Really the best advice?

[CoachDread]

So I'm still relatively new here, but I try to be active and I do my best to read most of the new threads as well as perusing quite a few of the older threads. In many of them I see the recurring advice that if you don't like a cigar, put a couple/few of them in storage for 6 months, a year, decade, whatever, and then try it again. I previously bought in to this and then after seeing this advice given again I wondered...why? Not the why of resting, as I know this can alter flavor and can make a good stick great and a bad stick tolerable...but why waste your time on a cigar you really didn't enjoy when there are SO many others out there to try? Wouldn't it make more sense to just move along, find something you really enjoy now and put more of those away to see if they turn into something really spectacular?

[Hardheaded]

There are a few reasons people recommend it.

1. Your tastes change over time, especially if you are a ewer smoker and still trying new cigars.

2. Cigars smoke differently at different levels of rh, different stages of their fermentation cycle, etc.

3. It's usually good to try new things at least twice. Not just cigars.

That being said it's up to you to decide if the advice of stashing some away to try later makes sense to you. Was the cigar you didnt like harsh and off putting, or did you just not like the flavor profile? Time usually helps get rid of that harshness, however if you just don't like certain flavors, that might not change.

For example, I don't like the flavor profile of most Sun Grown habano wrappers. I know trying thr same cigar later won't change that. However if the cigar just seems a bit harsh and gives me that ammonia type taste, I know it might be good to try again later. But who knows, I may develop a liking for those wrappers I used to not like.

In the end it is your choice. We can only make recommendations and it does not work for everyone. Smoke what you like. Feel free to ignore a cigar if you didnt like it that first time. It's all up to you.

[OldSkoolTarHeel]

It's not just the resting of the cigar itself, I promise. There are numerous other reasons why this advice is given time and again.

You could have simply had a poor example of that particular cigar, such as bad burn or off tastes.

The surroundings at the time of your first take at it could have contributed to the poor reception of the cigar.

But mostly, your tastes will change too. I've been smoking for a few years now, and what I like now, is vastly different to what I liked then. There are cigars that I loved when I was much newer at this that I simply don't find appealing any longer.

By all means, do what you want with the cigars in your possession, if you don't want to "waste your time," don't. If you want to take a second pass at what could be a good cigar, do.

Edit: Apparently Hardheaded types faster than I do.

[CoachDread]

Please don't mistake my question as any kind of negativity. If it came across that way I apologize. I get that tastes will change over time (I know that my palate now is NOTHING like it was before) but was just wondering why you'd invest more in a cigar that you didn't care for in the hopes it might improve down the road as opposed to just moving on to something else and then picking up more of the things you actually enjoy. No intent to disparage in any possible way. :)

[Hardheaded]

Please don't mistake my question as any kind of negativity. If it came across that way I apologize. I get that tastes will change over time (I know that my palate now is NOTHING like it was before) but was just wondering why you'd invest more in a cigar that you didn't care for in the hopes it might improve down the road as opposed to just moving on to something else and then picking up more of the things you actually enjoy. No intent to disparage in any possible way. :)

I certainly didnt take it in any negative way. Its just a question.

I think most of the advice stems from a lot of online shopping and normally getting cigars in 5 packs or more, or at least I do. It's just more cost effective living in NY. I save local trips for single, usually higher end sticks I know I like.

If you only bought one of a cigar and didnt like it, you certainly don't have to run out and buy a few more just in case things change.

[garublador]

I certainly didnt take it in any negative way. Its just a question.

I think most of the advice stems from a lot of online shopping and normally getting cigars in 5 packs or more, or at least I do. It's just more cost effective living in NY. I save local trips for single, usually higher end sticks I know I like.

If you only bought one of a cigar and didnt like it, you certainly don't have to run out and buy a few more just in case things change.Without knowing the specifics of the recommendations in question, that would be my guess, too. There may be a few exceptions to this, like if it were a well known cigar that performed wildly different than expected, then it might be worth picking another couple up to rest for a while, but for the most part it's probably not worth buying more of a cigar that you don't like, especially when you're new.

I'm pretty new too and I'm sure there are a few cigars that I've written off that should be revisited. My plan is to get my whole storage, technique, palate and preferences much more stable before I worry about them again, though. As the OP pointed out, it may be better to explore different cigars than focus on cigars I've already not liked. However, if I have more than one I'll keep the others around rather than getting rid of them.

[Yarddog]

Coach Dread, I'm pretty much with you on this. The only reason I'd put one away for later was if I made a mistake in the first place and had it on hand anyway. Otherwise, move on, in my opinion. I only have a 70 cigar humidor, which is plenty of space to keep the ones I have in rotation, but not big enough to keep clunkers in. I dunno, again agreeing with you, if I didn't like it at first, I probably won't like it any better in six months, notwithstanding that yeah, you can get a bad one in a bunch of good ones.


