How much to age which cigars?

[rokkitsci]

I've got so many fookin' stogies that they can't help but age since I just can't get around to smoking them all (tried smoking five at a time, but it just made me turn green).

IMNSHO, NC's age just fine TYVM.

Not all, mind you, but most. If you read the literature (of which there is a great deal of which), the general consensus is that virtually ANY cigar will benefit from aging, not only CC's.

Migh too sense.

YMMV


ISent from my iPhone by iGeorge

[TJCoro]

Lazy Sticks!

I've got so many fookin' stogies that they can't help but age since I just can't get around to smoking them all (tried smoking five at a time, but it just made me turn green).

IMNSHO, NC's age just fine TYVM.

Not all, mind you, but most. If you read the literature (of which there is a great deal of which), the general consensus is that virtually ANY cigar will benefit from aging, not only CC's.

Migh too sense.

YMMV

Like you, senor rocketinhispocket, I have a vast number of ancient N/Cs - 10 years and older - that I've collected over time and now are taking up valuable real estate in don TJ's massive unit. But unlike you, my sticks show little improvement from the day the were purchased (with the exception of a box of Indian Tabac Tepees, which improved noticeable over time) - the good ones are still pretty good and the not-so good ones are, well....No doubt that N/C's, like all cigars, benefit from aging over time, but from my experience, it's just not nearly as noticeable as with Cubans.


Names Perro, el Perro, and most NCs are ready to go on the day you purchase them.


Hey el Perro! I think your N/C sticks could learn a thing or two from that Rocket guy's sticks.

[monkey66]

Jorge Padron told me that his cigars do not benefit from ageing at all as far as he is concerned.

[TJCoro]

A Different View!

Jorge Padron told me that his cigars do not benefit from ageing at all as far as he is concerned.

Hmmmm? Maybe it's we who age and not the puro/cigar. Think about it...



Hello! My name is BJ, BJ Coro, and I've been away for a long, long time.


Hey BJ! Welcome back! Wanna' play with me blu-balls!

[Nightwingvyse]

I thought i'd revive this thread for another question?

It seems to be the idea, from this thread, that the demand for CC's is so high that they are rarely aged, so the buyer usually ages them themselves to get a more pleasant and balanced taste, whereas NCC's are often aged before they are rolled. I have tried a few aged Cubans and found them to be consistently more pleasant than both un-aged Cubans as well as aged NCC's.

I was always under the impression that the main idea of ageing is that the oils between the filler, binder and wrapper diffuse or whatever it is. So doesn't that mean that the time NC tobacco spends ageing is best spent after it is rolled, rather than before? my personal experience with cigars would suggest this.

Discuss......

[TJCoro]

Older is Better!

I thought i'd revive this thread for another question?

It seems to be the idea, from this thread, that the demand for CC's is so high that they are rarely aged, so the buyer usually ages them themselves to get a more pleasant and balanced taste, whereas NCC's are often aged before they are rolled. I have tried a few aged Cubans and found them to be consistently more pleasant than both un-aged Cubans as well as aged NCC's.,..

Now I'm no expert when it comes to the chemistry of aging tobacco used in cigars, but it is my understanding the most of the benefits from aging occur BEFORE the cigar is rolled, both NCs and Cs, not after. Tobacco used in NC sticks is generally aged far longer that that used in puros*, however, which is the reason (so I've read) that puros continue to age more noticeably after being rolled then do their brothers from another mother.

From my personal experience, this makes sense. I have noticed that NCs are ready to go the day you buy them because of the longer aging period and therefore, benefit very little from addition aging after being rolled, IMO. Puros, on the other hand, continue to age AFTER rolling because of the shorter period the leaf is subject to aging before it is made into a cigar.
Therefore, puros benefit greatly from additional time in the humidor. NCs, not so much.

Anyway, that's what I think.


TJ, TJCoro

Hey TJ! I'M SO CONFUSSED!


* Knewbee Tip: Don TJ often uses the term "puro" which means "pure" en espanol, when referring to Habanos/Cuban cigars.

[Nightwingvyse]

Now I'm no expert when it comes to the chemistry of aging tobacco used in cigars, but it is my understanding the most of the benefits from aging occur BEFORE the cigar is rolled, both NCs and Cs, not after. Tobacco used in NC sticks is generally aged far longer that that used in puros*, however, which is the reason (so I've read) that puros continue to age more noticeably after being rolled then do their brothers from another mother.

From my personal experience, this makes sense. I have noticed that NCs are ready to go the day you buy them because of the longer aging period and therefore, benefit very little from addition aging after being rolled, IMO. Puros, on the other hand, continue to age AFTER rolling because of the shorter period the leaf is subject to aging before it is made into a cigar.
Therefore, puros benefit greatly from additional time in the humidor. NCs, not so much.

Anyway, that's what I think.

Not too............confuzzed.............. tbh. It makes sense and is real food for thought. It's really one of those subjects which require intimate knowledge of the chemical reactions that occur within a cigar between the growing and the smoking, so it's hard to compare cigars of different origins.

For the last few days i've been using the info in this thread to prioritize which cigars require what i call "hard time" before lighting. My ratio has shifted to about 70:30 in favour of CC's (not including loads of cigarillos i've ended up with after bundle deals and duty free), so in theory, 70% of my cigars need ageing, which has lead me to carefully plan what i can choose from and what i'll be buying in the not-too-distant future.

gaza-city-destroyed-buildings.jpg

[TJCoro]

Go to the source!

Not too............confuzzed.............. tbh. It makes sense and is real food for thought. It's really one of those subjects which require intimate knowledge of the chemical reactions that occur within a cigar between the growing and the smoking, so it's hard to compare cigars of different origins.

Don't over think it, muchacho. As a rule of thumb for puros, anything less that one year from the box date needs more humi time, IMO. The longer the better! There are some exceptions to this rule that have been documented on this fine forum other so-called aficionados, but the one-year rule works for the Coro Clan.

Now, if you want to learn more about the chemistry involved with the cigar-making process, there are plenty of good sources available, from the Complete Idiot's Guide to Cigars to Min Ron Nee's book An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Post-Revolution Havana Cigars.*




And for the record, I've never smoked a NC that required additional aging.


Names TJ, TJCoro, and I'm at your service.


*Click the books for more information.

[Nightwingvyse]

As a rule of thumb for puros, anything less that one year from the box date

That's a real popular opinion i've picked up on. Which is why the P2's, D4's and Bb's are sitting right at the bottom of my humidor.