Question on Aged Cigars

[Gonz]

This is just purely out of curiosity. Often times I see somewhat aged havanas being offered up for sale by vendors. Mostly what I've seen dates back to around 2000 and up. So my question is this; What have these boxes been doing for the last 3, 4 or 5 years? Are they kept in storage in the factory that produced them? Or are most havanas shipped out to retailers relatively soon after production, then the retailers either age them, or simply have old inventory that they need to clear out?

I suppose mostly what I'm wondering is under what conditions are these cigars usually stored? Or does that vary from vendor to vendor, or even by brand?

 

[tjm5019]

If you have a reputable dealer, they would, in all liklyhood, be stored in proper conditions. Now cigars that have aged tobacco, thats done at the factory, but a box from 2000 has been aging for 5/6years. To my knowledge, factories don't box cigars then age them. The age, then box, and ship out. If i'm wrong, would someone correct me please!

 

[Life's Drives]

Also if a tobacconist has 4 boxes of the same cigar that I want to pick up, should I pick the oldest box to get the most "on-site" aging? or it doesn't matter....the cigars don't age in the box anyways.

 

[Ekans]

[quote name='Life's Drives' date='Jan 18 2006, 08:57 AM']Also if a tobacconist has 4 boxes of the same cigar that I want to pick up, should I pick the oldest box to get the most "on-site" aging? or it doesn't matter....the cigars don't age in the box anyways.

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[/quote]

It depends, you should you check if the years on the boxes are good or bad years. Maybe someone can explain it better.

The cigars age just fine in the box, keeping them in the box actually protects them from sudden humidity drops (opening the door to your humi)

 

[smokelaw1]

[quote name='Life's Drives' date='Jan 18 2006, 09:57 AM']Also if a tobacconist has 4 boxes of the same cigar that I want to pick up, should I pick the oldest box to get the most "on-site" aging? or it doesn't matter....the cigars don't age in the box anyways.

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[/quote]

All things being equal (which of course, they sometimes are not), I USUALLY would get the oldest box. There are some cigars that have had quality issues specifically during some years, adn then got better. One would be taking quite a gamble in buying a box from the troubled years to try to get an extra year of aging.

 

[Ginseng]

Where's The Master? Anyone been to the Dunhill vaults?

 

[Gaman]

In my opinion, I think cigars do age in its own box. A good vendor keeps its cigars in controlled environment, 20C & 70% RH, for storage. Normally I will choose the cigars with oldest box code unless quality of that production year/month is questionable. IMHO.

 

[The Master]

All of the good tobacconists have huge walk in humidors that store their cigars. Some put boxes away to be sold 4-5 years later, some just don't sell and sit on the shelves for years.

Cuban cigars are not aged in Cuba, they are boxed and then shipped out. All of the aging is done in the box and at the retailer. If you notice the cigars that are hanging around with age, many are 00 and 99. Most astute buyers are staying aways from these years because of construction issues. Yes there are some hiddent gems in there, but if your tobacconist isn't going to gaurantee satisfaction, these cigars will sit and sit.

The funny thing is watching certain retailers try and charge a premium for 99 and 00 production. They can't give these cigars away and yet they want a premium.

 

[NullSmurf]

If you notice the cigars that are hanging around with age, many are 00 and 99. Most astute buyers are staying aways from these years because of construction issues.

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Would you elaborate on "construction issues"?

 

[Gonz]

I would think construction issues would refer to a couple years where the rollers were either newer and/or getting "trained", therefore there is a lack of consistency in how tight a cigar is rolled or perhaps the allocation of the tobacco within the cigar which would yield an unever burn.


Thanks everyone for your input!

 

[Ginseng]

If you notice the cigars that are hanging around with age, many are 00 and 99. Most astute buyers are staying aways from these years because of construction issues.

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Would you elaborate on "construction issues"?

[snapback]277499[/snapback]​

There are several accounts online about this situation. As for the product issues, the vast majority of the structural problems had to do with plugs and tight draw IIRC.

 

[atuck]

If you notice the cigars that are hanging around with age, many are 00 and 99. Most astute buyers are staying aways from these years because of construction issues.

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Would you elaborate on "construction issues"?

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I know that in those years they had bad wrappers that don't really want to burn properly. I have experienced this several times personally. I have also heard that those wrappers taste like shit too. So from what I gather it is mostly a wrapper issue.

 

[Wurm]

If you notice the cigars that are hanging around with age, many are 00 and 99. Most astute buyers are staying aways from these years because of construction issues.

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Would you elaborate on "construction issues"?

[snapback]277499[/snapback]​

I know that in those years they had bad wrappers that don't really want to burn properly. I have experienced this several times personally. I have also heard that those wrappers taste like shit too. So from what I gather it is mostly a wrapper issue.

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Was that in all cigar producing lands or just in cuba?

 

[KayakinBoy]

I've had kinda the same question but it was more or less about the rare ones... Hey Master PM Sent with a ? for ya...

 

[The Master]

Just in Cuba.