The other thing that happens to me is that I'll pay $10, $15, $20, even more, for a stick with a lofty reputation...and I find that I like the sticks that I buy on special for $1 to $2 better. Such was the case with the vaunted Liga Privada #9, Padron 1926, the AJF New World, Tatuaje Black Label, and others. Decent ceegars, but NOT outstanding and worthy of the price tag and/or reputation. Those are good examples of what we're talking about. I could have bought another, put it away, see if I like it later, but to me, the sticks I buy SHOULD be aged long enough before I get them. To me, it just makes no sense that I should have to do the job that the maker SHOULD have done before they sold it to me! To me, it's almost like a loan...'pay me today for a cigar that you can't smoke for a year'. Mmmmm...nooooo...If I can't smoke it right off the truck, or right from the B&M, I'll move on, cuz there's plenty out there that I CAN do it with!

Maybe if I had a lot more disposable income to play with, or a larger humidor, or both, or took this hobby more seriously, I might feel differently. But...I don't.

[Nature]

I certainly wouldn't acquire another of a cigar I didn't care for the first time just oto see how it does with time, but if I had a few to begin with, they kind of get rested by default because I don't get back to it. Like has been said, there are plenty of other good cigar options I know I like, want to try, or new ones coming all the time. Then, after forgetting about it for 6 months or a year, or whatever, I might come across it and wonder if it's gotten any better. Even then, if it's not a gem, I likely wouldn't re-purchase, just finish up what I had at some point.

[Cardinal]

I think Dustin nailed it with the online shopping bit and how we end up with 5ers so often. I sure wouldn't buy MORE of a cigar I didn't like just to try aging them, but I might throw them in the humi for 6 months or a year and see if I change my mind or they get a little better.

When it comes to buying at the shop, I don't think I've ever bought more than 2 of an untried cigar, and only then from a maker I trusted. So when I have a bad single, I just don't buy it again.

[Cool Breeze]

I think Dustin nailed it with the online shopping bit and how we end up with 5ers so often. I sure wouldn't buy MORE of a cigar I didn't like just to try aging them, but I might throw them in the humi for 6 months or a year and see if I change my mind or they get a little better.

When it comes to buying at the shop, I don't think I've ever bought more than 2 of an untried cigar, and only then from a maker I trusted. So when I have a bad single, I just don't buy it again.

I agree with this.
OP, I'm with you. If I only had one, I certainly wouldn't invest in another just to try it 6 months down the road.

But I do buy up 5ers on the devil site pretty often.

[Emperor Zurg]

I think this advice also assumes you bought a 5 or 10 pack of said cigars to try. So rather then giving them away or throwing them away, let them rest a while and see if they come around. By all means, don't go out and buy a bunch of cigars you don't like just to see if they'll come around someday.

[OldSkoolTarHeel]

I also assumed that it was a cigar you already had more of. I wouldn't purchase more of any cigar that I didn't like the first time. However, I wouldn't throw more of said cigar away if I already had them. Maybe I misunderstood the question as well.

And I didn't take it as negativity or anything other than a question. My apologies if my response made you think otherwise. Long ashes my friend.

[CoachDread]

I think Dustin nailed it with the online shopping bit and how we end up with 5ers so often. I sure wouldn't buy MORE of a cigar I didn't like just to try aging them, but I might throw them in the humi for 6 months or a year and see if I change my mind or they get a little better.

When it comes to buying at the shop, I don't think I've ever bought more than 2 of an untried cigar, and only then from a maker I trusted. So when I have a bad single, I just don't buy it again.

And this is really the crux of what I was getting at. I suspect I was misreading posts to indicate that you should buy more of a cigar you didn't care for and rest it to see if you liked it better later. I wasn't reading it as though you'd already purchased multiples. I guess because I don't buy 5 packs of things I haven't tried before. I give one a try and then decide if I like it enough to buy a 5 pack and then after those 5 decide if I still like them enough for a box.

[Cardinal]

And this is really the crux of what I was getting at. I suspect I was misreading posts to indicate that you should buy more of a cigar you didn't care for and rest it to see if you liked it better later. I wasn't reading it as though you'd already purchased multiples. I guess because I don't buy 5 packs of things I haven't tried before. I give one a try and then decide if I like it enough to buy a 5 pack and then after those 5 decide if I still like them enough for a box.
Yeah, buying singles is smart. I ended up with a ton of junk that no amount of age was going to cure, all because I "saved" a few cents apiece by buying 5 packs online.

