Cubans and aging...

Diamondog

Gentlemen I was at a HERF last night with about 35 others, mostly Canadians but a few American brothers made it up as well as the guest of honor from Austrailia and master cigar roller Hamlet from the Partagas factory. I was fortunate enough to be seated with 2 American brothers, we started up conversation got smoking, out came the collections....I'll tell you that my collection didn't see the light of day! First up from my new American friends were Cohiba Gran Reservas, then we got in to the Cohiba Sublimes, the Monte Sublimes, then for fun they started breaking out the stuff from the 80's, Monte's, Punch, Por Larranaga, Cohiba, then we took a little trip to the 70's again with the Monte's, Punch etc...and as if that wasn't enough out came a Pre embargo cigar...Gentlemen, I am completely speechless as to what I thought was a fine well aged cigar. The cigars I was smoking last night were so far above any quality of Cuban or non Cuban cigar I have EVER smoked. To convey the difference is pointless, these cigars were on such a level, absolutely unreal, the most aged cigars in my collection are hitting that 6 or 7 year mark now, I now truly understand that is just a short nap as good as they are now they will become so much better. What a wonderful experience, hopefully not the last. That experience definately renews my comittment to seeking out the finest cigars in the world and having the patience to allow them the time they need to become the cigars that are every bit of the hype and then take it up 2 notches...

JudoChinX

I don't think I can put into words just how jealous I am.

jr_p951

Very few people get to experience cigars that have aged for 20 year, even fewer for cigars rolled before the Embargo! 40+ years of aging on a cigar...I'm not sure I can even imagine smoking that kind of cigar. Like ribs or Momma's cooking...the time invested makes a world of difference.

roland_7707

JudoChinX:

I don't think I can put into words just how jealous I am.

+1

fla-gypsy

roland_7707:

JudoChinX:

I don't think I can put into words just how jealous I am.

+1

+2

RoyalCigars

Sounds like you enjoyed yourself! So what did you smoke that night, and where was this HERF? If its not too far I might come out one day. If your still looking for the Cohiba Gran Reservas let me know.

Diamondog

RoyalCigars:

Sounds like you enjoyed yourself! So what did you smoke that night, and where was this HERF? If its not too far I might come out one day. If your still looking for the Cohiba Gran Reservas let me know.

We smoked all of the above as well as some BHK's that were fantastic...the HERF was in Toronto and was arranged to celebrate the guest of honor on a world tour...I have a few of the CGR's but am looking for more, even a box if the price is right, can you send me the info, thnx.

jj20030

fla-gypsy:

roland_7707:

JudoChinX:

I don't think I can put into words just how jealous I am.

+1

+2

x3, dont think ill ever get the chance to even ever try one, pe or not, lol

The Sniper

I dont think I would ever have considered a 6 or 7 year aged cigar to have "taken a short nap" before this thread.

On behalf of myself AND my OCD, thanks DD. I was having a hard enough time sparking up certain cigars in my collection because "... in just ONE MORE YEAR they will be fantabulous!!!". Now Im probably going to have to get that phrase put on the back of my tombstone, and those cigars buried with me. LOL

granneja

Sounds like .it was an awesome experience. I van only imagine how one of those tasted.

kuzi16

that sounds like a damn good time


i have several cigars with 6-7 years on it. i have one or two with 10+ on them. i dont have any with more than 15 years. im workin on it.

Gurkha Man!

kuzi16:

that sounds like a damn good time


i have several cigars with 6-7 years on it. i have one or two with 10+ on them. i dont have any with more than 15 years. im workin on it.

how do you fight that urge to not smoke a cigar that you have had for 10+? my cigars are lucky if they make it a month i think i could do it if i had something rare

Diamondog

The Sniper:

I dont think I would ever have considered a 6 or 7 year aged cigar to have "taken a short nap" before this thread.

