Aging too long in humidor?

[FNA]

"Smoking a young NC will result in a sour icky taste. The stick has to equalize its internal RH in your humi, generally a couple of months of rest is the consensus."

Surprising cigars still sell after all these years if none of the cigars lit up at the cigar store in the last 40 years could do better than "a sour icky taste"

I spent most of my life buying cigars and lighting them up outside the door of the cigar store. Cigar lounges today encourage custom to buy a cigar then sit sdown and smoke it.

There appears to be some consensus that it may not necessarily be true that a cigar "has to equalize its internal RH in your humi, generally a couple of months of rest".

[DBCcigar]

I used to age the heck out of cigars when I preferred mild stuff, but now, I smoke 'em up because I do not want them to lose the full-bodied flavor!

[Snake Hips]

Non-Cubans you don't really want to age longer than 10 years. They get flat. Not the rule, but generally. Cubans, there's really no limit, as somebody said. There's a reason people buy up boxes of 30- and 40-year-old Cuban cigars, and why Min Ron Nee ages some for 20 before smoking.

Originally Posted by FNA

"Smoking a young NC will result in a sour icky taste. The stick has to equalize its internal RH in your humi, generally a couple of months of rest is the consensus."

Surprising cigars still sell after all these years if none of the cigars lit up at the cigar store in the last 40 years could do better than "a sour icky taste"

I spent most of my life buying cigars and lighting them up outside the door of the cigar store. Cigar lounges today encourage custom to buy a cigar then sit sdown and smoke it.

There appears to be some consensus that it may not necessarily be true that a cigar "has to equalize its internal RH in your humi, generally a couple of months of rest".

Cigars from a cigar store aren't "young" in the manner he was speaking of. The time between rolling and purchasing can be very long. The cigars may not have shipped out right away, may have sat at the distribution warehouse for a while and probably sat at the B&M for months before you bought them. Next time a roller visits your B&M, smoke one right off the table. Likely you will get ammonia. Smoke the same a few months to a year later, and it will likely be very good.

[PipesandGOP]

I know CA's not the most popular publication on the board but their section dedicated to really aged sticks, (not like 1 or 2 years) is always an interesting read. They openly admit when a stick has gone flat and tastes almost dirty or has lost it's character, or when has become quite the masterpiece. And it does seem from their reports that they can definitely get too old and lose their flavor.

[The Postman]

My cigars never get to old, but I have found that even as short a period as 6 months can do wonders for a lot of cigars.

[Toulouse]

Originally Posted by The Postman

My cigars never get to old, but I have found that even as short a period as 6 months can do wonders for a lot of cigars.

So very true! La Aroma de Cuba cigars are a prime example: I haven't found that their taste changes much, but their burn improves a great deal.

[Herf N Turf]

About all I'm really dedicated to doing with NC's is to let them stabilize to my humi's RH. I have enough smokes so that I don't have to smoke anything in particular, just because it's "ready". Some might sit for 18 days, some 18mos. If there's something calling to me, that's only been in the box for three weeks, it gets the torch.

I don't buy smokes I don't like, or have a damn good idea that I will. Whether they're "aged" or not, isn't really a concern for me; I know I will like them regardless. If I buy an "experiment", I smoke it soon. If I don't like it in three weeks, what makes me think I'll like it in three years? There are those exceptions. My personal experience is that Opus X need at least a year from production to get really special. The oldest one I ever had was about 6yrs and that still rivals the best smokes of my life. YMMV

The only right answer here is that "it's personal taste."

[Schecter30]

Originally Posted by Toulouse

So very true! La Aroma de Cuba cigars are a prime example: I haven't found that their taste changes much, but their burn improves a great deal.

I've got two boxes of these recently and have noticed the burn gradually getting better. I think they just come a little too wet though.

[e-man]

I don't want to hijack the thread, but some posters bring up a topic that a friend of mine had also told me a couple years ago.

There have been a few brands mentioned that never change their flavor with aging. My friend had read somewhere, that certain brands (Eg. Rocky Patel) do not age due to some process that he was unclear about. I don't know if this had something to do with preservatives, steaming wrappers or whatever.

Has anyone else heard of such a process that the stops aging process of a cigar?

[Phantom57]

Originally Posted by e-man

I don't want to hijack the thread, but some posters bring up a topic that a friend of mine had also told me a couple years ago.

There have been a few brands mentioned that never change their flavor with aging. My friend had read somewhere, that certain brands (Eg. Rocky Patel) do not age due to some process that he was unclear about. I don't know if this had something to do with preservatives, steaming wrappers or whatever.

Has anyone else heard of such a process that the stops aging process of a cigar?

There are a whole lot of things that will arrest the "aging" process of a cigar. Cooking, steaming, application of additives, drying are just a few. I have been told by someone in the business that application of coffee and cocoa flavorings is not uncommon. Maybe the only positive result of the new tobacco laws is we will find out.