Intentionally aging cigars?

Can't say that I've bought any specific boxes with the intent of holding them until @Old Smokey buys new underwear, but in general I buy with the intent of being able to let them nap for a few months to a few years before they get torched.

I think buying an entire box and aging it for a significant amount of time is a bit perilous unless you're smoking a few along the way. Many, many cigars do not get better with years of rest. You might pop the top on one, and realize you missed their prime.

I purchased a bunch of sticks from a guy on another forum with many years of rest on them. He was a good BOTL, and took great care of them. Of the 10 or so different varieties I purchased, I'd say that about three of them really shined. The others were clearly over-aged. Not bad, but they just had lost their zing.

At the end of the day, everything is subjective. I'm someone who enjoys full-tilt Nicaraguans with lots of pepper and spice. These things are the first to go in the aging process. So I rarely want a cigar that has more than a year of rest. But someone else might really like the pepper to come down in a particular smoke to enjoy more nuances. Again, this is why I highly recommend smoking one every 8 months or so to see how they're changing.

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Originally Posted by CentralTimeSmoke

I think buying an entire box and aging it for a significant amount of time is a bit perilous unless you're smoking a few along the way. Many, many cigars do not get better with years of rest. You might pop the top on one, and realize you missed their prime.

I purchased a bunch of sticks from a guy on another forum with many years of rest on them. He was a good BOTL, and took great care of them. Of the 10 or so different varieties I purchased, I'd say that about three of them really shined. The others were clearly over-aged. Not bad, but they just had lost their zing.

At the end of the day, everything is subjective. I'm someone who enjoys full-tilt Nicaraguans with lots of pepper and spice. These things are the first to go in the aging process. So I rarely want a cigar that has more than a year of rest. But someone else might really like the pepper to come down in a particular smoke to enjoy more nuances. Again, this is why I highly recommend smoking one every 8 months or so to see how they're changing.

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Sean, I agree, a person should be selective on what they are buying to intentionally age. The boxes I am aging are Opus X and Anejos? Both of which I believe will age very well. I have smoked cigars that have aged well beyond their Prime and they were almost totally tasteless. CC's seem to be another good example of tobacco that seem to age well.

I've never purchased cigars for aging, but because I'm constantly buying and not smoking as much there are a few boxes and sticks in my humidors that have 10+ years on them.