Cigar Aging 101

Today I’ll be sharing some tips on aging cigars.  First off, you should know that aging a cigar will impact the flavor, sometimes dramatically.  If you like the way a cigar tastes straight from the box, please enjoy them as they are.  

To properly age a cigar, you must first make sure that you a have a humidor and that it is monitored weekly.  The humidity should be with 68-72% rh with a temperature range between 68-72° F as well.  If it’s running a little low in humidity, it might be time to refill your humidifier with distilled water or make the switch to Boveda Humidipaks.  These humidipaks are inexpensive and do all of the work for you.  The regulate the humidity in your humidor without having to add water.  Throw 8 of them in your humidor and you won't have to worry about maintaining it for 6 months.  If your humidor is running a little cooler temperature wise, consider moving your humidor to a warmer part of the house.  Cigars can be good for decades if your humidor is running optimally.  

Next, decide which cigars you want to age.  Cigars get milder the longer you age them.  You can most likely age a strong and spicy cigar for a year and return to find it medium bodied with a little sweetness and peppery earth. Alternatively, you might age a sweet cigar and come to find that it is oaky and leathery. I personally like holding on to limited edition cigars, like the the new Avo Classic Covers Volume 3 90th Anniversary.  While I enjoy the flavors it offers now, I am anticipating great things one year, two years, maybe three years down the road.  Another cigar I like to age from time to time is La Flor Dominicana's Double Ligero line.  Out of the box, these cigars are full bodied powerhouses with a lot of hot pepper flake and pepper.  With a few years of aging, these cigars develop a beautiful sweetness and nuttiness that can rival any medium bodied cigar on the market.  That is also why it’s a good idea to age at least a half box of the same cigar at a time.  

The key to appreciating an aged cigar is trying a few during the aging process.  Every six months or so, smoke a couple and gauge where the flavor changed.  Do you enjoy it more or less? What new flavors have you picked up on now that the tobacco has successfully matured and mellowed out?  Give it a try and let us know how you make out.