How Long Do You Store Before Smoking?

[eldondo]

We had this topic at a German board and I'm really curious how you guys think about this.

What do you with your boxes which have a certain boxing date:

• Do you put them away for storage immediately?
• Is there a minimum age that the box should have, before you smoke the first outta this box?
• If a cigar has x years on it, you smoke it and think: Wow... it's good! Do you continue to smoke the rest or do you put them aside, hoping they still get better?

Maybe it is hard to put it directly in a poll, but I tried to do so....

Let's see how you think about it....

[Jokermann]

Do I put them away for storeage immediately?

It depends on the cigar. For Super Partagas and Fonseca KDTs, No, these are my daily cigars and I smoke them fresh. For most other boxes that have come in the last year, they go into my humidor for a week or two to get the humidity acclimated to my cabinet, and then they go into a ziplock bag for longer-term storeage. 90% of what I got last year I did this with, and I have not smoked out of them.

Is there a minimum age that the box should have, before you smoke the first outta this box?

I would like to get to the point where I only smoke cigars that are 5 years old or more. Right now, I smoke some fresh and some aged. I would say its 30% fresh and 70% "aged" to some extent.

If a cigar has x years on it, you smoke it and think: Wow... it's good! Do you continue to smoke the rest or do you put them aside, hoping they still get better?

If I open a box, and if they are good and ready to smoke, I generally smoke the whole box.

[Clampdown]

I love the strength and flavor of fresh cigars. I will open a box and smoke from it the first day I get them and will continue to do so over the first year. I then will put them away for a few months and revisit them. I'm not a huge fan of the old vintage flavor, so many have tasted muted and musty (20 plus years), and leave me scratching my head why people love them.

[Arrow111]

I love the strength and flavor of fresh cigars. I will open a box and smoke from it the first day I get them and will continue to do so over the first year. I then will put them away for a few months and revisit them. I'm not a huge fan of the old vintage flavor, so many have tasted muted and musty (20 plus years), and leave me scratching my head why people love them.

this probably has more to do with the quality of storage over time - just a guess =)

anyway, back on topic. if a regular production box arrives in good form, i often light up a reference stick rott with good results.

with the more premium / vintage boxes, ill let them sit a few months before thinking to burn one.

[Bartolomeo]

• Do you put them away for storage immediately?

Anything from outside the US goes in the humi for a minimum of 45 days before I sample one. I have learned/read not to smoke one from a box I just received as this wont provide me with a good indication of the flavors, etc until they are nicely rested from their journey here

• Is there a minimum age that the box should have, before you smoke the first outta this box?

If a box is aged, I would try one right away. If the box is new, I will let them sit for a while before sampling

• If a cigar has x years on it, you smoke it and think: Wow... it's good! Do you continue to smoke the rest or do you put them aside, hoping they still get better?

If a cigar is really bad now, aging is not going to make that cigar taste better with time, its still going to be a bad cigar

Bart

[Clampdown]

this probably has more to do with the quality of storage over time - just a guess =)

anyway, back on topic. if a regular production box arrives in good form, i often light up a reference stick rott with good results.

with the more premium / vintage boxes, ill let them sit a few months before thinking to burn one.

Not quiet. I have sat there with guys smoking high end vintage cigars that rave about them, but at times all I can taste is an old basement.

[md4958]

Im trying to get a little age on my collection, however most of my stock is "daily smoke" stuff for me.

If a particular cigar needs time I will let it rest.

[mash]

For my tastes, 3-4 years of proper storage does wonders for a cigar. If I buy a box younger, I won't deny myself smoking them just to get them to a certain age. I don't have any daily smokes, so over time a good portion of the box will acquire a few years.

[MiamiPadronSmoker]

Most of my purchases are focused on aged stock for this reason. I find that cigars with over 5 years of age on them are the most enjoyable to me. That said I have never purchased a box of cigars that I didn't take one out of right away to sample unless I purchase multiples of the same box. I like to watch a cigar develop because I'm still learning and my tastes are ever changing. If I could I would be smoking only cigars from the early 70's to late 90's right now. I have found that cigars from those years, when stored properly, are just better than the rest.

[DocLogic77]

Depends...I have no problem smoking them ROTT. I have no issue with smoking them fresh. I do like a fresh cigar. Do they get better with age...absolutely. So, I kinda smoke like Jokermann. If it's a nice box...I won't touch it for years. If it's PL panatelas, montecarlos, Upmann Corona Majors, etc I will happily dig in.

[DocLogic77]

Not quiet. I have sat there with guys smoking high end vintage cigars that rave about them, but at times all I can taste is an old basement.

