Expert: James Yee - 12/19/2007

Question
Hi James.  I recently bought several different kinds of single Cuban smokes in hopes of finding a few that will become a staple for me.  However, after reading tons of reviews and forums, it seems like just about all of the "pros" prefer cigars much more when they're aged (anywhere from 6 months to 10 years).  What I'd like to know is, what are some good Cuban cigars that can be smoked strait out of the box without having to worry about compromising the taste?  Of course I also plan to age some down the road, but as a semi-new cigar smoker, I'd like to be able to smoke some good ones until I'm able to mature some.  I don't really have a preference for certain strengths - even full bodied cigars don't seem to bother me.  However, I do prefer to keep them a little bit smaller (4" to 6" regardless of ring gauge) so that I don't have to smoke too much in one sitting until I can build up a nice tolerance for the larger smokes.  Thanks for your help!

Answer
Hi Robert,

All premium Cuban cigars do taste great straight out of the box.  It's true that aging cigars does increase the flavours and make them more rich and defined but it's not necessary to age them.  

Aging them is only a bonus and not mandatory. (But you should definitely age some cigars because you'll taste a difference in flavours.)

Here are some great premium Cuban cigars that already taste great straight out of the box.  Don't worry, these are all less than 6 inches:

Partagas Serie D No. 4
Partagas Mille Fleur
Ramon Allones Specially Selected
Bolivar Royal Coronas
Bolivar Bonitas
Romeo y Julieta Exhibicion #4
Romeo y Julieta Mille Fleur
Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure #2
Cohiba Siglo VI
Montecristo No. 4
Montecristo Edmundo
San Cristobal de La Habana La Fuerza
Cuaba Exclusivo
Cuaba Generoso

For me, I personally enjoy robustos when smoking short cigars because they can be incredibly flavourful and still small enough to enjoy under 30 minutes.

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

Regards,
James