Label
Cubao
La Aurora 1495
Cu-Avana Intenso
DPG Cuban Classic
As to the question of how long is long enough when aging, here is my suggestion - whatever sticks you decide to experiment with this on, buy a five pack of them and put the date they go in your humidor on them somehow (little sticker labels work well for me). Start a cigar journal, and smoke one after a week or two of rest and write down your impressions. Then, smoke the remaining four at intervals you decide on (ex. 6 - 12 - 18 and 24 months). When you sit down with them each time, bust out the cigar journal you started with the first one, read up on what you thought of the first one, and note in the journal how this one has changed.
That will give you a good idea of when the aging process has a particular stick "in the zone" when you like it best, and allow you to figure it out without the expense of a box purchase. Once you figure that out - time to load up! ;-)
Hope this helped.
And Sniper's advice about smoking them in intervals to learn how the tastes change is really important advice. Its the best way to taste exactly what is happening in your cigars over a period of time.
Good luck man.