I'm the same. I don't enjoy the mustiness of some aged cigars. Many taste expired or just have that wet storage taste. But, when a vintage cigar is on they can be amazing. I have had my best luck with sticks 15-20 years old. I haven't had many good experiences with cigars older than that.

[jkim05]

I don't have a very extensive stock, nor do I purchase anything by the box regularly so I'm not generally putting away whole boxes to age. However, I do put some stuff away as much as I can so that I can start smoking some aged stock in the future. I don't smoke very often, maybe once a week at most, so it takes me a while to get through a box anyways.

[md4958]

We had this topic at a German board and I'm really curious how you guys think about this.

What do you with your boxes which have a certain boxing date:

• Do you put them away for storage immediately?
• Is there a minimum age that the box should have, before you smoke the first outta this box?
• If a cigar has x years on it, you smoke it and think: Wow... it's good! Do you continue to smoke the rest or do you put them aside, hoping they still get better?

Maybe it is hard to put it directly in a poll, but I tried to do so....

Let's see how you think about it....

Heiko, curious to see your response to these questions.

[a2vr6]

When a fresh smoke is on, it's on. You cannot replicate the flavor of a real good freshie just like you cannot replicate a great tasting aged smoke. If I have a box that is smoking great fresh then I will keep going to it. I don't have the mentality of "Hey if they are this good fresh, Imagine how they taste aged??" . Lol I have no control...

[eldondo]

My response? Ok, here ya go....

Most of boxes with an actual boxing date I try and I also have some of those for smoking them right now.... but I try to put also some aside.... especially if I think that they have aging potential....

I´m in the priviliged situation to have a good availability of cigars here, also stuff back to 98 or 99.... which are at least 10 years old....

Many cigars get sick in the first two years, so it´s sometimes better to let them take a nap in the humidor....

For me there is also a difference between a fresh rolled cigar, coming directly from the table of the torcedor(a) or a cigar from a box which is a few months old (and which many people would also call "fresh"). Those are two completly different things. A fresh rolled is in most cases strong, intensive flavors.... but not as harsh as many young cigars.... and they taste like s**t if you let them rest for 2 or 3 months and smoke them... better let them rest then min. 1 year.

What I can say for me is that I try to smoke cigars with a minimum age of 5 to 10 years... they are more balanced, not so harsh.... but they can also be strong.... my box of Diplomaticos No. 2 from ´97 are really STRONG!

If they get older they maybe loose some strength but the get this certain vintage flavor, that some people like, some dislike.... and I´m a person who likes that flavor.

Luckily I had the chance to smoke some cigars from the 70s and 80s which had all been perfect for me and those cigars showed that I can get a payback if I bring up the patience to let them mature for years....

As for the poll: I took option no. 2...

[BonVivant]

Heiko's post reminded me of a wonderful imprint found on all dress boxes of Rafael Gonzales, and I quote:

"These cigars have been manufactured from a secret blend of pure Vuelta Abajo tobaccos selected by the Marques Rafael Gonzales Grandee of Spain for more than 20 years this blend has existed.

In order that the Connoisseur may fully appreciate the perfect fragrance they should be smoked either within one month of the date of shipment from Havana or should be carefully matured for about one year"

Vote no.2 here.

[vicvitola]

All over the map for me.....

Some I buy just to smoke.

Some I buy just to smoke but realize they are too good to waste by smoking ROTT.

Some I buy to smoke some and age some.

Some I buy knowing I will age them.

Some I buy with the intention of smoking and they get burried and I find them later on.(accidental aging).

and I'm always changing my mind....

[purosdave]

I always sample one from each box I buy unless I buy multiple boxes from the same source with the same code (been a long time since that happened). I let the cigar tell me what to do, if it smokes well fresh, then I smoke them. If it tastes like its gonna be awhile before they are approachable, I bury them. If it smokes pretty well, but is off a little I put them aside to be tested again in six months or so. When I do my humidor tetris every six months or so I try to put all the deep sleep boxes in the back and the good to go in the front with the rest falling in the middle somewhere.

[InfamousOpusX]

I put mine down for a few months and then start smoking them over the course of a year or so. Some I'll put down for a little bit longer, but most of my stuff is being smoked.

[Ouch]

I've got a lot of boxes I've bought aged 5-13 years and I smoke from many or most of them without any reservation. Fresh boxes are different as I'm so bloody curious to see how they develop. It usually ends with a three yo box that just starts to turn for the better but with only a few sticks left at that point... But then the second box comes into play!