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ontrackp
Enthusiast Topic Starter

8 years ago

HI -- question for the long term guys here......

I'm fairly new to accumulating cigars -- been buying up enough to fill my small humidor (25 only) and even though some of the cigars I've had in there have only been in for 5 or 6 weeks, I think I sense a difference in the smoking experience from smoking a day or two after receiving and letting them sit. I know that some will sit for a long time (especially as I plan to get a larger humidor), but am curious how long it takes to make a difference, or if I'm delusional and imagining things. And yes... I am delusional and imagine many things, but in this case am only concerned about smoking quality.

Thanks!

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delta1
Herf-A-Holic

8 years ago

you're not imagining things, at least as far as the difference between a cigar right off the truck (ROTT) versus one that has been in your humidor. This, of course, depends on the humidity level and temperature in your humidor compared to the way the cigar was stored at the warehouse and the temp and humidity levels there. Cigar warehouses tend to be closer to 70F and 70RH, the supposed industry ideal.

Also to be considered are the length of time in transit as well as the temps and humidity levels in the trucks, mail sorting centers, airplanes, in transit ...

It's been my experience that cigars ROTT seem a little too wet: they smoke a little harsher and hotter, sometimes with burn issues (canoeing or tunneling) and are harder to draw...all factors that affect the taste of the cigar. Most of the vets here find that optimal RH is between 60-65...ymmv...

Edited by user 8 years ago | Reason: Not specified

corey sellers
Herf-A-Holic

8 years ago

I like to smoke rott then let them rest 6 months and try another and give it more time after that

ontrackp
Enthusiast Topic Starter

8 years ago

Thanks. I've noticed exactly what you mentioned -- more harsh and some burning problems ROTT. Looking forward to smoking some of these next summer! I guess patience is a virtue.

engletl
Herf-A-Holic

8 years ago

Having a large humi will lead to one day finding an old cigar...

Just the other day I refound a couple of cigars from over a decade ago...one of which is from 2000

BuckyB93
Herf-A-Holic

8 years ago

Different cigars are, welll,,.. different. Some are better young, some better with age. There is no right answer other than don't get a coolerdor or tuperdor. Those things have a habit of filling up.

midmofan
Herf-A-Holic

8 years ago

Despite knowing better, I almost always can't resist smoking one right away, but a month (or more) does improve ones from here and other places where shipping takes a bit longer and they don't ship with a humi pack. Some seem too dry some too wet.

I like mine about 67% for a while.

Pudding Mittens
Herf-A-Holic

8 years ago

Most of the vets here find that optimal RH is between 60-65...ymmv...

delta1 wrote:

Nope, 68-70 is my standard, and my other cigar pals with substantial collections agree.

60-65% is too dry for me, the cigars don't smoke as well. Also I worry about the vital flavor-giving oils evaporating/disappearing over the very long term, because I do such very long-term aging (with how many I have, most will hit 10+ years and many will hit 20+ years before I smoke them).

If a substantial part of the flavorful oils start disappearing in, say:

* 1 year at 40-50% RH (e.g. a cigar left out in the open)
* ?????? at 60-65% RH
* Never at 70% RH

...then interpolating the ??????, we arrive at "somewhere between 1 year and never". Could this be never? Possibly. It's certainly more than 2, 3, or 5 years, because lots of guys keep stuff at 60-65% for that timeframe and they seem fine. So it's probably between 5 years and never. However I really don't want to keep cigars for 10-20 years at 60-65% RH and find out. Over a very very long term, it seems like there might be loss, and I don't want to end up with "flat", lifeless-tasting cigars.

And before anyone says "age them that long and they WILL be flat and lifeless anyway!", I have never experienced any cigar LOSING quality due to age. Strength gets converted into complexity, but in my experience it's always been a fair trade, regardless of timeframe. If somebody judges "quality" mostly as just strength, then yes they "lose quality", but if you also include (as you should!) complexity and richness of "married" flavors, and not just strength alone, they don't ever lose overall quality in my experience.
.

Edited by user 8 years ago | Reason: Not specified

Pudding Mittens
Herf-A-Holic

8 years ago

Different cigars are, welll,,.. different. Some are better young, some better with age.

BuckyB93 wrote:

Newbies often are unaware of just HOW MUCH TIME some cigars require to get good. It's not common, but now and then I've had batches that were crap ROTT, crap at 1 year, crap at 2 years, crap at 3 years, sometimes up to 5-6 years, then they get better and end up fairly enjoyable as far as 7 years out.

Pretty rare, but it does happen, and it's kind of crazy. I have no idea what the explanation is chemically. The poster child for this is big batch of CAO Sopranos I got in 2010, that sucked consistently until about last year. Now they're not excellent, but they're pretty good. Amazing.
.

dstieger
Herf-A-Holic

8 years ago

#10

Nope, 67-70 is my standard, and my other cigar pals with substantial collections agree.

