Answer this one for me. R&J Cazadores ...aged or fresh

[El Presidente]

I had an inquiry today as to:

1. My preference for aged R&J Cazadores or fresh Cazzies. 
2. What to expect in terms of flavour through the Cazzies transformation from fresh (1-2 years) to aged (5-8 years). Essentially what flavours do you get at both stages. 

 I have given him my thought but best that he gets a broader opinion. 

[canadianbeaver]

These are the only RyJ that interest me. Not only because of the smoke, but lonsdale too.

Like them with a few years on them, and just got the box from you guys that do not even have bands on them (2008).

Bold flavours I cannot specifically add adjectives to at the moment. But awesome!

Here's one that I shot before smokin' it. Found it on my phone.

CB

 

[shlomo]

Don't have much experience with any Caz older than 3 or 4 years. I like them too much when young to let them rest long enough!

[JohnS]

If you desire the power that a Cazadores can bring to your smoking experience, then I advocate having them young. Age them only if you'd like to take the 'edge' off them, that is, refine them a touch. 

[Philc2001]

Haven't had many that are aged, this was not a vitola I generally cherished until I tried a couple of them with 7-8 years of age and they were very tasty. Recently I've been smoking some Cazzies from our host with code (ORG MAR 16), which I am enjoying, but they do have a slightly rough inconsistent edge to them particularly in the last third. That aside, they have a tasty tobacco core and a nice dash of Cuban twang that I appreciate, so much so that I just picked up another box with code (ORG NOV 16) from the 24:24 offering yesterday. I plan to continue smoking through the open box, and put the incoming box down for a while to see what happens in a few years. 

[99call]

I would have to say the perfect mix with R&J Cazadores would probably be the reverse of how I would approach a box of anything else

Normal box:

Smoke 4-5 ROTT and over the first couple of months,  then on the basis of how they're going most likely put them to bed for a while

R&J Cazzies;

Smoke 15-20 ROTT and over the first couple of months, then on the basis of how they're going maybe put the last 5 down for a while. 

Ultimately, with what I find to be a  linear, but very good blend, I think it's designed (like El Pres has pointed out before) to be an accompaniment for either a hunt, or an outdoor walk. It has the gusto not to get lost in the wind, but doesn't require too much attention. 

On that basis I think I would utilise the unique characteristics of this cigar, for being able to stand out, in outdoor conditions or against strong beverages.

Then maybe with the 5 you retain and forget about, smoke them indoors 5yrs later, and see where they've gone.

 

[btort910]

1 hour ago, shlomo said:

Don't have much experience with any Caz older than 3 or 4 years. I like them too much when young to let them rest long enough!

Pretty much same thing here. Although I have a few in the humi that I'm trying to forget they're there. Maybe I can put a few more years on them and check out the differences.

[PigFish]

One cigar people keep telling me are great and I have yet to have a great one.

Perhaps I will have to try some once more. -Piggy

[SinfullyPatient]

I thought this felt familiar.

 

 

[dvickery]

Just opened a box last week  .

'00 ryj cazadores

box was sealed in '00 when I bought it and still was last week .

first smoke was not good , tight (not plugged) and required quite a bit of modification... not going to review or comment further .

second one ... way way better draw . Should have opened the box and let it rest/breath/whatever before first try .

a bit boring for the first cm. ... after that ... flavour explosion with building strength .

the flavours ... well rob I can't describe as others do sorry ... let's just say I like "burning tobacco " flavour . This was tasty albeit youngish for my tastes .

strength was in the 5/5 department (for Cuban cigars anyhow) .

smoked like and tasted like a good 5 year old cigar ... be aware of the patience needed to allow cigars in tinfoil to mature .

derrek

[BrightonCorgi]

5 hours ago, JohnS said:

If you desire the power that a Cazadores can bring to your smoking experience, then I advocate having them young. Age them only if you'd like to take the 'edge' off them, that is, refine them a touch. 

I am fine with either one.  Love punchy tannic Habanos when I can get them, but with nice age & finesse is just as good for me.

