Favourite aged cubans

[Lascaux]

I've got a little money to spend on a few boxes. My intention is to age them for 7-10 years. lock em in a humi and throw away the key, boobytrap them etc.
big smokes!
Im thinking, maybe esplendido/siglo VI, and either monte 2s, or something hoyo.

What cubans have you found age best? thankyou please

[cohibaIV]

I've got a little money to spend on a few boxes. My intention is to age them for 7-10 years. lock em in a humi and throw away the key, boobytrap them etc.
big smokes!
Im thinking, maybe esplendido/siglo VI, and either monte 2s, or something hoyo.

What cubans have you found age best? thankyou please

Good luck...

[rokkitsci]

Not sure this applies but...

The timing seemed fortuitous.

Back in April, I was visiting Duque Cigar Company, a well-respected retailer who happens to have his shop about 15 minutes from my home. Tom (the proprietor) treated me to a Cuban coffee and we sat down with a nice stogie (can't remember what it was) and began chatting.

He happened to mention that he'd just gotten in a very limited supply of Vuelta Abajo pre-embargo cigars.



According to Dr. Mitch Fadem (Dr. Fadem has been smoking cigars off and on for the past 30 years. He holds a PhD in Toxicology and Chemistry and attended Cleveland State University, Kent State University, the University of Vienna (Austria), Columbia Pacific University and has lectured on toxicology and hazardous materials all over the world. He is considered to be a recognized international expert on bioaerosols, biological toxins and infectious diseases.) on cigars.about.com:

The Vuelta Abajo is a very interesting cigar because it is one of the few ?real Cuban? cigars you can obtain legally in the United States. These beauties are hand rolled in the Dominican Republic from rare 100% Cuban leaf tobacco that was harvested in Cuba back in 1959. The cigar is blended with 8 year old aged and doubly fermented Dominican tobaccos. Vuelta Abajo (or Vueltabajo) is a district in the Pinar del R?o Province of Cuba. It lies in the west of the island, in the southern part of the ?rganos Mountains. A great deal of tobacco is grown in the district, and "Vuelta Abajo" can also refer to the high-quality type of cigar tobacco from Pinar del Rio in general. The tobacco industry in this district dates from around 1830. The district itself is 90 miles (140 km) long and 10 miles (16 km) wide. The cigar I smoked for this review was a torpedo, 6 ? x 25.

Flavor and Aroma

Pre-Embargo Cuban cigars might be one of the finest smokes you will ever experience and the Vuelta Abajo will not disappoint you. Because of the age of the tobacco it is very smooth, produces a rich think smoke and has the unmistakable aroma of real Cuban tobacco. It has a distinctive taste as well and is difficult to describe other it is a real Cuban tobacco flavor perhaps with the hint of coffee and wood. The aroma is an ?old world? experience and should, if you are old enough to remember, remind you of the stogies of the 1950s.

Draw and Construction

These cigars are very well made and as I mentioned previously, are blended with an 8 year old Dominican vintage tobacco. The cigar is firm, cuts well, lights easily, draws easily, burn evenly and basically has all the aspects of a perfect cigar. The outside wrapper is covered with a dark Brazilian tobacco leaf, the binder is Piloto Cubana leaf from the Dominical Republic and the filler is this wonderful blend of the 1959 Cuban crop from Vuelta Abajo, Cuba and the 8 year old Dominican.

Value

I have to say that for the price, this is one of the best cigars you will smoke. They come in sampler pack of 5 for around $30 and in bundles of 25 for $130. If you do the math that puts these at a nice of a little over $5 a stick. This is one of the true bargains in the industry. Okay, I don?t actually know how much ?real? Pre-Embargo Cuban tobacco is in this cigar, but regardless of how much is there, it is a real treat and a great smoke for the price.

Now, I had never heard of Vuelta Abajo or Dr. Fadem or his review of these cigars, but Tom somehow managed to interest me sufficiently (no, he didn't pressure me; I talked myself into it) to buy a fiver for a mere $50 USD, American money. Meh. A little pricey, but not exorbitant.

Oddly, this post from Lascaux comes the very day I finally tried one.

Now, consider that if this is primarily (substantially?) pre-embargo Cuban tobacco, it's FIFTY FRICKIN' YEARS OLD!

Of all the things I expected, what I got was not any of them.

What I expected was some harsh, strong, odiferous, full-bodied seegar with that earthy barnyard influence that (to me) distinguishes Cuban cigars.

What I got was one of the mildest cigars I have ever smoked.

Now, I must temper that with the fact that it was also one of the smoothest cigars I've ever smoked, with many very, very subtle flavo(u)rs, a ridiculously easy draw that provided billows of smoke, and an aroma that was virtually undetectable unless you made an effort to nasally apprehend some of the elusive vapo(u)rs, at which point there were ethereal nuances of agrarian odo(u)rs. Not a good explanation, but the best I can come up with in words. It would be much easier if we were face-to-face and I could demonstrate some of these concepts with my three-legged llama, Larry.

