Question about "my" cigars and aging..........

[Scott4usc]

Thanks for opening my thread and hopefully you can answer my question. I started cigar smoking in July and since then have picked up large quantity of cigars.

I read and searched a bunch of past threads on this site about aging. The common opinion is "most" cigars get better with age but not all cigars. Another common opinion is full flavor smokes for the most part age better than mild flavor smokes. (but not all the time) Since I am new to cigar smoking, I would like to get an idea of which cigars in "my" humidor "should" get better with age and which ones I should concentrate on smoking right away. (I have no problem being patient to age my smokes) So if you owned/aged/smoked any of the cigars on my list, please tell me your thoughts.

For example, a certain cigar may taste great if smoked within 1-2 years but then starts to go bad after that. Or this smoke gets better after 1-2 years age and even better after 3-5 years. This smoke you don't want to age and better off enjoying it now. I know nobody knows when a cigar peaks etc. but I am sure there are people who had experiences with my cigars below. I have either a box or multiple 5-packs of each cigar.

Lastly, what are your opinions of my cigars? I have not tried the Oliva O Bold, Rocky Patel Vintage 1992, Onyx, and La Gloria Cubana Serie R No. 5 Maduro. Others I have tried and liked. Guess I am lucky so far. I searched forum and reviews to pick out my cigars. It helped me out a lot. My favorite is the Royal Jamaican Gold which I got in sample pack and LOVED and bought box right away.

Here is the list.

La Gloria Cubana Serie R No. 5 Maduro
5.5" x 54 ring

Oliva 'O' Bold Oasis Torpedo
6.0" x 52 ring

Oliva 'O' Bold Orion Torpedo
7.0" x 54 ring

Vintage by Rocky Patel 1992 Churchill
7.0" x 48 ring

Onyx Reserve Robusto
5.0" x 50 ring

Royal Jamaica Gold Churchill
7.0" x 54 ring

Padron 2000 Maduro
5.0 x 50

Sherpa Mystic Double-Wrap
(Barber Pole)
6.0 x 50

Thanks!

 

[atuck]

I like the Padron and Serie R either aged or fresh. The rest of your list I have either not had or don't really care for. But to me they all look like smoke 'em now type of smokes. I like to age ISOMs and Fuentes the most. Actually I like to hoard them. :laugh:

 

[Swissy]

First off, as far as aging, that is really a personal choice, IMO. Some guys like the fresh young taste of a new cigar, while others will tell you mellowed with age is they only way to go. Only time will tell... get a 5'er (or more!) of a cigar and smoke 1 right off, another a few months down the road, and another a year down and so on. Hard to do, me thinks! I have yet to be able to do it myself... all my aged cigars I have to buy from other BOTL's here! :laugh: Everybody's tastes are different...

As far as your cigar list, I do like the Oliva "O", LGC Serie R, and the Padron- the others I have no tried personally.

 

[Devil Doc]

I've smoked all of your choices except the Royal Jamaica. Haven't smoked those since they stopped making them in Jamaica They are all fine cigars, no matter what the more sensitive of our lot would tell you. None of them however are worth talking up valuable humidor space for aging.

Doc.

 

[mhortsch]

Yeah, my opinion... smoke what you want when you want. Only let them age if they are in your humi, and you choose to smoke something else everytime you lift the lid to make a choice. Like some of the sticks in my humi, are aging only becuase they never make the cut in my selection.

ISOM's however, like mentioned before, smoke one... if it doesn't quite taste as smooth as it should, rest it.

 

[cigardawg]

Here is the list.

La Gloria Cubana Serie R No. 5 Maduro
5.5" x 54 ring I think the LGCs are some of the best aging non-Cuban cigars out there. I have some of the early release Serie R (99-00) that taste incredible right now. They are good when you buy them...better a few years down the road.

Oliva 'O' Bold Oasis Torpedo
6.0" x 52 ring I really like the Bold O. I don't smoke the torpedos (too many construction problems from my experience), but I can say that the blend ages nicely. I don't have any "real" aged ones, but the 2-3 years that they have on them has smoothed them out nicely. Same recommendation as the LGC.

Oliva 'O' Bold Orion Torpedo
7.0" x 54 ring See above.

