Cigar Aging Advice: From Those Who Know What It’s All About

By George Edmonson

Perhaps no aspect of cigars is more shrouded in myth and mystery than aging. There are no real standards, no accepted definitions and little agreement — even on the basics.

Take temperature. Many of those who are serious about aging cigars keep them at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Not James Suckling, though. As Cigar Aficionado’s (CA) European editor, his smoking experiences with well-aged Cubans are the stuff of dreams for most of us. His own collection? According to a 2005 CA article, Suckling keeps cigars in his wine cellar at a temperature around 55 to 58 degrees Fahrenheit.

Nonetheless, the idea of improving cigars simply by hanging on to them is almost irresistible. That’s one reason we find Doc’s reviews, which track cigars over time, so fascinating. It’s hard not to imagine letting your favorite sticks get even better if you can resist the urge to light them up.

Even though my patience is pretty thin, I began to wonder about how aging experts determine what to put away. Which aspects of a cigar do they look at? How do they decide whether to light up now or wait a few years? What are they hoping to achieve from those years in the humidor?

So, I asked, by e-mail, some of those well versed in this art to talk a bit about their own experiences with stashing their stogies. Though these are people with a lot of experience and insight, they don’t always agree, as you would expect. Nevertheless, I found the information they willingly shared to be fascinating. So much so that I’ve begun to reevaluate what I should do with my own cigars and my future purchases. I think you will find their thoughts equally interesting.

Below: Montecristo Reserva 2007

Though some say it’s a personal choice whether to take cigars straight from the box or only after years aging, Brian Ebbesen has no reservations about his approach to Cubans.

“I never smoke cigars from production — as I wouldn’t drink a wine straight from the cask,” said Ebbesen, the man who practically created the vintage cigar auction when he was working for Christie’s in London during the late 1990s. “A minimum of 2-3 years is required, in my opinion, for a hand-rolled Cuban cigar. Five to 10 years, even better.”

Andrew Welch, a U.S. collector and creator of Vitolas.net (a rare cigar information site), agrees that aging is beneficial. The real question, he opined, is “how much?”

For him, the answer comes down to the strength of the tobacco blend and personal taste. “While I might think that a Padrón tastes fantastic with, say, three years of age on it,” he said, “you might prefer a more subtle blend, and thus might prefer the same cigar with five years of age on it.”

What he’s seeking from the aging process, Welch said, is balance. And, like Ebbesen, Welch used an analogy from the grape: “… just as wine will improve with age in terms of the smoothness, and the complexity of flavors, so will properly aged cigars.”

After you’ve decided to age cigars, there’s the question of which ones to select. Should you focus on strong, full-bodied smokes? Or simply the ones you like best? Small or large ring gauge?

Well, it’s no surprise that not everyone agrees on this, either.

Christopher Wolters, commercial director at the elite tobacconist La Casa del Habano (http://www.thecigarsmoker.com) in Hamburg, Germany, said he doesn’t believe strong cigars necessarily age better.

“It’s just too complex a theme as would be possible to answer with either yes or no,” said Wolters, who himself prefers milder smokes.

Bob Blum, a collector who began smoking Cubans before the embargo, said that while he believes a cigar’s strength is a factor in successful aging, he caters to his own tastes.

“Well-rounded, bold, sweet, and spicy appeal to me most,” said Blum. “So I am likely to lay down what have become my favorites from Cuba.”

In fact, it was taste that led him into aging in the first place. He had long been getting Cubans from European dealers with whom his father had dealings decades earlier. Then, during the mid-1990s, he began to notice “a different aroma, rougher taste and strength.” Checking the manufacturers’ dating codes, he saw that production was being stepped up. Blum realized that the cigars he’d bought in the past were aged by dealers before he got them; his newer purchases were much greener.

“So, on advice from dealer friends, I began to buy and lay down those boxes with current dates,” Blum said.

Blum’s not partial to any particular length or ring gauge. Welch, on the other hand, said some believe that “the thinner the ring gauge of the cigar, the quicker it ages, the reason being that there are fewer layers of tobacco for the air to penetrate through.”

Ebbesen, now with London’s Elliston & Southwick Fine Wines (http://www.es-finewines.com), said he’s found size to make little difference in aging: “I’ve had very thin 26-gauge smokes with 30 years of age that were excellent.”

What’s often more important, Ebbesen added, is the packaging, with a bundle of 50 cigars apt to age better than 25 packed flat.

Below: Fuente Fuente OpusX: “Opus 22” 2006

Then, of course, there’s the issue of how long to age your cigars — assuming you can bear to let them sit more than a few months.

Blum said he generally starts smoking his cigars after about six years. But he’s got some that are far older, and his delightful descriptions could serve as an endorsement for the benefits of aging cigars.

“The best cigars I have aged, by some great twist of fate, are a few boxes of Cuban Dunhill Mojitos and Davidoffs of the smaller ring gauge. These are cigars I purchased in Europe in the mid-80s and simply put them to rest,” Blum said.

“When the Cubans discontinued them I decided they should become stored probably for the very long term, and I still have unopened, sealed boxes from that time that will become a part of my estate. I have smoked from the Dunhill Mojitos the past few years, and they remain a magnificent cigar in all respects, flavors a bit more subdued than when fresh, but all coming together perfectly.”

Welch said he, too, has cigars he’s seen change dramatically over time. “I have some original release Opus [i.e., Fuente Fuente OpusX] that are coming upon 12 years old; they change dramatically in terms of flavor when they are this deeply aged,” he said. “I find them to be sublime.”

He and others warned, though, that it is possible to over-age cigars.

“Certainly, I've had a number of 20-plus-year-old cigars that I think are well past their prime,” Welch said. “Again, just like wine, there's a peak for each cigar blend (which varies based on your personal taste), past which the cigar will decline in enjoyability to an extent.”

Wolters joked that, being in his early 40s, he’s too young to have aged any cigars so long that they passed their prime. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t had some sticks that were.

“I have smoked cigars that have seen their best days long ago,” he said. “For example, the Davidoff No.1s and No. 2s are declining — their time has come.”

Below: 1985 Davidoff Tubos

(Photo by Bob Blum)

In the end, each smoker has to decide whether the investment in aging is worth the payoff.

It’s probably good to bear in mind the words of Andrew Welch, who said he thinks people sometimes get too caught up in the idea of aging.

“Just like in wine,” he said, “any cigar you enjoy the taste of is a good cigar.  Not everyone has the same tastes, or even has the same ability to taste.”

Doc Notes:

George Edmonson is a cigar enthusiast and retired journalist living in Tarpon Springs, Florida.

George is the only “One-take” writer I know... yep, he’s that good! He is a frequent guest contributor for Stogie Fresh.