What are the real differences with aged cigars?

[Jtravis]

I know the general idea is that cigars are better the more they age, but are there any noticeable differences other than "mellowing out"? I hear of a lot of big brands aging their products, but I've tried brands who hold the "factory fresh" idea and like them just as much.

I can't say I've had much patience or space to try but I'm considering setting up a coolerdor for aging if it would really be worth it.

 

[Old#12]

JT, it is my opinion that you wouldn't be disappointed if you had a way to age your tobacco or cigars. I can't tell you the number of times age has been the difference between a not so good smoking or good smoking experience and a great one. I will admit that many of us choose not to wait but it is usually because we are merely checking the status of the leaf or a blend. Sometimes a fresh rolled product can be very good but remember when you buy one, the leaf has been aged before it is rolled. However the money you save in a purchased fresh rolled is most likely because of less age, cheaper packaging and lesser grade tobacco and appearance. #12

 

[Smokin Harley]

I agree with Old#12 ...the leaf WLT sells is already aged . I just noticed a bag of whole leaf I have has the date 2006 on it...I'm sure 2006 was the grow year, but thats 8 years old already, thats aged before it was rolled. The other leaf I blended it with to roll a stick was grown more recent than that but how long were the cigars (the store bought ones)tobacco aged before they got to the rolling table, before they left the factory, before they were imported, how long did they sit in a warehouse before they got to you. Time. Lots and lots of it. I wouldn't say that aging only mellows it out , but it matures . The leaf ,whether or not it's still a single freshly cured leaf or a combination of compacted fermented leaf we refer to as a cigar cigarette or pipe tobacco, has various aromas and flavors somewhere inside it . It takes a lot of time to get to the point where they come out in the right proportions and play along with the others by help of a flame and it meets the sensors on this piece of flesh inside our mouths we call a tongue . I've rolled a few sticks that were so-so immediately after rolling them. You know , I just couldn't wait to try my first one of the batch . I let the same blend sit and it gets better after just a week . I've also rolled a few that were great right off the bat. But set that stogie in the right temp and humidity in a spanish cedar box for a month...3 months ...a year . That cigar will only get better. Like a good wine. Yes , it does "mellow out", there are maybe a few points of sharpness ,tongue bite,etc, but the flavors get a chance to mingle with one another, to marry. Roll a few sticks lets say roll 5 clones to be exact. Smell and smoke 1 right away .Then put the rest in a box and take a good deep sniff , remember that aroma...ok, now set those other 4 aside and smell them again in a week, smoke another one. Its different. Now ,same process a month later.6 months then finally a year. You'll smell aromas you didn't notice that first sniff. You'll get a more improved "finish" . Age, my friend ...it improves ,it mellows, it brings all the flavors and aromas to the palate party.
I started out with WLT Sabroso Medio blend a year ago and even though I rolled them all the same way in leaf proportion, every time I smoke one, its different but better.

 

[Smokin Harley]

I just read this "smoke it now or wait "aging tid bit....uhh, somewhere else. I'll just leave it here for your reading pleasure .

There’s a “rule” regarding freshly-rolled cigars. If a roller hands you a cigar right off the table, either smoke it right away, or put it away for awhile. The rule is called 48/48. A cigar that’s just been rolled should be smoked within 48 hours, or allowed to rest for 48 days. Why? When cigar leaf is moist and put under pressure (which happens when a cigar is made), it will begin to ferment. The by-product of that fermentation is ammonia, and I’m sure that, at one time or another, you’ve had a bitter cigar. Most likely you’re tasting ammonia from a stick that was rushed to market. Those cigars are commonly referred to as “green” or “young”, but I like the term we use in the office – “sick”. Why is it okay to smoke the cigar within the first couple of days? Simple, fermentation doesn’t begin right away. The fermentation will continue for about a month and a half, so 48 days is enough time to rest.

 

[deluxestogie]

I'm not sure that the "science" is correct. Cigar storage conditions are not all that conducive to significant fermentation over a mere 6 weeks. Yes the cigars do change. But my impression (having smoked them willy-nilly over varying periods of rest) is that cigars rolled with fully fermented tobaccos (e.g. what you get from WLT) simply equalize their moisture content over time. Besides, any assertion about cigars that is labeled as a "rule," is always suspect.

Bob