It's true that some things just get better with time. Pain, wine and yes Cigars also are enhanced by the ageing process. A well aged cigar displays subtleties in flavour, the mellowness. It's the reason why some people will pay high sums to enjoy a vintage cigar that has been aged in the right way. But don't worry, you won't necessarily need to hand over all your cash to enjoy the flavour and complexity of a well aged cigar, with a little care, the right tools and some patience, you can get started ageing your own cigars at home.
Start with a quality cigar if you are going to age them yourself. If you use a cheap cigar, you will probably be disappointed with the end result and the time will have been wasted. It takes about a year for the ageing process to complete. This is probably the minimum time you should allow. A rule of thumb when choosing is to find one that you find too strong or odourous, and this will probably be a good candidate.
You will be ageing your cigar for about a year, but in order to do so, you need to buy a good quality cigar humidor. The humidor is needed so that you can store the cigar(s) in a suitable and stable environment. Storing the cigars using the 70-70 rule is best. That is at a constant humidity of 70% and a temperature of 70 degrees fahrenheit.
Maintaining the 70-70 rule helps to ensure a smooth ageing process. Any fluctuations may produced inferior flavour. Constant changes will cause the cigar to expand and contract, as with most things that contract and expand with heat cracking can result and this is something you don't want as it can make the ageing process ineffective.
When buying your cigar humidor, try to buy one with a cedar lining. The oils in the wood are aromatic and these mix with the oils in the tobacco over time. Ideally the space in the humidor should be about twice the volume of the cigars that it holds. Getting the mix right will help the ageing of your cigar will result in a quality cigar once the process is finished, one that you can enjoy, and one that won't cost you the earth. - 31404
Start with a quality cigar if you are going to age them yourself. If you use a cheap cigar, you will probably be disappointed with the end result and the time will have been wasted. It takes about a year for the ageing process to complete. This is probably the minimum time you should allow. A rule of thumb when choosing is to find one that you find too strong or odourous, and this will probably be a good candidate.
You will be ageing your cigar for about a year, but in order to do so, you need to buy a good quality cigar humidor. The humidor is needed so that you can store the cigar(s) in a suitable and stable environment. Storing the cigars using the 70-70 rule is best. That is at a constant humidity of 70% and a temperature of 70 degrees fahrenheit.
Maintaining the 70-70 rule helps to ensure a smooth ageing process. Any fluctuations may produced inferior flavour. Constant changes will cause the cigar to expand and contract, as with most things that contract and expand with heat cracking can result and this is something you don't want as it can make the ageing process ineffective.
When buying your cigar humidor, try to buy one with a cedar lining. The oils in the wood are aromatic and these mix with the oils in the tobacco over time. Ideally the space in the humidor should be about twice the volume of the cigars that it holds. Getting the mix right will help the ageing of your cigar will result in a quality cigar once the process is finished, one that you can enjoy, and one that won't cost you the earth. - 31404
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