Who is actively aging NC's?

I have several boxes of Tatuajes and other Pepins' I don't plan on smoking anytime soon. Do I plan to wait 5 years before smoking one, probably not, but I hope to have some left in 5 years.

I do have a small stash of opusX I probably won't touch for a couple of years, but will try one after some time to see how they have changed.

For me, I have way too many cigars for the amount I smoke, so resting/aging is not a problem for me.

I keep a couple of boxes of misc singles that I want to try or have gotten from fellow BOTLs and typically smoke those before going into a box. I usually don't write the date on those, so I have no idea how old they are when I smoke them.
 
I'm aging some Tatuaje's in this manner, but for the most part I'll hold on to them for a year. I think the key is to have such a large stockpile of smokes that by even taking one on a semi-regular basis, you'll have stock after 3-5yrs. :tu
 
I'm 100 % convinced that not only Cuban cigars can benefit greatly from long time aging. But, the cigars must have "the raw materials" needed to age with beauty and not end up as more or less tasteless cellulose.

In 2006 I put away some cigars for long time storage:

15 Camacho Corojo Diploma
10 Davidoff Brobergs 125th Anniversary LE
20 Don Lino Africa Punda Milia
20 El Rico Habano Rico Club
19 Famous Nicaraguan 3000 (1st release) Torpedo
20 Famous Nicaraguan 3000 (2nd release) Toro
25 La Eminencia Fancy Cubanitas maduro
15 La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero Chisel
_5 Oliva Master Blends 2 Torpedo
_5 Oliva Master Blends 2 Robusto
_5 Oliva Master Blends 3 Torpedo
10 Partagás Serie P No. 2 (Cuban)
10 Perdomo 2 Torfecto
24 Ramon Allones Specially Selected (Cuban)
20 Rocky Patel Sungrown Factory Select Petite Corona

All cigars were put in zip-loc bags minimize the gas exchange and exposure to oxygen. The purpose is to slow down the rate of aging processes to optimize the result and also hopefully not loose all of the power and fullness the cigars had from the beginning.

Since then, my taste have changed somewhat and I will start a new "time capsule" this summer containing only full boxes and bundles of for example Illusione 68, Camacho Corojo Monarca natural, RP The Edge Sumatra Torpedo, JR Ultimate Cabinet #10, El Rico Habano Gran Corona natural, El Rey Mundo Flor De Llaneza natural ad perhaps some more Cuban RASS.

My belief is that there is no reason to age mild cigars since they will became almost tasteless after long time storage. I also believe that cigars with maduro wrappers have less potential to develop in a positive way compared to natural wrapped cigars. I do not have any evidence for this but I always find natural cigars more complex compared to maduros and I think that the risk of ending up with bland cigars after aging is bigger with maduro cigars!

This said, I want to add that I seldom enjoy Cuban vintage cigars. I have tried some that were truly great but honestly, most tasted grass and cardboard to me! The reason I put away cigars the way I do is to secure at least a smaller stash 10-20 years in the future when I'm not sure that we still will be allowed to buy tobacco legally at all!
 
I don't purposely age anything.
I just avoid cigars that are still full of ammonia. Whenever I get a new box I just smell them. I pull the aroma in real slow. If it burns my nose, the cigar isn't ready and it goes back in the huni.
 
When I was at an event with Pete Johnson; we talked about aging cigars. His recommendation is not to age anything over 5 years as the tobacco looses strength & flavor. So I lay my smokes down and get to them when I can. That is probably 12-18 months of relaxing before a fiery death!
 
The only NC's I am activly aging are my Opus. There are a lot others getting age but it isn't deliberate.
 
My experiance with aging is some age well and get better, some get worse, weaker usually, like smoking air, some no real change. You just after awhile get to know which is which and age accordingly. My 2 cents
 
I've had some Fuentes sitting at the bottom of my coolerdor for a year or two: Opus Xs, Añejos, and Cuban Belicosos.
 
Here is an example of aging and a difference in taste, I may have to do a review thread for this at some point. I have 2 sticks left out of a box of Partagas Black Magnifico's that I picked up in 2005. This is one of my favorites as far as maduros and NC's go. If you've smoked one right out of the B&M or out of any brand new box you should already know that this is a very full bodied cigar with a lot of spice to it and can be a bit harse to many who preffer a milder cigar. After sitting in the box for three years these have become an even more enjoyable smoke (To me at least), the spiciness has mellowed and some of the harshness in the flavor has deffinitely mellow over time. Don't get me wrong, this is still a very full bodies cigar but at the same time has has a creaminess to it that is like chocolate. It becomes a much more complex smoke and it is easier to pick out the subtle nuances of flavor. I was recently given a new one by a friend and smoked it and then smoked one of the sticks with some age on it the next day and it was a completely different experience.

Aging NC's will have some effects on flavor but how much will most likely be determined by how full bodied your smokes are to start with.
 
Purely by accident. Except maybe that Drew Estate Egg. I'm not sure what possessed me with that, but I'm pretty sure it'll still be sitting in my humidor when they shovel dirt in my face. LOL
 
Got about a dozen CAO Anniv. Maduros that have been "resting" for at least 5 years. Smoked some when I first got them and just haven't got around to finishing them yet.

Probably taste like a chocolate bar by now. :tu
 
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