Expert: James Yee - 4/5/2009

Question
Hello,

I have recently started enjoying cigars since my visit to Cuba a couple months ago and I have been sampling various Habanos cigars to see which ones I enjoy more. So far I have added a quite nice collection of 2 or 3 of each of the following: Cohiba Siglo VI, Uppman Magnum 46 and Connoisseur No.1, Montecristo Edmundo, Ramon Allones Specially Selected, Hoyo de Monterrey Short Robustos, Partagas Serie D No.4, Partagas Serie P No.2, R&J Churchills, I also have one Cohiba Robusto, R&J Short Churchill, Bolivar Royal Corona, Vegas Robaina Famosos and Hoyo de Monterrey Des Dieux all in my humidor. I got them all at either a Casa del Habano store in Havana or Toronto so I am sure they are all genuine.

So far I have only smoked the Upmman Magnum 46 & Con No.1, Monte Edmundo, Allones Specially Selected and the Hoyo Petit Robusto. Of those the Con No.1 has been my favorite, I found the Hoyo to be a little young and not fully developed in the beginning - a little funky tasting before settling. The Edmundo and Magnum 46 have been excellent too but a little less complex than the Con. No.1. The Specially Selected was a very impressive smoke throughout most but it got quite bitter towards the end of the last third and nub which I have read is common with this cigar. Based on my experience with the Hoyo Petit Robusto, and to a degree, with the Allones Specially Selected I am thinking some of these might benefit more than otherws with a bit more aging in my humidor. Of the cigars I have listed which ones benefit most from aging and which ones are comparatively better to go right after sale and don't evolve/fully develop as much as the others? I'd appreciate your expertise in this manner.

Thanks.

Answer
Hi Sinan,

All premium Cuban cigars have potential to age well.  How well a cigar ages doesn't depend on the brand name but instead, depends on which cigars have oily tobacco and the quality of the tobacco that is used in the cigar.  It's hard to say which cigars age better than others because not all cigars are the same.  They're produced from different batches of tobacco, by different rollers at a factory and at different times of the year.  HOWEVER, of the cigar brands you mentioned, Montecristo, Hoyo de Monterrey, Partagas and Bolivar have been known to consistently age well.

All Cuban cigars that are sold in stores have already been aged at the factories for a short time so they can be smoked immediately.  However, if you plan to age cigars, try to age cigars that have dark, oily wrapper leaves.  The darker the cigar, the more aging potential it has.  As a cigar ages, the natural oils in the tobacco will extrude and crystalize; creating a dust-like substance called "plume" (aka "bloom").  Plume is a good sign that a cigar is aging well so the more oils there is in a cigar, the better it will age.  Cigars with little oils or aged cigars that have exhausted their natural oils can eventually shrivel and become more fragile and mellow in flavour and this is not good.  The purpose of aging cigars is to allow the tobacco to amalgamate which creates more defined flavours when smoked.  To do this, you should age cigars that have dark, oily wrappers.  (Darker tobacco is also more mature and richer in flavour as they have grown the longest on a tobacco plant before harvesting.)

As I mentioned earlier, all premium Cuban cigars can age well but dark, oily cigars will age to the fullest potential.  (Cigars with less oils and a lighter wrapper colour can still age but are less likely to be as rich and defined as a darker cigar.)

Hopes this answers your question.  If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James