Long Term Storage / Aging Cigars

Joined Feb 2005
38 Posts | 0+
One of my favorite sections of CA is the connoisseur's corner which has me interested in setting some cigars asside. I don't have a BIG stash, probably only about 100 at any one time, but I'm looking to get another humidor to use for long term storage.

For those that age some of their cigars, what is the key? In some other threads I heard recommendations of pulling them out of the cello wrappers, is that so they can breath better? Should the humidity level be different?

Thanks!

Mike
 
56Tweed said:
For those that age some of their cigars, what is the key?
Mike

The most imporatnat thing of all!
Do not smoke them!
Always been the hardest part of it for me!
Instaed I buy aged cigars and then smoke them.
I usually buy 2 boxes of the same thing and then they last longer.

I have heard 70/70 is the best for storage!
But time is what it takes!

Cello no cello does not matter!
 
CastleCrest said:
56Tweed said:
For those that age some of their cigars, what is the key?
Mike

The most imporatnat thing of all!
Do not smoke them!

Thats funny, I guess that could be important. ;)

More than anything I would just rather be able to buy cigars by the box. Right now I can only hold one or two boxes at a time plus some singles. I would like to start buying a wider variety in boxes rather than singles. If I can do that I can start making some of them last years instead of weeks or months.

If they get better with age, then that is a real bonus. The Mac '88s and '92s I have are both very good and have only gotten better.

Mike
 
CC is right - don't smoke them. :( And time is all it takes. :shock: Don't watch the clock. :roll:

Some other tips:

I try not to smoke anything that hasen't been in my humi for at least a couple of months. I use distilled water in my humidifier and find that a little bit of time will get rid of the gaminess a cigar might pick up from being stored with other solutions used by the merchant.

I also keep a couple of Acid cigars in an area of my humidor for blending. I didn't like the Drew Estate stuff enough to smoke all of it; but it works great for adding a hint of aroma to the rest of my sticks.

Overall, I like the mellowing effect aging has on smokes that would otherwise knock me over. for example, the C.A.O Brazilias have taken on more of a creaminess, while still maintaining a very full flavor. Very nice! :D
 
"I try not to smoke anything that hasen't been in my humi for at least a couple of months." - Me too.

I use distilled water in my humidifier and find that a little bit of time will get rid of the gaminess a cigar might pick up from being stored with other solutions used by the merchant." - Me too. So that's what it is. "Gaminess" imparted by other solutions. Makes a lot of sense.

"Overall, I like the mellowing effect aging has on smokes that would otherwise knock me over." - Me too. I've posted many times how a cigar has made me feel like Earnie Shavers materialized in my living room to bop me with that short, sneaky, thunderous right hand of his. :D
 
It is amazing what time can do for a cigar!

A few things,
Mild cigars do not age well - BUT!
There is a difference between aging (Years)
and resting (months)
ANy cigar will smoke better if kept at the right RH and let to rest and stabalize for 30-60 days. Climate, sea level what ever it it is
after 30 days of resting in your home a cigar will smoke better.
Also:
Most cigar shops rarely keep cigars at the RH they should be.
Most often a little to high, even buying on the internet by the box most vendors ship moist.
Keeping a cigar at 62%-65% for a month will make it burn better and taste better.
If thinking about a cabinet for aging any cabinet by Aristcrat!
http://www.aristocrathumidors.com/
Or Avallo!
http://www.avallohumidors.com/
I own both and they are amazing peices of furniture.
The set and forget humidification systems are the best!

I used to use a cooler (Coleman)-sp?
worked pretty good for the most part.
Try to keep boxes off the bottom,
put an box lid under the boxes.
RH seems to settle near the bottom and can create a damp spot & mold.

All that said, I have some cigars that are 12 years old, never a top of the line smoke. But now they are amazingly smooth and wrht 10 times what they were when first released!

If I can be of any help just ask!
 
Wow those are some hardcore humidors! I'll have to book mark those since I haven't really seen to many options between a desktop (@100 cigars) and a floor to ceiling unit (@3000 cigars).

I can definitely appreciate the value of a good humidor. My first was pretty cheap and I had a really hard time keeping the levels up. Cigars tended to dry up in a matter of months during the winter months. A year or two ago I sprung for a nicer unit and the RH levels stabalized really well. I keep it about 68% in the winter, just in case I don't check it for a few days and it drifts down too far.

Now that I'm comfortable that they aren't going to dry up I'm willing to keep more on hand. Sounds like a good plan to let them settle a bit when they come home.

Mike
 
If it were me unless you like furniture, I'd get a 155qt. cooler from Costco or (perhaps Amback sells them as well). You should be able to get more than 40 boxes in there depending of course on size.

Eventhough many suggest otherwise, I don't recommend taking the cello off your smokes. While your cigars might mature slower with the cello on, the key to ageing is a slow steady maturation.

Reference: Try uncorking a decent wine, tasting a glass full - then leave the bottle uncorked (open to air) to age a couple of weeks. Think of your cigars in the same manner.
 
I'm with Hollow Point on the cellophane issue, very strongly. If you leave the cellophane on, they don't age nearly as quickly. That might be a good thing in some cases, because a cigar kept with the cellophane on for ten years may only have aged a year or so. That's just a guideline, it's all up to the individual, but I like the natural aging process brought on by the spectre of removing the cellophane.
 
None of my cigars came with cello on them??????
but the wat My wife and I smoke it is rare to gae anything.
On the other side, Misa (wife) smoked a cigar yesterday that was older then she is :shock:

Partagas Perfecto - 27 years on it!
 
I was reading up on the topic of again some this weekend and one article mentioned turning the cigars periodically. Do you guys trun them? If so how often?

It also advised placing a piece of thin cedar at the bottom of each row to help air flow. I think it was cedar because carboard could get musky. Does anyone find this important? I know Castle Crest mentioned the need to raise them off the bottom if you use a cooler.

Mike
 
Turning makes sense but in my experience I have found that you shoud handle the cigars as little as possible. If you take off the cello and keep touching them it is bad for the oils which is what makes the aging process. I just open a box, take off cello, rebox, and then periodically smoke until they are just right (ripe), then I tear into the whole box to get at them while the getting is good. Timing is everying, you can overage your cigars.
 
I don't turn my cigars.
I do have 5 fans in my humidor to keep the air moving.
They don't run always, but enough to keep the air moving.
To much work, to many cigars :?