Aging too long in humidor?

[Schecter30]

Generally how long is too long a time in the humi for cigars? Do cigars start going bad, lose flavor or discolor after a while? How long would this take?

[tx_tuff]

As long as you have your humidor in tip top shape then the cigars will be good forever. They will lose some of their fullness (nicotine) over a long period of time, but they will not go bad. Alot of people like age on their cigars anyway, depending on some lines they get better with a year or longer of age.

[Dgar]

Wow I bet you'll get a lot of replies to this one.....

disregard all other answers because this is the TRUTH.... "it depends"


Really it does vary, so many variables, but given that you have a humi that seals well and you keep things properly humidified your cigars should age well for many years.

How long is to long is often a matter of personal taste. some cigars are great at a year, but wait five years and that same cigar could be flat ( losing it's flavor)... other cigars are great the day you buy them no age needed (Tatuaje). But how long is to long, I think its a combination of the storage conditions and the tobbaco you start with, full bodied smokes IMO seem to age better over the long haul than milder smokes.

You'll probably get some MRN answers that will describe things I cant even spell that will explain the aging process in scientific terms but I choose to keep things fairly simple.. Perform your own aging experiments, thats part of the fun of what we do.

[RJpuffs]

There are probably reams of information about cigar aging if ya hit the "search" thingie up thar ... but the nitty gritty comes down to ...

CCs are rolled "young" and do very well with aging. A decade or two is considered good.

NC components are usually aged before rolling, ergo they come pre-aged. However, the process of rolling involves soaking the filler. 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. Most also consider NCs to start to lose their flavor over time, negating the aging concept. That being said, certain NC blends improve with a year or two of "resting" - notably puros (wrapper/binder/filler all from the same location). Pepins, Padrons, etc. If a cigar is too strong when young (Joya Antanos) they will calm down after a year of rest and the flavors will blend without blowing your palate up.

[Yoda!]

I've heard some cigars will start to go flat after a few (10) years. These flat cigars also might have been miss treated along the way....

[Cypress]

I smoked a 72 year old cigar before. My dad and smoked it for his 72nd birthday. It smoked fine and lots and mean lots of plume on it.

[e-man]

It's very subjective, as it depends upon your taste. IMHO, if you think a cigar is too strong/harsh/etc then give it more time and see if you like it better. If it seems to be lacking something, then aging will not add to it.

Compound that with the fact that the same cigar will be re-blended once the supply of tobacco has been used up. Just like grapes, the weather affects the traits of a crop, and the blender must work with what is available. You can't objectively compare a 10 year old cigar with a brand new one, as the blend is sure to be different.


PERSONALLY, I view cigars like wine. White wine doesn't age well, and neither do mild cigars. Aging helps tone down the strong characteristics so that you can experience some of the more subtle ones.

Personal tastes will change over time, so I never buy several boxes of the same thing to age. In 10 years you could wind up with hundreds of sticks you don't care for anymore, so mix it up.

[Andy]

some of mine do not have time to go bad

[heavyd]

Originally Posted by Dgar

Wow I bet you'll get a lot of replies to this one.....

disregard all other answers because this is the TRUTH.... "it depends"


Really it does vary, so many variables, but given that you have a humi that seals well and you keep things properly humidified your cigars should age well for many years.

How long is to long is often a matter of personal taste. some cigars are great at a year, but wait five years and that same cigar could be flat ( losing it's flavor)... other cigars are great the day you buy them no age needed (Tatuaje). But how long is to long, I think its a combination of the storage conditions and the tobbaco you start with, full bodied smokes IMO seem to age better over the long haul than milder smokes.

You'll probably get some MRN answers that will describe things I cant even spell that will explain the aging process in scientific terms but I choose to keep things fairly simple.. Perform your own aging experiments, thats part of the fun of what we do.

Great post. I didn't know that about Tatuaje's...Now I'm gonna dig them out and smoke them all!

[K Baz]

I smoked many 1950s Robert Burns and they are still solid but I have heard of cigars going "flat"

[Architeuthis]

I've not ever had an aged cigar that wasn't better than the same stick brand new...

[SixPackSunday]

yea... if i start to smoke a cigar and its too harsh i just cut it below the burn and stick it back in the humi for a year to mellow it out... usually MUCH better















JOKING!!!

[jedipastor]

Yesterday I smoked a CAO Gold from 2002, it was notably better than one you'd buy off the shelf today. The CAO Criollos I have from 2004 are also better than today's IMO, but they are very different too (less spice, more butter) so I could see someone not liking the older ones as much.

So yea, it depends. Before buying several boxes of something for the purposes of aging, it's a good idea to ask around first to see if anyone else has done so. I had a 4-year-old Padron 3000 the other day and MAN was it good! Once I decide on my favorite size(s), I"m going to buy a box or 2 just to store for a few years!

[Phantom57]

I like strong, edgy cigars so I don't "age" my smokes. NCs are ready to smoke on arrival, and go downhill rapidly with age. Aging them will make them milder and more mellow which I don't want. Many CCs are shipped without proper aging and curing, so you have to do it for them. They are using all the tobacco they can grow, and rush it into production to supply demand. In addition, because of the above, CCs seem to have more construction problems than CCs. Not unusual to have to pitch a couple from each box.

[TOB9595]

Originally Posted by Architeuthis

I've not ever had an aged cigar that wasn't better than the same stick brand new...

This is my finding also

I use eight years for nc to plateau the maturing process and no limit to cc

As I evaluate more great nc sticksI put some aside for long term resting.
We'll see as there are LOTS of GREAT nc sticks that have come out in the last year or twothat are fine smokes now, great smokes in six to eight months...I'll see how mellow or smooth or flavorful they become after a few years on them.
Tom