Expert: James Yee - 3/12/2008

Question
Hello James,

I was just wondering what brands of cigars are best for aging and how long before they will be ready to smoke.

                                        Thank you,
                                           John  

Answer
Hi John,

Whether they're Cuban cigars or Non-Cuban cigars, the best cigars for aging are medium to full-bodied cigars with dark and oily wrapper leaves.  Cigars that are "glistening" with natural oils (or at least have a visible satin-like sheen) are excellent for aging because the abundance of natural oils in the wrapper leaves will promote a healthy coat of plume (bloom) on the cigar but also not deplete and shrivel the cigar over time.  (Some cigars subjected to long-term aging can indeed shrivel due to the oils being secreted from the tobacco.)  Plume is a dust-like substance that appears on aged cigars and this dust substance is actually the oils now secreted and crystallized.  

Anytime you see a cigar with plume, you know it's been aged properly.  The longer the cigar ages, the more plume develops.

Flavour-wise, plume does not really affect taste.  Aged cigars do taste richer in flavour and this is the result of the different types of tobacco marrying and blending with each other over time.  A young cigar can taste one-dimensional while aged cigars will be richer and well-defined in flavour.

Cigars with dark wrappers such as a Double Claro, Colorado Maduro and Maduro are also excellent for aging because there is usually more secreted oils in the tobacco.  The wrapper leaves should also have a smooth, velvet-like texture.  Cigars with papery or waxy-like wrappers typically do not age well because of the lack of natural oils present in the tobacco leaves.

Some excellent Cuban brands for aging are Montecristo, Bolivar, Hoyo de Monterrey and Partagas.  Some excellent non-Cuban brands for aging are Opus X, Padron, Avo Domaine and CAO.

Hope this answers your question.  If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask.

Regards,
James