Any other restless smokers?

[ayedfy]

I'm still very new to cigars, so please forgive any ignorance on my part here!

It seems to me that the general consensus is that you should age cigars (particularly CCs) for a number of years before they really hit their prime. I don't think anyone can doubt that's true in many cases. The best cigar I've smoked so far had been aging for a few years before I got my hands on it.

However, I'm not at the point where buying boxes and putting them away for aging is feasible. At the moment, my small tuppador can hold about 20-25 cigars. I generally just buy singles and smoke them within a few months of purchase. This is simpler and cheaper for me, and keeps the girlfriend (comparably) happy.

I was given a fairly young Monte No.2 recently that was still very enjoyable despite its young age (less than a year old). The person who passed it on mentioned that, in his personal experience, Montes performed much better in their youth than, say, an Upmann No.2.

Aging cigars is exciting business to be sure, but are there any particular marques (and commercial vitolas within those marques) that you love for being consistently excellent without any aging? Something you can comfortably smoke the same day you pick them up?

[Rushman]

I for one believe in smoking and enjoying cigars first and aging second. If you can age and have a large enough stock to only smoke aged sticks more power to you.

Never let the lack of aged stock keep you from enjoying your passion. That will come wi time.

I use the OLH to age as I can't keep my grubby paws off fave smokes. 95% of my smoking is off the shelf of my store so it's usually 1 year or 2 years old.

Enjoy first is my motto.

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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=20.629985,-87.069757

[Fuzz]

To each his own. It also depends on the cigar in question. For example, I prefer to smoke PLPCs young, but my mate Jase prefers them with some age on them. Though, we both agree that the HdM Le Hoyos need a good 5 year sleep.

The OLH is a great way to store cigars for aging and keeping hidden from prying eyes.

[Lotusguy]

I buy aged stock a lot of times so that solves that particular problem for me. Helps when you like discontinued or unpopular marcas and vitolas like I do.

[brazoseagle]

^ x 2 OLH!

If you enjoy smoking cigars, that's the point, don't get caught up in the "rules" - there are no rules, enjoy your cigars when and how you can, and let that be the goal!

[AndrewNR]

It's a personal preference thing.. I believe the best advice I've seen here is to always try your cigars.. Say you have a box of something you should try it every few months until it hits your personal sweet spot.

I believe there's a few videos where Rob for example says he sometimes revels in the strong and changing flavours of a young cigar rather to an aged one.

I had a similar problem for years with storage only using tupperware type set up, For christmas about a year back my wife bought me a 300 count Humidor and that got the ball rolling only a few months ago. I've recently bought some "Puck" humidifiers and converted a 120ish year old pirate style chest into my humidor and now I've sworn to myself not to buy again for awhile.

[markmurase]

Hi Ash, you've asked an excellent question. I think that in recent years, many cigars are smoking well when young, That's good news, although I hope the aging potential is not reduced. Time will tell.

I've had a few cigars that were quite overpowering when fresh and definitely needed some aging to make them smokeable. Some milder brands such as HDM, H Upmann and Quay D'Orsay seem to do the opposite and may build in compexity and body with age. I have also enjoyed H Upmann and Quay D'Orsay when young.

As mentioned above, most marques/vitolas are worth trying young, but one I've found very consistent is the Trinidad Robusto T.

Hope we can chat about this on the deck sometime.

Cheers,

Mark

[Charltonc]

Juan Lopez selection no. 2 slr serie a h. Upmann Connie 1 smoke well fresh.

[nikesupremedunk]

Lucky for guys like you and me, 11's and 12's seem to be smoking well young. Especially if you only have a small collection of singles, it's not worth aging. I don't have a lot to compare to since I only got to smoke a handful of aged sticks, but I must say I've had 11's and 12's that are as good/better than even aged sticks. Buy what you like and you will enjoy it regardless of age.

[LeafLover]

I buy and age for a year then I smoke. Sure, there are boxes that I smoke less out of because I want to age them longer. But I don't buy boxes to intentionally age for years on end.

As for buying CC's and smoking them ROTT or within 6 months, don't know. But, the PSD4's I just picked up are less than a year and I smoked one out of curiosity and it was sensational, so I smoked 3 more. But that's for 2012. Who knows what 2013 PSD4's will bring.

If you really want a cigar that smokes well right away, go to the NC realm. But IMO, all NC's taste the same. My personal opinion is that they use so many different kinds of tobacco's from all over the world and cram it into one cigar that they almost all taste the same. Kind of like rinsing your water color paintbrush into the same cup without emptying it....you will always get black in the cup.

I smoke a lot of cigars and drink even more scotch in a week. I have a stressful business and I work out maybe 1-2x/week (just recently). The health experts will say that I won't live very long.

Don't know if I'll be around 5-10-20 years. Carpe diem.

[Ophidion]

If its good now, I smoke it now.

If I really want aged smokes I will buy them aged. I have no real patience for aging my cigars for more than 6mo-1yr so I just smoke them when they start smoking really well.

[dB69]

Try a Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.1. It's one my favourite young smokes.