At least it only took about a year for me to figure it out, haha.

[Hardheaded]

Yeah, buying singles is smart. I ended up with a ton of junk that no amount of age was going to cure, all because I "saved" a few cents apiece by buying 5 packs online.

At least it only took about a year for me to figure it out, haha.

A few cents each? Lucky. I end up saving 30-50% online vs retail here in the great state of NY. Thats assuming I can even find some of them in the Rochester area.

[Lynn]

And this is really the crux of what I was getting at. I suspect I was misreading posts to indicate that you should buy more of a cigar you didn't care for and rest it to see if you liked it better later. I wasn't reading it as though you'd already purchased multiples. I guess because I don't buy 5 packs of things I haven't tried before. I give one a try and then decide if I like it enough to buy a 5 pack and then after those 5 decide if I still like them enough for a box.

I just buy the 5ers or samplers..then if I dont like it...I just flat rate it to some BUM.

[Cardinal]

A few cents each? Lucky. I end up saving 30-50% online vs retail here in the great state of NY. Thats assuming I can even find some of them in the Rochester area.

Ugh yeah, I feel for you guys up there with the ungodly taxes and prices.

It's more than a couple cents for me I guess, but nothing like you - I probably save a buck or two depending on if I catch sales and those 10-15-20% sales and free shipping things. But of course I don't really save anything when I end up with $30 worth of cigars I don't like. If I was in NY though, I know I'd only buy online.

[Brimy]

I think Dustin nailed it with the online shopping bit and how we end up with 5ers so often. I sure wouldn't buy MORE of a cigar I didn't like just to try aging them, but I might throw them in the humi for 6 months or a year and see if I change my mind or they get a little better.

When it comes to buying at the shop, I don't think I've ever bought more than 2 of an untried cigar, and only then from a maker I trusted. So when I have a bad single, I just don't buy it again.


I agree with this.
OP, I'm with you. If I only had one, I certainly wouldn't invest in another just to try it 6 months down the road.

But I do buy up 5ers on the devil site pretty often.

This is my justification for resting a stick that I didn't like the first go round; I typically buy 5'ers online. Unless I go to a lounge do I buy singles and even then, I will buy a stick from a brand I know of or that has gotten good reviews from BOTL's that share my flavor profile preference.

[stonecutter2]

Do what you like, but do make note of cigars that you liked. If you don't want to keep cigars around that you didn't like, don't.

You could always send a bomb to another newbie and see if they like them. Keep an eye on people's wish lists :)

[Merovius]

So I'm still relatively new here, but I try to be active and I do my best to read most of the new threads as well as perusing quite a few of the older threads. In many of them I see the recurring advice that if you don't like a cigar, put a couple/few of them in storage for 6 months, a year, decade, whatever, and then try it again. I previously bought in to this and then after seeing this advice given again I wondered...why? Not the why of resting, as I know this can alter flavor and can make a good stick great and a bad stick tolerable...but why waste your time on a cigar you really didn't enjoy when there are SO many others out there to try? Wouldn't it make more sense to just move along, find something you really enjoy now and put more of those away to see if they turn into something really spectacular?


Yes the majority move along, people that arent particularly impressed with a release or blend usually off load them in sales, bombs or trades. Your question really segues into a larger aging discussion which could go on for days. So...great post!

Imo, short term aging can bring a sleeper to life (1-2 years), long term aging will smooth out the rough edges (tannins, ammonia). Its difficult to tell which smokes are going to be the best candidates and most people just go on proven track record.

Ive gotten the most out of aged Habanos but some NCs have been really good too. One thing Ive noticed is that a lot of my nicaraguan broadleafs arent aging so great, these were full bodied smokes that seemed like great candidates but for whatever reason just didnt hold up over 2 years. Its tough to predict.

[Cardinal]

Yes the majority move along, people that arent particularly impressed with a release or blend usually off load them in sales, bombs or trades. Your question really segues into a larger aging discussion which could go on for days. So...great post!

Imo, short term aging can bring a sleeper to life (1-2 years), long term aging will smooth out the rough edges (tannins, ammonia). Its difficult to tell which smokes are going to be the best candidates and most people just go on proven track record.

Ive gotten the most out of aged Habanos but some NCs have been really good too. One thing Ive noticed is that a lot of my nicaraguan broadleafs arent aging so great, these were full bodied smokes that seemed like great candidates but for whatever reason just didnt hold up over 2 years. Its tough to predict.
I agree, this is still one of my favorite topics, since it still seems so much more art than science. Plus it takes so long to learn from experience, so I am always interested in other people's first hand knowledge.

