I think it takes about three to five years for a cigar to go from rested to aged. That being said, I prefer to smoke cigars with a least five years on them; however, there are many cigars that smoke well at one to two years. For me, it depends on the cigar and my enjoyment of it at that time. I do like to sample out of a box at 30 days, six months, and one year to see how they are progressing. As far as how to age, one just buys severals boxes and buries them deep. I forget about them, and after a year or two, they're on their way.