60-65% is too dry for me, the cigars don't smoke as well. Also I worry about the vital flavor-giving oils evaporating/disappearing over the very long term, because I do such very long-term aging (with how many I have, most will hit 10+ years and many will hit 20+ years before I smoke them).

If a substantial part of the flavorful oils start disappearing in, say:

* 1 year at 40-50% RH (e.g. a cigar left out in the open)
* Never at 70% RH

...then I really don't want to keep cigars for 10-20 years at 60-65% RH. A few years might be fine, but over a very very long term, it seems like there might be loss, and I don't want to end up with "flat", lifeless-tasting cigars.

And before anyone says "age them that long and they WILL be flat and lifeless anyway!", I have never experienced any cigar LOSING quality due to age. Strength gets converted into complexity, but in my experience it's always been a fair trade, regardless of timeframe. If somebody judges "quality" mostly as just strength, then yes they "lose quality", but if you also include (as you should!) complexity and richness of "married" flavors, and not just strength alone, they don't ever lose overall quality in my experience.
.

Pudding Mittens wrote:

I read this a few times trying real hard to find something to agree with..... it didn't happen

-62 is the sweet spot for me
-I can't think of a single cigar I smoke that is best anywhere near 70
-Most cigars get better with age - HOWEVER, most also 'age-out' at a certain point -- I don't intentionally age non-Cubans for a long time, but different cigars are different -- some sucky cigars are going to be every bit as sucky no matter how long you age them - OTOH, many very good Nicaraguans can lose considerable 'quality' in just a couple years. That sweet-spot time for aging can vary even from box to box of the same cigar. It's why we pay attention to box codes/dates on Cuban cigars.....and wish that NC's had same practice.

Palama
Herf-A-Holic

8 years ago

#11

I store my Cubans and Maduro-wrapped cigars at 65%. Connecticut wrapped stogies are usually at 69%. With the natural humidity and warmer year-round temps here in Hawaii, storing at 70% would be just asking for trouble.

OP - one thing for sure, as you get more into the active acquisition phase of your Cigar Bidding Disorder, you’ll almost naturally rest your new smokes as weekly shipments keep piling up. At some point you won’t really have to worry about letting them acclimate to your humidor/cooler, you’ll be so “backed up” (...smoking-wise...) that you may even forget you had them. I’ve had a couple of “Oh, I have a 5er of these already?” surprise moments so I speak from experience. Of course, ymmv.

Good luck and have fun!

engletl
Herf-A-Holic

8 years ago

#12

So..around my neck of the woods it is a battle to keep my cigars dehumidified as ambient rh stay around 80 year round.

So I opt for the 65% beads to keep excess moisture under control.

Cathcam13
Herf-A-Holic

8 years ago

#13

Hmm, I shoot for about 65%, but occasionally my humidor goes as high as 69%, especially if I have put a new batch of beads in it. My other Humidor remains in the 65-70 range all the time. That’s where I keep my newest recruits, for up to 5 months, before moving them to the big humidor.

Thunder.Gerbil
Herf-A-Holic

8 years ago

#14

dstieger wrote:

I'm with Dave, but, WTF would I know... 😰

Edited by user 8 years ago | Reason: Not specified

frankj1
Herf-A-Holic

8 years ago

#15

62.
but I still go by a couple other factors before lighting...

the squeeze test- I sorta know by now when it "feels ready"
the rfenster label slip test-very important for Cubans that the label can be moved freely a little bit. Others may still smoke well, but this is 98.2% accurate.

zitotczito
Herf-A-Holic

8 years ago

#16

60-62% and yes a month can matter, sometimes a lot.

ontrackp
Enthusiast Topic Starter

8 years ago

#17

Thanks for the interesting perspectives on this. I am definitely suffering from "Cigar Bidding Disorder" and have to stop as my paltry 25 cigar humidor is packed -- looking for a bigger size now, I'm sure some of these are going to wait until next spring as I tend to smoke much less in the winter.

24132413
Aficionado

7 years ago

#18

It will matter if you remove the cello. If you don't take it out of the cello it won't matter. 4 weeks of marrying can take the edge off and smooth out most blends. Of course the longer the better. I noticed a difference in a cigars taste after 4-5 weeks, 3-4 months, and 1 year with the cello off. After that not much change.

boileremt
Herf-A-Holic

7 years ago

#19

Totally agree with 62. All my humis are close to that. I also agree that shipped cigars need some rest. I will also add that at least for shpos around here, cigars are way too moist for smoking right away. The only time I smoke one off the shelf is at a lounge in Indy that has an amazing whiskey/bourbon selection but only allows smoking cigars purchased there.

62 and at least a month to acclimate

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