Vintage by Rocky Patel 1992 Churchill
7.0" x 48 ring I have a box of RP Vintage 1992s that keep on getting better. I think at this point, they have 1.5 to 2 years of age on them. Very nice cigar. Of course, I also like it fresh, so it is a good "smoke anytime cigar" IMHO.

Onyx Reserve Robusto
5.0" x 50 ring No experience with this cigar.

Royal Jamaica Gold Churchill
7.0" x 54 ring No experience with this cigar.

Padron 2000 Maduro
5.0 x 50 The main-line Padrons, especially the maduros, age very well IMHO. I smoked an Executive from 1999 recently that was as good as some 1964s that I have had. Lots of flavor, perfect burn, slight sweetness to compliment the earth and wood. I think this is a great cigar to age.

Sherpa Mystic Double-Wrap
(Barber Pole)
6.0 x 50 No experience with this cigar.

[snapback]260626[/snapback]​

Hope this helps. :thumbs:

 

[Ginseng]

Hi Scott,

I think my viewpoint on NCs is an amalgam of Swissy's and mhortsch's viewpoints. Before buying a box of anything (assuming you have the room to put up an entire box) I would pick up 4-6 of a given stick to try. Since you would have multiples of the sticks you want to try, as you smoke down, you'd get an idea of what they taste like fresh, with short age, medium age and long age. The point being that, over time, you'd develop your own sense of how "young" you like the different cigars in your humidor.

It's not a sure bet that all cigars get better with age. It is a better bet that if you have more than a passing interest, you'd eventually start stocking some to smoke young and some to sleep.

Having said that, here are my comments.

LGC SR Maduro - Good fresh, very in your face. Excellent with at least a year.

Onyx Reserve Maduro - not bad young, blech with age (this is not a favorite cigar of mine)

Padron 2000 Maduro - Schwing! Very pleasant young, improved in all respects with at least a year. I'm with CDawg. IMO (as an avowed Padron whore ) Padrons are built and blended to be very good out of the gate and improve substantially with age. I've got one Churchill left from a 1997 box and you couldn't pay me to part with that stick.

And it's on this last point that I have to respectfully disagree with DevilDoc. I always have at least one box of the Padron 1000-series stashed away. Worth and value are very much how you define them. But if you like them and they fit your storage and budgetary needs, that's all that matters. I have no reservations in saying that after one year, the Padron 2000 Maduro is the best $3 cigar I've ever found.

Cheers,
Wilkey

Edit: typo

 

[mhortsch]

I also think that aging is a hell of a lot easier when you have the funds to maintain a big supply. Like 2-4 cooledors for example.

I have 2 100ct humis, doesn't quite fit into the equation to well. When you have the ability to purchase multiple boxes over short time periods, you don't have to worry about resisting the urge to smoke what you plan on aging.

 

[Ginseng]

Mhortsch,

I hear ya. Still, it doesn't take a lot of space or money to get started. I can pack 14 boxes of various sizes and shapes into my 15 gallon tupperdor but that's chock full. If Scott4usc has those smokes in box quantities already, he's in a good position to start aging. He just has to replace what he smokes and then stock will always be ready.

I'm with you in that desktop humis just don't provide enough room to a ton of cigars down for napping.

Wilkey

 

[mhortsch]

Yeah, by all means if he has those in boxes, he's set.

I guess I just assumed, but he does say he picked up a large quantity of cigars!

I didn't buy my first real box until well after (almost 12 months) I was sure of what I was getting was what i wanted (AF Chateau Sungrowns) :blush:

 

[emodx]

I like the Padron and Serie R either aged or fresh. The rest of your list I have either not had or don't really care for. But to me they all look like smoke 'em now type of smokes. I like to age ISOMs and Fuentes the most. Actually I like to hoard them. :laugh:

[snapback]260641[/snapback]​

Here is how I would rank them in terms of ageing potential. I can not speak from expierience on the exact time frame to smoke, as cigars differ from crop years and storage preferences:

1. LGC Serie R - I love the flavor profle compared to the strength of these. I feel as if the tobacco used in this line is really cared for.

2. Padron x000 maduro - This line comes in a very close second for me. And the only reason it does is because I can't stand young Padron x000 maduros. Young maduros remind me of the Cuban style cigars. Very greeen, punchy, and tannic when young. Great cigars when aged. Also, the Padron Magnum Maduro ages nicely.

