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Longer resting time?

Alright, so the last two cigars I've smoked haven't been that great. The first was a Gurkha Regent and I just smoked an Oliva Serie G today. They both didn't have much flavor, and the smoke was harsher than other cigars I've smoked. I lit them normally, didn't smoke too fast, and the weather conditions were favorable both times. The Gurkha had been in my humi at 64%-68% for 2 weeks, while the Oliva only had 6 days. Should I let my smokes rest longer?

Comments

  • rwheelwrightrwheelwright Posts: 3,296
    It's been my experience that if they don't have any flavor to begin with, aging will not improve that.
  • PuroFreakPuroFreak Posts: 4,131 ✭✭
    I agree, but not having flavor isn't usually a problem with the Serie G. I've never had a Regent, but the G is usually a very good flavorful smoke. Maybe it was too "young" and the harshness masked the flavor... Thats the only thing I could come up with.
  • bass8844bass8844 Posts: 416
    Both of those sticks imo are pretty solid sticks. I've had both, and haven't had a flavor issue with either one of em.

    The first time smoking those particular cigars? Maybe the flavor profile of them aren't you're cup of tea. But I would give them another chance. If they were harsh, possibly a little more rest could help them.

    As a rule of thumb, after transport, especially if they went through the mail, I like to let them sit a good month or so. I think that should be the minimum amount of time that they should rest before you light em up.
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    Dude Love:
    Alright, so the last two cigars I've smoked haven't been that great. The first was a Gurkha Regent and I just smoked an Oliva Serie G today. They both didn't have much flavor, and the smoke was harsher than other cigars I've smoked. I lit them normally, didn't smoke too fast, and the weather conditions were favorable both times. The Gurkha had been in my humi at 64%-68% for 2 weeks, while the Oliva only had 6 days. Should I let my smokes rest longer?
    The harshness will go away with age possibly allowing more flavor to come through but it will not just become more flavorful through resting.
  • LukoLuko Posts: 2,003 ✭✭
    Have had both (maybe with a little more rest) and thought both tasted very good. Not knock-your-socks-off good, but good.
  • For comparison, I've smoked AF Sungrowns, RP '90s, and Padron Londres and they all tasted great, with under a month of resting. I had a CAO Brazilia that tasted bland as well, but no harshness. The Regent and the Oliva G were firsts, but luckily I have 1 more of each, so I guess I'll see in a couple of months if the harshness is gone. After everything I've read about the G I expected a lot more.
  • jihiggsjihiggs Posts: 469 ✭✭
    6 days is nothing compared to the life of a cigar, resting period for me is no shorter than a month, 6 weeks generaly. most cigars I get, I dont even smoke for a year or so.
  • j0z3rj0z3r Posts: 9,403 ✭✭
    rwheelwright:
    It's been my experience that if they don't have any flavor to begin with, aging will not improve that.
    While I see what you are saying, I disagree. Some cigars will not improve, that is just a testament to mediocrity. However, I've had cigars that tasted downright bad when smoked fresh, the Camacho Havana H2 is my example, but with three months rest it was very, very good. Time will not improve all cigars, but it will allow some to become magnificent.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    jihiggs:
    6 days is nothing compared to the life of a cigar, resting period for me is no shorter than a month, 6 weeks generaly. most cigars I get, I dont even smoke for a year or so.
    i have a mandatory 6 weeks rest before smoking.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    j0z3r:
    rwheelwright:
    It's been my experience that if they don't have any flavor to begin with, aging will not improve that.
    While I see what you are saying, I disagree. Some cigars will not improve, that is just a testament to mediocrity. However, I've had cigars that tasted downright bad when smoked fresh, the Camacho Havana H2 is my example, but with three months rest it was very, very good. Time will not improve all cigars, but it will allow some to become magnificent.
    i have had the same experience...
    however, i looked at it in a different light. i dont think it is the rest that improved it. I find that most (if not every) cigar will taste different on different days depending on what you ate, when you brushed your teeth last, what the temp/humidity of the air around you is, how hydrated you are, what you are drinking at the time, etc... I dont really consider 3 months "age" and many wont either. In my experience, age doesnt "improve the flavor" or make it more pronounced, it just reduces harshness. on the other hand, I guess if you look at smoothing, mellowing and harshness reduction as "improvement" then it does improve the flavor.

    iduno... it wont make crap taste good.

    another thought to support your statement: some cigars are let out of the factory aging room a bit too early. sometimes this results in the cigar not being out of the ammonia stage. ...producing a poor flavor profile. in this case, age will improve the flavor.
  • j0z3rj0z3r Posts: 9,403 ✭✭
    Notice I referred to three months as "rest". And hey, improvement is improvement, plain and simple, right? In my case, it was not a matter of "same cigar, different day", it is a notable qualitative difference. Could be due to a factory rush release, or any other factor for that matter, the end result is what I'm interested in.
  • rwheelwrightrwheelwright Posts: 3,296
    j0z3r:
    rwheelwright:
    It's been my experience that if they don't have any flavor to begin with, aging will not improve that.
    While I see what you are saying, I disagree. Some cigars will not improve, that is just a testament to mediocrity. However, I've had cigars that tasted downright bad when smoked fresh, the Camacho Havana H2 is my example, but with three months rest it was very, very good. Time will not improve all cigars, but it will allow some to become magnificent.
    I guess what I was saying is that if there is no or little flavor then aging will just reduce the flavor but if they are as you say harsh and got better with age that aging didn them well. Maybe it was harsh but there were tons of flavors, just not to your liking. The age tempored those flavors to your palette. I had an AF Sungrown Mini Belicoso that I bought at a B&M. I didn't like it. I tried one again about 4 months later and it was much much better. There was a lot of taste on the first one, just not to my liking.
  • phobicsquirrelphobicsquirrel Posts: 7,347 ✭✭✭
    You people know too much....... =)
  • j0z3rj0z3r Posts: 9,403 ✭✭
    rwheelwright:
    j0z3r:
    rwheelwright:
    It's been my experience that if they don't have any flavor to begin with, aging will not improve that.
    While I see what you are saying, I disagree. Some cigars will not improve, that is just a testament to mediocrity. However, I've had cigars that tasted downright bad when smoked fresh, the Camacho Havana H2 is my example, but with three months rest it was very, very good. Time will not improve all cigars, but it will allow some to become magnificent.
    I guess what I was saying is that if there is no or little flavor then aging will just reduce the flavor but if they are as you say harsh and got better with age that aging didn them well. Maybe it was harsh but there were tons of flavors, just not to your liking. The age tempored those flavors to your palette. I had an AF Sungrown Mini Belicoso that I bought at a B&M. I didn't like it. I tried one again about 4 months later and it was much much better. There was a lot of taste on the first one, just not to my liking.
    I get ya...you went one way, I went another. I do agree that a cigar with little flavor now has little chance of miracle-ing some flavor with a bit of resting time...I suppose I was referring to cigars with a not-so-pleasant taste. So yeah, we're both right, it's like a "Special" sporting event, everyone wins.
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