On behalf of myself AND my OCD, thanks DD. I was having a hard enough time sparking up certain cigars in my collection because "... in just ONE MORE YEAR they will be fantabulous!!!". Now Im probably going to have to get that phrase put on the back of my tombstone, and those cigars buried with me. LOL

It was an absolute stunning experience. The flavours in the cigars just so pronounced, no guessing, no thinking about what your tasting, so defined and unmistakeable, the smoothness and the power that some of these still carried after 20 and 30+ years....I definately know all about the "in just one more year" and the struggle to get them there sometimes. Now having experienced what the payoff can be hopefully it makes it a little more tolerable lol...

kuzi16

Gurkha Man!:

kuzi16:

that sounds like a damn good time


i have several cigars with 6-7 years on it. i have one or two with 10+ on them. i dont have any with more than 15 years. im workin on it.

how do you fight that urge to not smoke a cigar that you have had for 10+? my cigars are lucky if they make it a month i think i could do it if i had something rare

two ways...

first, i have an aging humidor that once i put something into, it does not come out for at least a year.

second, i buy faster than i smoke.

Rhamlin

I'm still at that point where cigars aged over a year seems unattainable. Maybe someday.?

j0z3r

Rhamlin:

I'm still at that point where cigars aged over a year seems unattainable. Maybe someday.?

Give it some time, I remember those days very well. Fast forward 4 years almost and I'm sitting on cigars that are 3.5 and up. As you build a collection, aging gets easier. And like kuzi said above, you just have to tell yourself "I'm not going to smoke this for x amount of time", be that days, months, years or decades. And having said that, aging cigars isn't for everyone, either because they don't have the patience, the time, the money to invest, or simply because they don't like the taste of an aged cigar.

DD's post give me a new Outlook on aging cigars, I was looking at 5 years being a long time, but now I'm not so sure...guess it depends on the cigar too.

dennisking

sounds like a really spectacular time. I'm glad for you. It's really rare to have an occasion like that. you are one lucky guy.
if you ever want Pre Embargo sticks, I know where to get some but they are most certainly going to cost a pretty penny. the Bolivar coronas that were the least expensive were $120 per stick.

Diamondog

The difference in these cigars was just mind boggling....now, are all my cigars gonna get that kinda time on them no but I now see the benefit of the cigars that I really really enjoy buying a couple boxes allowing 1 or 2 to age and replacing a smoking box as I go....

blurr

I have to ask the question I'm surprised nobody has asked yet. Does this just confirm that the Cuban cigars of today truly have lost so much of their flare, and todays Cubans are merely a shadow of their former selves. Or is it truly that the 20 to 30 years of aging has made that much difference. I have to imagine if you have 6 or 7 yr old CC's they should be pretty well aged, that leads me to believe what you are experiencing along with amazingly aged smokes is the pinnacle of Cuban Cigar art, an art which has long since deteriorated (thanks Fidel) I've read & heard people say CC's still have a few shining stars, but the truth is the mass exodus after nationalization has slowly degraded them to the point where the best cigars nowadays come from outside of Cuba. I'm just asking, i have no opinion on this since I've still never even smoked a Cuban.

Krieg

Diamondog:

Gentlemen I was at a HERF last night with about 35 others, mostly Canadians but a few American brothers made it up as well as the guest of honor from Austrailia and master cigar roller Hamlet from the Partagas factory. I was fortunate enough to be seated with 2 American brothers, we started up conversation got smoking, out came the collections....I'll tell you that my collection didn't see the light of day! First up from my new American friends were Cohiba Gran Reservas, then we got in to the Cohiba Sublimes, the Monte Sublimes, then for fun they started breaking out the stuff from the 80's, Monte's, Punch, Por Larranaga, Cohiba, then we took a little trip to the 70's again with the Monte's, Punch etc...and as if that wasn't enough out came a Pre embargo cigar...Gentlemen, I am completely speechless as to what I thought was a fine well aged cigar. The cigars I was smoking last night were so far above any quality of Cuban or non Cuban cigar I have EVER smoked. To convey the difference is pointless, these cigars were on such a level, absolutely unreal, the most aged cigars in my collection are hitting that 6 or 7 year mark now, I now truly understand that is just a short nap as good as they are now they will become so much better. What a wonderful experience, hopefully not the last. That experience definately renews my comittment to seeking out the finest cigars in the world and having the patience to allow them the time they need to become the cigars that are every bit of the hype and then take it up 2 notches...