[cigaraholic]

I also just opened a box last week...these things are still monsters...I think if I'd of smoked one fresh I'd be up for a week...

 

[BMWBen]

7 hours ago, PigFish said:

One cigar people keep telling me are great and I have yet to have a great one.

Perhaps I will have to try some once more. -Piggy

If you have any interest in trying some ORG MAR 16's I can send you a few this weekend. I've only had 2 but they're full flavored/bodied for a cuban, a nice change of pace. They all seem pretty nicely filled too.

[Guest Nekhyludov]

I can't speak to aging preference, but I'm smoking my first Cazzie now and enjoying the hell out of it.

Although this is definitely fuller-bodied than I usually smoke, I'm not getting any youthful harshness out of this one. 

13 months of age, 48 days acclimating in the humidor, dry boxed for 2 hours. 

I say smoke 'em fresh(-ish)!

[SCgarman]

8 hours ago, PigFish said:

One cigar people keep telling me are great and I have yet to have a great one.

Perhaps I will have to try some once more. -Piggy

I only smoked one and that was enough for me. No complexity and far too rough around the edges.

[Ginseng]

14 hours ago, El Presidente said:

I had an inquiry today as to:

1. My preference for aged R&J Cazadores or fresh Cazzies. 
2. What to expect in terms of flavour through the Cazzies transformation from fresh (1-2 years) to aged (5-8 years). Essentially what flavours do you get at both stages. 

 I have given him my thought but best that he gets a broader opinion. 

The Cazadores is one of my all time favorite cigars. Never have they failed to satisfy. Rich without weighing you down. Powerful without inducing palpitations. Body from medium to heavy and rarely a loose or tight one in the bunch. I have been buying them fresh for quite a while, maybe a dozen years or so. Right now I'm tapping boxes from 2008-2015. As to the questions:

1. Sometimes I drink double espresso, sometimes house blend. Most times I lean toward a good French press Sumatra. So for me, Caz generally reach maximum enjoyability with 2-5 years from the box date.
2. I'm not a golden palate so I can't give you a very detailed or expressive characterization of the change from infancy to the teens. However, I experience this as a decrease in "roughness" but it's not the harshness of poorly fermented tobacco. There is also a decrease in "tang" with a concomitant emergence of sweetness, but not the sweetness of, say, honey. Only rarely do I perceive cherries or prunes. There is no purer tobacco avatar of well-tanned, full-grain armchair leather than the Cazadores. This is one cigar that you do not have to struggle to discern its development.

Wilkey

[PigFish]

21 hours ago, BMWBen said:

If you have any interest in trying some ORG MAR 16's I can send you a few this weekend. I've only had 2 but they're full flavored/bodied for a cuban, a nice change of pace. They all seem pretty nicely filled too.

... that is a generous offer mate. Perhaps I will trade you a couple old ones for some new ones! LMK. -Ray

[stogieluver]

32 minutes ago, PigFish said:

... that is a generous offer mate. Perhaps I will trade you a couple old ones for some new ones! LMK. -Ray

Word of advice to BMWBen:  you will do well to take Ray up on his offer, if extended!

(hope I didn't put you on the spot, Ray).   

[stogieluver]

I just happen to be smoking, at the moment, the next to last one from a MOE JULY15 box.  Or, I should say "trying to smoke".  As I posted last week in a thread by El Pres, I can't keep these damned things lit.  It's a constant battle of relighting all the way through these.  I have another box with the same code, and I'm hoping they aren't of the same construction/blend, or whatever is causing this problem.  These are not tight at all.  They just won't stay lit. 

My humi has over 1600 CC's in it, at low 60's rH/70dF, and I don't have this problem with any other sticks.

[BMWBen]

42 minutes ago, PigFish said:

... that is a generous offer mate. Perhaps I will trade you a couple old ones for some new ones! LMK. -Ray

Very kind Ray, I wasn't expecting anything in return but if I receive something in the mail from you I'll accept the package , PM me your address and I will get them out this weekend

[anacostiakat]

Smoking from an '08 box now.  Roughness has smoothed out.  Just an excellent cigar.