And that's really interesting about the broadleafs. With my almost nonexistent expertise I've been thinking that stronger/fuller means better aging potential.

I know you keep really good notes, so are there any standout NCs that have aged well for you, or not so well? I've got a bunch of boxes now dedicated to a 3+ year aging plan, but maybe there are some cigars in my humis that I should sample soon.

[Brimy]

Z
I agree, this is still one of my favorite topics, since it still seems so much more art than science. Plus it takes so long to learn from experience, so I am always interested in other people's first hand knowledge.

And that's really interesting about the broadleafs. With my almost nonexistent expertise I've been thinking that stronger/fuller means better aging potential.

I know you keep really good notes, so are there any standout NCs that have aged well for you, or not so well? I've got a bunch of boxes now dedicated to a 3+ year aging plan, but maybe there are some cigars in my humis that I should sample soon.

Taking into consideration that Habanos age best, I would think that non-broadleaf would age better.
I have zero aging experience so take this with a grain of salt. But I can't recall a Habanos Maduro. As usual please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Merovius]

Cardinal I probably should be more specific. For whatever reason it was mainly Pete Johnson stuff with 2+, Regios Reserva, Skull Breaker, Cojonu 2012 (they just got really woody like I was chewing on bark); other Boradleaf blends like UF-13, FFP seem to be doing fine. /shrug

I still think that Oliva you sent me was tits; noticed youve been going all in on those :thumb:

[stonecutter2]

Z

Taking into consideration that Habanos age best, I would think that non-broadleaf would age better.
I have zero aging experience so take this with a grain of salt. But I can't recall a Habanos Maduro. As usual please correct me if I'm wrong.

Cohiba makes the "Maduro 5."

[jhedrick83]

Cohiba makes the "Maduro 5."

If I recall correctly, the 5 signifies that's the wrapper has already been aged for 5 years prior to rolling.

[Cardinal]

Cardinal I probably should be more specific. For whatever reason it was mainly Pete Johnson stuff with 2+, Regios Reserva, Skull Breaker, Cojonu 2012 (they just got really woody like I was chewing on bark); other Boradleaf blends like UF-13, FFP seem to be doing fine. /shrug

I still think that Oliva you sent me was tits; noticed youve been going all in on those :thumb:

Hmmm, that's interesting on the Pete Johnson vs. DE vs. Oliva. Then again I've enjoyed most of the Tats I've smoked but they're not typically my humidor favorites anyway, aside from the Black which is a Criollo wrapper if I recall correctly.

So I had to go look it up after you mentioned it, and yeaaaah you're right that '08 batch of V Maduros was broadleaf! I'd either forgotten or never knew, since the last few releases have been San Andres.

And yes, for some reason every single Serie V variation is just killing it for me right now, so I've been stocking up on all the Vs, V Maduros, and Melanios that I can tetris into my humidors. I'm totally full now, so I can probably squeeze another box or two in there.

[herman]

In most cases if I don't like the cigar, age isn't going to make me like it, but it may improve some.
I always give a cigar a couple chances and also try purchasing from different sources.
There was a b&m that had their glass humidors displayed in the smoking lounge, and I grabbed a Tat out and it tasted like an ashtray.
My guess is the humidor wasn't sealed and smoke got in. I tried that same Tat from another humi and loved it.

Another example, I always buy my Oliva V by the box, and I had one box taste like a musty damp basement with a gritty consistency. I was pretty frustrated because week after week, it just didn't improve and I kept purging out and dissecting them before finishing. I gave up, put these in a tupperware, came back to them 6 months later and they improved significantly. The flavors have muted some, but that wet basement taste has become nearly untraceable and I'm happy with them. I have no idea what it was or what caused it... but time was kind.

[LGHT]

I have a lots of old aged cigars I’ll probably never smoke. The reason being at the time 5’rs and singles were really never really available so most guys like me just checked reviews and bought boxes (before the devil site existed). Plus it was a LOT cheaper to buy a full box instead of a 5r so being cheap most guys bought boxes and just hoped for the best. Another reason is some of the smokes I bought where actually not bad, but as I learned more and tried more I often found “better” smokes I would rather smoke over the good ones I had in the humi so of course I leaned toward buying / smoking the “better” cigars as the good ones sat ageing away.

Another reason I long term age is bottom line I just prefer a nice aged cigar. If you have never smoked a cigar with 10-20 years of age on it you will never really appreciate the fine subtle nuances of a well-aged cigar. If you start off with a nicotine pepper bomb and let it rest for 10 years it’s almost a completely different cigar. The 2 taste nothing alike. Some prefer the head rush in your face smoke, but I personally like a medium strength cigar that is more subtle and flavorful, but that wasn’t always the case.