In the beginning I used to do a lot more trading and buying and or gifting and I would get cigars that had the date right on them with a hand written tag. I would think wow this is over the top. You guys are probably going to laugh and say how could she ever even attempt to answer this post but I have read, gifted and listen to what people have said. In fact because I do not smoke I know my cigars get pretty old if I do not send them out and I know age is not necessary a good thing. I imagine a cigar is similar to to wine. Some wine is what it will always be, and other wines will get worse or better with age. I presume the time you spend within the culture of cigars and the efforts you place in understanding what you enjoy will eventually answer your question. What an opportunity a board like this gives to people, now able to voyage into trades with all different kinds of people and effectively try different cigars as well as different ages to the same cigar. Lets face it not everyone has the self control as well as the funds to buy enough to age the cigars they enjoy. Take a PadronMaduro 1926 CC's favorite. After a year of resting those cigars change and not for the good. It's a great cigar to most but that is one cigar that too much age will weaken the taste. I got that from just reading what you guys have said over the years. So I guess the answer to your question does it really matter if the cigar is aged? It going to be a personal preference of what you like and what you don't like and you never know what that is if you did not have the opportunity to trade with a cosmopolitan group of individuals that you come to know on CigarSmokers the greatest board in the world....Is Hex looking ? I hope so...smiles