Sounds like you had once in a lifetime moment there, I would have given anything to be able to try something like that. Congratulations

Krieg

blurr:

I have to ask the question I'm surprised nobody has asked yet. Does this just confirm that the Cuban cigars of today truly have lost so much of their flare, and todays Cubans are merely a shadow of their former selves. Or is it truly that the 20 to 30 years of aging has made that much difference. I have to imagine if you have 6 or 7 yr old CC's they should be pretty well aged, that leads me to believe what you are experiencing along with amazingly aged smokes is the pinnacle of Cuban Cigar art, an art which has long since deteriorated (thanks Fidel)

It is in my limited understanding about ISOMs that the Cuban cigar quality did go down for awhile. But the island is starting to come out with great cigars of old. For example, the BHK.

Diamondog

blurr:

I have to ask the question I'm surprised nobody has asked yet. Does this just confirm that the Cuban cigars of today truly have lost so much of their flare, and todays Cubans are merely a shadow of their former selves. Or is it truly that the 20 to 30 years of aging has made that much difference. I have to imagine if you have 6 or 7 yr old CC's they should be pretty well aged, that leads me to believe what you are experiencing along with amazingly aged smokes is the pinnacle of Cuban Cigar art, an art which has long since deteriorated (thanks Fidel) I've read & heard people say CC's still have a few shining stars, but the truth is the mass exodus after nationalization has slowly degraded them to the point where the best cigars nowadays come from outside of Cuba. I'm just asking, i have no opinion on this since I've still never even smoked a Cuban.

I don't think so at all....I have some Partigas P2's that have that kind of age as well some Cohiba Siglo VI, they are phenominal smokes now with 6/7 years on them and completely worthy of smoking...the difference I am talking here between a phenominal cigar and what I experienced on the weekend, the difference was staggering thats how much better the cigars got with that much added time, I for one before having tried a cigar with that much age on it thought after a certain amount of time the aging would have no value and in fact hurt the cigar, NOT SO lol of course some will age better than others etc....The Cuban cigar business is alive and well I have absolutely no doubt in that....

BigT06

jj20030:

fla-gypsy:

roland_7707:

JudoChinX:

I don't think I can put into words just how jealous I am.

+1

+2

x3, dont think ill ever get the chance to even ever try one, pe or not, lol

+ a billion

JonathanE

BigT06:

jj20030:

fla-gypsy:

roland_7707:

JudoChinX:

I don't think I can put into words just how jealous I am.

+1

+2

x3, dont think ill ever get the chance to even ever try one, pe or not, lol

+ a billion

+5! I'm still relatively new to cigars so my plan is to smoke everything I can and keep tabs on my favorites. Then, next year, I'm going to blow my tax return on boxes of all the best ones! After that, it's only one cigar from my boxes per month and a new box every quarter. I think I'm going to have to build a walk-in humi... Yes!

JDE

docbp87

I am so jealous of all of you that made it to that herf. To have both Rob and Hamlet at a herf, as well as all of the other Canadian FOH there... man. Looks like it was an amazing time. Jealous as hell! Wanna send me some of those Hamlets?

ENFIDL

Steve that's amazing brother! I've always wondered what it would be like to smoke one that had that kind of time put into it and that's fantastic to hear. Thanks for the story!

NightHawk

i know isoms have historical and cultural advantage to all other country's cigars, but i wonder if some great nicaraguan cigars will age into phenomenal smokes after decades pass??

Rhamlin

I've been doing a little reading up on cubans. I sounds like a lot of what decides if they turn out good is if they had a great crop or a mediocre crop since they are puros. And it seems sometimes they aren't getting the aging they really need due to the great demand for them.

kuzi16

NightHawk:

i know isoms have historical and cultural advantage to all other country's cigars, but i wonder if some great nicaraguan cigars will age into phenomenal smokes after decades pass??

ive had the opportunity to smoke a DPG Blue with about 5 years on it. that ages very well and i suspect that it will turn out that after a decade or two it will be be fantastic as well. i have an el cobre with 5 years on it and another one destined for 10 years. so... i guess we will find out.

xmacro