My new additions

[Specialized_j]

Picked up 4 today, a couple of Te-Amo's, first one was plugged, second was loose. Get what you pay for I guess.

Other two, a Por Larranaga Petit Corona and a Rocky Patel Royale Robusto. Hardly worth mentioning compared to some of the collections posted but I guess you gotta start somewhere.

[coxie56]

I picked up two rocky patel vintage 1990 today

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[Specialized_j]

You tried them before?

[coxie56]

Hi, I haven't before. Paid a visit to a cigar shop in Suffolk and picked a couple up, they have good reviews

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[SHAMZ84]

Hi, I haven't before. Paid a visit to a cigar shop in Suffolk and picked a couple up, they have good reviews

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I really enjoyed the Robusto vintage 1990

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[coxie56]

I look forward to finding out how they Smoke

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[Specialized_j]

These arrived today, Partagas SD4 and a Trinidad Topes.

[gojira]

Nice. The Topes will need a loooooong rest before developing into an awesome smoke.

[gojira]

Nice. The Topes will need a loooooong rest before developing into an awesome smoke.

Well, at least I hope it will.

[Specialized_j]

Nice. The Topes will need a loooooong rest before developing into an awesome smoke.

Thanks, will definitely be letting it rest. How long would you suggest?

[gojira]

The Topes is very similar to the Cohiba Robusto Supremo which still hasn't come around IMO. Mine have NOV 14 boxing dates. The Topes have late 2016 boxing dates (mine are OCT 16), so my guess is until the end of 2021. I will try my next one in a couple of years to find out what they have developed into.

[Specialized_j]

Really surprised that the Supremo with 2.5 years on them are still not there.

I'm anxious to try it but at the same time I want to get the best out of it.

[gojira]

Really surprised that the Supremo with 2.5 years on them are still not there.

I'm anxious to try it but at the same time I want to get the best out of it.

We all have different taste and this is just my opinion. Some might love the Supremo now. Just an example, I have seen quite a few guys on Instagram smoking the Boli Tesoro and nearly all were raving how good a smoke it was. I had my first one last week and was very disappointed, the whole stick tasted like ash. I have another single one left (I like to get a couple of singles on top of a box or two to sample the cigar before breaking into my boxes) and will not touch it for at least 18 months and I probably won't break into my boxes before 2019.

I find that those large RG sticks need a long time to come around. Others love them young. The owner of a forum made a video tasting of the Supremo shortly after it was released and it was a 97 point (or around that) smoke to him. I went and purchased 2 1/2 boxes back then and had my first one after a couple of months or so. I hated it. I sampled another 2 after that (and gifted one to a friend) and it still isn't to my liking. It's a better smoke then it was 2 years and 3 months ago but far from it's full potential. Again, this is just my opinion.

You could purchase another Topes and try it now but before you should try to find some of the same regular production sticks with different age on them, let's say a very recent one and another one with three years or more on it. Let them acclimatize to your humidor for a few months and then smoke them, maybe take some notes and get to know the differences of the sticks, find out which one you favor. Do that with cigars that you are the most attracted to and try out a few marcas. It's a good way to learn which you like young and which are better in your opinion with some age on them.

Then you can start getting a few boxes of what you like to age or to smoke young. As for the two band sticks, find out which marcas you favor beforehand and then get a few limitadas of those marcas to enjoy on special occasions.

[Simon Bolivar]

Specialized, personally I would age Cohiba's 5yrs before trying & Trinis not much less. As mentioned, larger the RG - longer the maturing process tends to be, which makes sense as there is more material to meld together. Some can smoke them straight after purchase & enjoy them but I like to allow them enough time to develop in the finest cigar they can be.

[Specialized_j]

Really appreciate you taking the time to explain.

It's interesting to hear just how much a cigar can change with some age. You mentioned getting another Topes to try now and I was thinking the same thing, allow a period of aclimatisation then try one and save the other. I've tried the Reyes and thought it was a great smoke, I'm not sure how representative that is of the brands profile but I expect the Topes to be similar but with bigger flavours. Being the geek that I am I have a spreadsheet that tracks my cigars, purchase date, price, humidor time, rating etc. I'd never be able to remember without it.

My other hobby is collecting Ardbeg whisky, might have to shift some of that to feed my cigar habit!!