Vintage cigars

[Cohibanut]

Hi (again),

I asked a question this morning about ageing cigars and the (possible) similarity with wine. This has now led to this question which I am currentlly puzzling over instead of doing what I should be doing namely: work.

Are there, as with wine, good years and bad years for cigars? In other words do certain years stand out as exceptionaly good / or bad in the cigar world?

Should the statement: " I've just smoked a Partagas 1997" for example be welcomed by:

A) A nod and a smile of understanding by the connaisseur
B) Be met with a shrug of the shoulder and a "Well, year, Partagas are nice but they are always nice and a 98 no less or more than a 97 if only for the fact that the latter is one year older"
C) Whatever dude, I only smoke Malboro lights.

Your views please?

[cigarsarge]

Most cigars cigars improve with age...some more than others. Most domestics are ready to smoke when you get em. Cubans need to rest several years if they are recent production. all cigars change in time.

The best thing to do is buy a box and smoke one immediately. If it's not to your liking, let them rest. Smoke one every six months or so. When you think they have peaked burn em up.

I've got several cigars ten plus years old. They still change every time I smoke one.

[CoventryCat86]

I dunno sarge, my favorite Havanas are from '04, it's just a matter of personal preference.

I have found that quite a few Havanas from the 1998 - 2000 years have a higher chance of quality problems, rolled too tightly and are therefore plugged.

Unlike wine where grapes from different years taste differently, cigars age as a function of time so if you like the taste of aged cigars, the older the better but again certain people tend to avoid certain years based on quality problems they have either heard about of experienced first hand.

I've never heard that tobacco from a certain year tastes better than from other years (like wine)

[cigarsarge]

I've smoked some VR Famosos from 2004 that were excellent. I have some Monte #2s 2003 that were excellent before they went into their sick period.

Letting em rest for awhile takes some of the bite out of newer rolled Cubans.

[CoventryCat86]

I've smoked some VR Famosos from 2004 that were excellent. I have some Monte #2s 2003 that were excellent before they went into their sick period.

Letting em rest for awhile takes some of the bite out of newer rolled Cubans.

OH BABY I LOVE "THE BITE"

You know me Sarge, my favorite Quinteros are usually only two months old

[jaewing]

Being new to the cigar world I have researched and listened in order to become familiar with all of the interesting facts about them.

I have been told and have read in a couple places that tobacco, like wine grapes, are very much affected by many things and quality may change from year to year. So like wine, cigars may have "good years" and "bad years" depending on growing conditions and weather.

Personally, however, I have not experienced this myself. I have had good cigars and bad cigars but never paid much attention to the year the tobacco was harvested.

[NickWD123]

I've smoked some VR Famosos from 2004 that were excellent. I have some Monte #2s 2003 that were excellent before they went into their sick period.

Letting em rest for awhile takes some of the bite out of newer rolled Cubans.

You gotta smoke them ASAP. If they are dry, which never happens to my cigars, put them in the humidor. Or store them there until you smoke them. Don't wait it out, smoke them while they're fresh. Brugal Anejo neat is great with a Montecristo.

[Drake]

I've smoked some VR Famosos from 2004 that were excellent. I have some Monte #2s 2003 that were excellent before they went into their sick period.

Letting em rest for awhile takes some of the bite out of newer rolled Cubans.

sick period? i don't understand.

[cigarsarge]

sick period? i don't understand.

When Cuban cigars age they go into a period from six months to a couple of years that they taste like crap...totally unsmokeable. I don't know why this happens. I do know after this period they become smokable and really start to mellow.