Bottom line: Was it worth $10 USD bucks a pop? It was a good cigar, but for 10 bucks a pop, it really wasn?t worth it; too mild for me. However, I have subsequently found out that the fifty bucks I paid for the fiver from Duque could have been had for $29 elsewhere. For 6 bucks, I might consider it again some time.

I've got a little money to spend on a few boxes. My intention is to age them for 7-10 years. lock em in a humi and throw away the key, boobytrap them etc.
big smokes!
Im thinking, maybe esplendido/siglo VI, and either monte 2s, or something hoyo.

What cubans have you found age best? thankyou please

[Ramon]

Boli Coronas Gigantes, one of the best churchill's for aging IMO, especially in cab's.

[Big_T_UK]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record....

I love the Hoyo double corona from 1998. I am working my way through a cabinet of fifty from then and so good. Some are rather sweet but in a bloody nice way. This is a great smoke for you to lock away and age.

Siglo VI is a great smoke, not sure it will improve with age greatly. I am not very experienced with this cigar though so take that with a pinch of salt. I would be far more interested in aged esplendidos, something about an older one of them that just "works", hmmm.....

Monty No.2 does improve with some age, no question.

I would also suggest some aged Partagas P2's or Ram?n Allones specially selected.

If you want to go balls out.....Monty "A"s with age...dear god.....yumm...

T.

[Ramon]

These beauties are hand rolled in the Dominican Republic

That's all you need to know. Unless they're rolled in Cuba, they're not a Cuban cigar, and I don't care where the tobacco comes from or how old it is, they're not Cuban.

If you want legit pre-embargo or pre-revolution cigars go to CGars.

[TJCoro]

An Age-Old secrete!

Most Habanos I have enjoyed age very well. But the one the comes to mind that has shown significant improvement with a few years on it is the HdM Epicure #2.

This is a very nice stick out of the box (TJ's definition of "out of the box" is 1 year or older), but I recently smoked one with 4 or 5 years on it (can't quite remember the exact date without rummaging through my humi) and noticed quite an improvement. The most significant being the smoothness of the puro.

But like TJ always says, most, if not all, fine Habanos improve with age, unlike many n/cs that are growing old in my humi and pretty much taste the same as the day they were bought - the good, the bad, and the ugly.

But that's just me, BJ, BJCoro.

[Big_T_UK]

Oh yes, you just reminded me. James and I swung around to Dunhill one weekend and had a Hoyo petite robusto that was a few years old, nothing very old, but had few years, I cannot remember how many. This blew us both away, GREAT smoke with just a few years on it.

Similar story with the Epi.2 as TJ says...wise words.

T.

[TJCoro]

You Don't Say...

That's all you need to know. Unless they're rolled in Cuba, they're not a Cuban cigar, and I don't care where the tobacco comes from or how old it is, they're not Cuban.

What makes you say that with such certainty, chico?

TJ

[rokkitsci]

Completely agree

We're in violent agreement Ramon. That's why I entitled my post "Not sure this applies, but..."

("Ramon," another wetback with an opinion, sheesh! Wouldn't be surprised if this fellow and that TJcorno twit weren't both illegal ailerons trying to foist themselves off as white people.)

That's all you need to know. Unless they're rolled in Cuba, they're not a Cuban cigar, and I don't care where the tobacco comes from or how old it is, they're not Cuban.

If you want legit pre-embargo or pre-revolution cigars go to CGars.

[cohibaIV]

The timing seemed fortuitous.

Back in April, I was visiting Duque Cigar Company, a well-respected retailer who happens to have his shop about 15 minutes from my home. Tom (the proprietor) treated me to a Cuban coffee and we sat down with a nice stogie (can't remember what it was) and began chatting.

He happened to mention that he'd just gotten in a very limited supply of Vuelta Abajo pre-embargo cigars.



According to Dr. Mitch Fadem (Dr. Fadem has been smoking cigars off and on for the past 30 years. He holds a PhD in Toxicology and Chemistry and attended Cleveland State University, Kent State University, the University of Vienna (Austria), Columbia Pacific University and has lectured on toxicology and hazardous materials all over the world. He is considered to be a recognized international expert on bioaerosols, biological toxins and infectious diseases.) on cigars.about.com:

The Vuelta Abajo is a very interesting cigar because it is one of the few ?real Cuban? cigars you can obtain legally in the United States. These beauties are hand rolled in the Dominican Republic from rare 100% Cuban leaf tobacco that was harvested in Cuba back in 1959. The cigar is blended with 8 year old aged and doubly fermented Dominican tobaccos. Vuelta Abajo (or Vueltabajo) is a district in the Pinar del R?o Province of Cuba. It lies in the west of the island, in the southern part of the ?rganos Mountains. A great deal of tobacco is grown in the district, and "Vuelta Abajo" can also refer to the high-quality type of cigar tobacco from Pinar del Rio in general. The tobacco industry in this district dates from around 1830. The district itself is 90 miles (140 km) long and 10 miles (16 km) wide. The cigar I smoked for this review was a torpedo, 6 ? x 25.

