Cigars Get Better With Age, Some Say

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed)
Feb 28th 2009 at 9:02AM

I've known a few people committed to aging cigars. For them, it was like a religion. They not only had large, state-of-the-art humidors, they had schedules for rotating them from one shelf to the next. I, on the other hand, prefer to smoke cigars right off the bench. That plus laziness makes the whole aging process alien to me. Nonetheless, most experts swear by aging cigars, and I'm told the sweet spot is 10 years (after which, the cigars begin to grow milder).

So, if you're going to play the patient game of cigar aging (rather than "buy 'em as you need 'em), BestCigarPrices.com has four tips for you:

1. Buy a humidor
The company recommends buying one that meets your needs, with sizes ranging from five cigars to more than 3,000. If you are planning to age five cigars, though, you're better off renting a locker at your local club or shop.

2. Pay attention all the time
Operating a humidor is not "set and forget." You need to start at the right spot and continually watch the gauges to make sure the temperature and humidity don't stray. So, what is the best starting point? The 70/70 rule (70 percent humidity and 70 degrees Fahrenheit) is a safe place.

3. Pay big up front
You need something to age. So, start buying cigars ... buy the bundle or box. This helps you prevent the mingling of different flavors among cigars, and you can pull one from time to time to see how the aging process is going. If this is too great a commitment, consider aging only half of each box, that way you have something to smoke while you wait.

4. Never stop learning
Results will vary, regardless of your cigar-aging skill. Some cigars won't take to aging. On occasion, you'll let a few sit too long, and they'll mellow. But, when you get it right, you'll taste the difference.

[Via MSNBC]

Tags: cigar, cigars, humidor, humidors, smoke, smoker, smokers, smoking, tobacco

Filed under: Cigars

Subscribe to these comments

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Adam Feb 28th 2009 11:54AM

Glad to see a lot of cigar articles popping up here. Well, we all know the saying about opinions, so here's mine.

In my opinion, Cuban Cigars benefit much more from aging then non-Cubans. There are a few possibilities as to why, but the most plausible is that many Cuban cigars are boxed up right off the bench and not given additional time to ferment, while domestic market producers tend to age them in bundles before releasing them.

That is not to say that domestic smokes wont' benefit, but they are just not as in need of it as some Cubans. Some of Padron's Anniversary smokes are aged for up to 8 years before being released for sale and you will find that these cigars have mellowed and aged very well in that time.

Cuban Cigars may also pass through a sick period where the smokes are producing a lot of ammonia and are likely unpleasant. Usually six months to a year of storage will allow the ammonia to pass. These are not aged smokes yet. Typically, smokes aren't considered aged until they are 7 years old. While there is something to be said for the pop and youthfulness that a fresh stick has, theres nothing like a well aged mellowed out full flavor smoke.

Many cigar agers have also re-visited the 70/70 rule. It is being more widely accepted that 65/65 or even lower may help finesse these smokes into better qualities. I would always suggest storing Cubans below 70%. These cigars perform much better at lower humidity.

There are a number of articles and books on aging. Recently, ECCJ published a great article on aging cigars and Min Ron Nee's Encyclopaedia of Post-Revolution Habanos. is the foremost authority on aging Cubans.