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Evaluating Aged Cigars

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  • Rob1110Rob1110 Posts: 1,577 ✭✭✭

    I love this idea. I think we're kind of in the same boat: Went nuts years ago, stocking up on good cigars and then kinda fell off for a bit and now have lots of great, aged cigars and a few duds that didn't age so well.

    I recently dug around and found a Padilla 1932 Salomon LE that was fantastic but haven't been made in years and are impossible to find. A Camacho PE that has absolutely stuck around (still have a few more and those are still available). A Tat M80 that is still kick you in the stomach strong but not quite as much as it used to be and is still smoking like a peppery champ. I've also burned a few 5-8 year old Opus in the last year or so and while they've mellowed a bit, those sticks take really well to age.

    I'm not totally surprised the GoF didn't wow you. Those were mild sticks in the first place. I still have a few Carlitos left. I believe at least one 05 and as much as I want to enjoy it, I know it's going to be VERY mild. It'll be a summer morning, coffee with cream and a donut kind of cigar. Otherwise, it'll taste like burning paper.

    Keep these coming, man. I may have to dig around to see what I can pull to send you for review.

  • VisionVision Posts: 8,460 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Rob1110 said:
    I love this idea. I think we're kind of in the same boat: Went nuts years ago, stocking up on good cigars and then kinda fell off for a bit and now have lots of great, aged cigars and a few duds that didn't age so well.

    I recently dug around and found a Padilla 1932 Salomon LE that was fantastic but haven't been made in years and are impossible to find. A Camacho PE that has absolutely stuck around (still have a few more and those are still available). A Tat M80 that is still kick you in the stomach strong but not quite as much as it used to be and is still smoking like a peppery champ. I've also burned a few 5-8 year old Opus in the last year or so and while they've mellowed a bit, those sticks take really well to age.

    I'm not totally surprised the GoF didn't wow you. Those were mild sticks in the first place. I still have a few Carlitos left. I believe at least one 05 and as much as I want to enjoy it, I know it's going to be VERY mild. It'll be a summer morning, coffee with cream and a donut kind of cigar. Otherwise, it'll taste like burning paper.

    Keep these coming, man. I may have to dig around to see what I can pull to send you for review.

    I absolutely will. I’m going to revive this in the spring with maybe a little different rating system and more detail on the flavor of the cigar. I enjoy picking out the stick wondering how this is going to play out. Thanks Rob.

  • ChrisQueChrisQue Posts: 8

    Ok super interested in your findings as a 70 year old recently gave up smoking at my lounge so I’m trying to gauge what may have aged well or not. 100’s of boxes of Fuente, Cubans, comacho, and LFD

  • YaksterYakster Posts: 27,585 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 24

    Welcome to the forum, @ChrisQue, you may want to join the vHerf (Zoom call) and ask @Vision directly about this, you've necro'd a dusty thread.

    The stronger cigars like the LFD should fare better, but all listed and the Camacho's if they're pre-Davidoff all sound interesting.

    Join us on Zoom vHerf (Meeting # 2619860114 Password vHerf2020 )
  • peter4jcpeter4jc Posts: 16,471 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ChrisQue said:
    Ok super interested in your findings as a 70 year old recently gave up smoking at my lounge so I’m trying to gauge what may have aged well or not. 100’s of boxes of Fuente, Cubans, comacho, and LFD

    Unless you know what the cigars were when new (as well as their progression during their aging) how will you evaluate them? The only thing that counts is how are they now, and can you enjoy them today? Are the cigars up for sale, and are you trying to decide which ones to pursue?

    "I could've had a Mi Querida!"   Nick Bardis
  • Amos_UmwhatAmos_Umwhat Posts: 8,802 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Smoke 'em and see

    WARNING:  The above post may contain thoughts or ideas known to the State of Caliphornia to cause seething rage, confusion, distemper, nausea, perspiration, sphincter release, or cranial implosion to persons who implicitly trust only one news source, or find themselves at either the left or right political extreme.  Proceed at your own risk.  

    "If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed.  If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." --  Mark Twain
  • ChrisQueChrisQue Posts: 8

    Yep that’s the plan and for those stilll available smoke an imaged one first and conpare

  • ChrisQueChrisQue Posts: 8

    Yes I can buy the cigars. Yes I would try them first. Yes I know which ones aged good historically, and trying to find more out there for the ones I don’t know about. It’s fun and very trusted source.

  • VisionVision Posts: 8,460 ✭✭✭✭✭

    From someone who has smoked a fair amount of 10+ year old cigars I've found that there are really very few cigars that keep the flavor that made you purchase that cost in the first place. I can't think of any that got "better" and truthfully most got worse. God of Fire, Padron, Fuente... were not good. Hot air mixed with cardboard and bad thoughts. Don't over pay.... aging fees are BS. If you're paying more for the "aged" cigar then you would for it new you're throwing away money.

  • ChrisQueChrisQue Posts: 8

    That is exactly what I was hoping to find out. I’ve only smoked a few cigars older than 10 years and they were all good and all Cuban except for the aging room small batch M21 from around 2011. This aging room was no longer available but lots of flavor and very mild. I’ve smoked lots of cigars aged from 3-5 years and they were pretty amazing and unique smokes. I’ll often smoke a new one and then the aged one the next day. Aging room Quattro, My Father The Judge, Casa Fuente, Don Peppin Vegas Cubanas, and LFD 400 Oscuro all aged really well in the 2-5 year range and didn’t know why Cubans would be so unique where they are known for aging well in the 10+ range. I’ve heard the paper and dust horror stories just not been my personal experience so found this thread and thought I’d see how it turned out.

  • ChrisQueChrisQue Posts: 8

    And yeah not dreaming of paying some premium as market isn’t really there.

  • ChrisQueChrisQue Posts: 8

    And thanks for replying saw this was old and wasn’t sure you’d reply so thank you!

  • VisionVision Posts: 8,460 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I'll grab something 10+ for my next smoke.

  • peter4jcpeter4jc Posts: 16,471 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I started cigars in Aug. of '14. I bought a box of MF FDLA in those early days and it's date-stamped May '14. They are smoking mahvelous.

    There simply are no hard-and-fast rules for aging, other than do it right, wait, and see.

    "I could've had a Mi Querida!"   Nick Bardis
  • VisionVision Posts: 8,460 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.
    Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano)
    Binder: Ecuador (Sumatra)
    Filler: Nicaragua (Habano)
    Rest 13 Years

    The first inch of this cigar made me rethink ever getting into cigar smoking in the first place. It was very not good boarding on bad thoughts. But, I did plow through. Shockingly after the first inch of nightmare flavors it transitioned nicely into a smokable cigar. Getting into the second third turned the corner into a very good and enjoyable smoke that I smoked down to about an inch. I've seen this before in older cigars where it opens as compost and finishes strong. Don't give up on an old cigar too soon, you might be missing out.

  • ChrisQueChrisQue Posts: 8

    Awesome yeah to me just trying new things and tasting them and noting differences is alot of the enjoyment. I think it’s because when I’m doing that I’m not worried about anything else. Thanks for sharing!

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