Flavor and Aroma

Pre-Embargo Cuban cigars might be one of the finest smokes you will ever experience and the Vuelta Abajo will not disappoint you. Because of the age of the tobacco it is very smooth, produces a rich think smoke and has the unmistakable aroma of real Cuban tobacco. It has a distinctive taste as well and is difficult to describe other it is a real Cuban tobacco flavor perhaps with the hint of coffee and wood. The aroma is an ?old world? experience and should, if you are old enough to remember, remind you of the stogies of the 1950s.

Draw and Construction

These cigars are very well made and as I mentioned previously, are blended with an 8 year old Dominican vintage tobacco. The cigar is firm, cuts well, lights easily, draws easily, burn evenly and basically has all the aspects of a perfect cigar. The outside wrapper is covered with a dark Brazilian tobacco leaf, the binder is Piloto Cubana leaf from the Dominical Republic and the filler is this wonderful blend of the 1959 Cuban crop from Vuelta Abajo, Cuba and the 8 year old Dominican.

Value

I have to say that for the price, this is one of the best cigars you will smoke. They come in sampler pack of 5 for around $30 and in bundles of 25 for $130. If you do the math that puts these at a nice of a little over $5 a stick. This is one of the true bargains in the industry. Okay, I don?t actually know how much ?real? Pre-Embargo Cuban tobacco is in this cigar, but regardless of how much is there, it is a real treat and a great smoke for the price.

Now, I had never heard of Vuelta Abajo or Dr. Fadem or his review of these cigars, but Tom somehow managed to interest me sufficiently (no, he didn't pressure me; I talked myself into it) to buy a fiver for a mere $50 USD, American money. Meh. A little pricey, but not exorbitant.

Oddly, this post from Lascaux comes the very day I finally tried one.

Now, consider that if this is primarily (substantially?) pre-embargo Cuban tobacco, it's FIFTY FRICKIN' YEARS OLD!

Of all the things I expected, what I got was not any of them.

What I expected was some harsh, strong, odiferous, full-bodied seegar with that earthy barnyard influence that (to me) distinguishes Cuban cigars.

What I got was one of the mildest cigars I have ever smoked.

Now, I must temper that with the fact that it was also one of the smoothest cigars I've ever smoked, with many very, very subtle flavo(u)rs, a ridiculously easy draw that provided billows of smoke, and an aroma that was virtually undetectable unless you made an effort to nasally apprehend some of the elusive vapo(u)rs, at which point there were ethereal nuances of agrarian odo(u)rs. Not a good explanation, but the best I can come up with in words. It would be much easier if we were face-to-face and I could demonstrate some of these concepts with my three-legged llama, Larry.

Bottom line: Was it worth $10 USD bucks a pop? It was a good cigar, but for 10 bucks a pop, it really wasn?t worth it; too mild for me. However, I have subsequently found out that the fifty bucks I paid for the fiver from Duque could have been had for $29 elsewhere. For 6 bucks, I might consider it again some time.

I fecken love Rokketski's posts...

[cohibaIV]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record....

I love the Hoyo double corona from 1998. I am working my way through a cabinet of fifty from then and so good. Some are rather sweet but in a bloody nice way. This is a great smoke for you to lock away and age.

T.

Agree, the Hoyo DC is one of the best LONG smokes out there.

Age= +

[Lascaux]

very interested in the hoyo DCs and will be trying one out this weekend. same with the bolivar.
also very interested in punch DCs, anyone have any experience with them?

i think the bigger they are the less i'll be tempted to dig into them.

im definitely getting some more epi 2s and petit robustos at some point.

interesting the pre-embargo cigars, amazes me that cigars as old as that dont taste of bum tbh

[Big_T_UK]

Trying them this weekend, you out smoking tomorrow?

T.

[TJCoro]

Tough Talk from un Hombre who wears white shoes and belt.

("Ramon," another wetback with an opinion, sheesh! Wouldn't be surprised if this fellow and that TJcorno twit weren't both illegal ailerons trying to foist themselves off as white people.)

WTF senor Rokschit...dipping your toe a swamp a wee bit, don't you think???

The reason I asked senor Ramon why he's so sure is because I have many times had the pleasure to enjoy some mighty fine, freshly rolled genuine Cuban puros made outside of that country, including at a LCdH in the magical, mystical land of Mexico.

NamesTJ, TJCoro, and I think senor Rokschit needs to come in out of the Florida sun