Aging advice

[Stevieboy]

Just received an intersting bit of info in an email from JJFox. What do you lot think about aging smokes?

About Aged Cigars

Initial aging after rolling is essential to allow the cigar to dry and stabilise. This greatly improves the flavour, as well as greatly improving the burn and draw. Stabilisation typically takes only 4 to 8 weeks depending on the ambient climate, however allowing your cigars to age even longer will allow the flavours of the blend meld and mellow into a more harmonious smoke. A cigar's complexities and nuances will be greatly enhanced with long term aging in a proper environment.
The younger the cigar the more drastic the impact time has upon it; 3 months can mean a world of difference to a freshly rolled cigar, wheras 3 months are negligible when dealing with 5 year old sticks.
* 2-5 Years - These are the peak years for most cigars. Typically the stronger, full-bodied cigars age better over a longer duration. This is why Bolivar Fuertes, Ashton VSGs, and many Havanas are all considered cigars that age beutifully. The same logic applies to cigars of substantial strength regardless of their country of origin.
* 7-10 Years - This is about the maximum aging time on almost all cigars. After this point most cigars become too mellow and too pale for popular enjoyment.
The best way to determine the impact time on cigars is to smoke one occasionally from an aging box and to take detailed tasting notes.

[nicwing]

Hi Stevie Boy, sorry we blew out last night. We will get a Skypeherf together at some point.

These figures are in line with what I have read elswhere, many cigars are enjoyed much older than the optimum 10 years, I guess it's like wine, if you start with a high quality product and keep it in the optimum conditions it will mature and improve but no matter how good it is there will come a point when it starts to "go over" a bit.

[PoohBore]

Same advice in the encyclopedia that was recently discussed on here. The author also adds aging times as a sugestion against each cigar.

[cj121]

Just received an intersting bit of info in an email from JJFox. What do you lot think about aging smokes?

About Aged Cigars

Initial aging after rolling is essential to allow the cigar to dry and stabilise. This greatly improves the flavour, as well as greatly improving the burn and draw. Stabilisation typically takes only 4 to 8 weeks depending on the ambient climate, however allowing your cigars to age even longer will allow the flavours of the blend meld and mellow into a more harmonious smoke. A cigar's complexities and nuances will be greatly enhanced with long term aging in a proper environment.
The younger the cigar the more drastic the impact time has upon it; 3 months can mean a world of difference to a freshly rolled cigar, wheras 3 months are negligible when dealing with 5 year old sticks.
* 2-5 Years - These are the peak years for most cigars. Typically the stronger, full-bodied cigars age better over a longer duration. This is why Bolivar Fuertes, Ashton VSGs, and many Havanas are all considered cigars that age beutifully. The same logic applies to cigars of substantial strength regardless of their country of origin.
* 7-10 Years - This is about the maximum aging time on almost all cigars. After this point most cigars become too mellow and too pale for popular enjoyment.
The best way to determine the impact time on cigars is to smoke one occasionally from an aging box and to take detailed tasting notes.

Ooh, get you Stevie: emails from JJFox eh
Nice contribution mate

[Stevieboy]

Ooh, get you Stevie: emails from JJFox eh
Nice contribution mate

Yes! Once one purchases one's supplies from JJ, he becomes a cherished personal friend

[Stevieboy]

Hi Stevie Boy, sorry we blew out last night. We will get a Skypeherf together at some point.

Desperate for this to happen Nic!! C'mon lads! Get those cameras out

[cj121]

Yes! Once one purchases one's supplies from JJ, he becomes a cherished personal friend

You're connected Stevie

[nicwing]

Respect Little Stevie

[butternutsquashpie]

No worries StevieBoy!
Just stick around here a bit longer and we'll get to explaining how to age cigars properly. If you want, i'll send you a little aged selection when your time nears. And maybe even elaborate on all the other possibilities and lessons you'll learn here.
Like whether your Juan Lopez contain mould or plume

Maybe in the morning though. I'm going to sleep now!



Note: you did bring up a good point now:

Desperate for this to happen Nic!! C'mon lads! Get those cameras out

[Stevieboy]

And the Resurrection Prize goes to JizzBot...

Five year old thread.... I can't even recall posting that lol

[tippexx]

This is an old thread, but suggests JJ were ahead of the game in 2009 and had lost some of the confidence in the ageing characteristics of Cuban cigars they would have had prior. Once upon a time it wasn't unusual for vendors to store boxes for years before they even considered them being worthy of sale to their customers, and with the conviction that those boxes would improve even further for years after.

I don't have many old boxes old cigar, but of those I do have, the cigars from 1998 to 2002 seem to be aging in-line with my best expectation, however I have noticed the post 2006 boxes are not doing as well, and flattening out at around 5 years. I believe there may be a strong possibility the JJ Fox are correct, and that the days when Cuban cigars could be put away almost indefinitely with an expectation of improvement may be over.

[Sean]

Is that true about over 10years becuase i know some of you boys have some really old stuff

[tippexx]

Is that true about over 10years becuase i know some of you boys have some really old stuff

The older cigars seem to be fine Sean, but I have a horrible suspicion a lot of us will be a bit disappointed with our 10 year old boxes come 2016/17.

[TJCoro]

Golden Oldie!

Interesting observation, senor triplexxx. I will certainly keep this in mind as I continue to enjoy many of don TJ's finest puros quietly aging in his massive unit.

El P

[Sean]

The older cigars seem to be fine Sean, but I have a horrible suspicion a lot of us will be a bit disappointed with our 10 year old boxes come 2016/17.

Whys that mate