3. Oliva Bold -Ilike the mix of tobacco's in this cigar. But I don't have a lot of experience with this line. Ask CC as I think this is in his rotation.

4. Onyx Reserve Maduro - These cigars are a good bang for your buck cigar. I don't think they will nessecarily age well though. I think that time will mellow the edges on it, and turn the cigar into a decent performer.

5. Rockey Patel 1992 -I don't have a lot of experience with this cigar. The blend seems nice. But it doesn't have enough strength for me to give it a thumbs up in terms of ageing potential. Personally, I think if you age this cigar over 2 years you might miss it's peak.

6. Sherpa - Gimmick cigar. The tobacco used is mid grade at best. Age it long enough to dry it out to smoke at a BBQ with people that don't know better. If you "age" it longer than 3 months it is probably longer than it deserves.

7. Royal Jamaican's - See above post.

For what you pay for the Royal Jamaicans and the Sherpas, you could buy a lot better cigar.

-Emo

 

[Scott4usc]

WOW, thanks for all the wonderful replies. EXCELLENT REPLIES from so many posters. Very much appreciated. Anybody else just reading this thread please chime in. More opinions the better. I have couple further questions to a couple. My total count of cigars is 400. I have coolidor and 300ct humidor. These 400 smokes were suppose to last me 4 years. On average I smoke 1-2 cigars a week. Can you tell me which cigars (on the list above) will be "not so good" smokes 3-4 years from now? I think I made mistake buying so many cigars at one time. I thought these cigars are suppose to get better with age. But now I realize age means 6months to 2 years (max). I am little disapointed. But all these smokes should still be ok 4 years from now, right?

emodx
I can understand you putting down the Sherpa Mystics. That is my cigar I smoke if I go golfing, yardwork, or give to friends etc. But I am shocked you put down the "Royal Jamaica Gold" This is a fantastic cigar. Any chance there is another cigar called "Royal Jamaicans" you are mistakingly talking about? RJG's are $5 each and my personal favorite cigar and I have had prob. 20 different cigars in the past 4 months ranging from $1-$7. I know everyones tastes are different, but this RJG is by far my favorite cigar. Curious to why you downplay it? I think it is a hidden treasure that isn't talked much on the message boards.

cigardawg & Devil Doc
Thanks for list. You both seemed to have smoked a ton of cigars. Surprised you never had a Royal Jamaican Gold. Excellent cigar. Don't pass up on it if you get chance to smoke one! Fantastic cigar.

Ginseng
You said the ONYX are decent smoke young but with age they are not so good. When do you "think" I should have all my ONYX smoked by? At what pt do you think they "start" to go bad? So far they have had about 4 weeks of age in my humidor. I have not had one yet.

 

[emodx]

I have had some Royal Jamaica's before and they didnothing for me. I don't know if the blend is still the same. If it is, I'd pass on these. There are other performers out there that I like better. The Sherpas are ok to my palate. They don't offend, but there is nothingthere formetowantto smoke themagain. Like Isaid about the RJ's, there are better performersout there.

If I were in your shoes, I would take my list and put the ones on the top of the list on the bottom of your coolerdor. The LGC's should be fine for a very long time. I don't have enough time smoking to know what a box of 5 year old Padrons taste like. Although the one with 2 years on them are fantastic.

As a general rule that can be followed loosely, the richer the cigar, the better ageing potential it has. This is not a hard and fast rule though. Some cigars are better young than aged.

And don't believe that 2 years is the maximum ageing time for a domestic cigar. Just like Cubans, every line of domestic cigars is different.

 

[elvergun]

Onyx Reserve Maduro - not bad young, blech with age (this is not a favorite cigar of mine)

[snapback]260751[/snapback]​

I agree! They used to be one of my favorite cheap smokes, but then I smoked one that had turned to crap with some age. What the hell????

I still have one every once in a while…sometimes they are good…sometimes they suck.

 

[Scott4usc]

elvergun

What age do you "think" you had that "aged" ONYX that turned out to be not so good. Thanks!

emodx

You said you had Royal Jamaica cigars and didn't care for them. But have you had Royal Jamaica Gold cigar? That is what I am talking about. RJG not RJ.