When can I smoke from april 2016 box

[jcorona]

I recently got a box of hdm epicure especial, box code tos abr 16. When I open the box, I don't get a barnyard smell, I smell fresh green grass, which tells me that it's not ready to smoke, but I could be wrong.

1. When should I smoke one of these? a year from the box date?
2. are these going through their sick period?
3. does a sick period still exist for cuban cigars? 

[Corylax18]

Short answer: Whenever you want. Most here (myself included) recommend waiting about 30 days from receipt of the cigars to let them settle from the shipping process and acclimate to your humidor. I usually try to wait 60, but that doesn't always happen. I would give them a few weeks rest before you get too concerned. I don't know the exact definition of a "sick period", but yes CCs can be much rawer and more ammoniated when fresh than NCs, most move through this phase and start to settle down. For some cigars it takes 6 months, others 3, 5, or 8 years. 

I got cab of H Upmann Mag 46s late last year with a 2014 box code that are still unsmokably raw, they look beautiful, and smell amazing in the box, but they just aren't ready yet. The rest are going to end up sitting for a few years while I smoke through other cigars that are closer to their sweet spot now.

[garbandz]

If your criteria to smoke is a barnyard smell, you may NEVER get to smoke from that box.

those days are gone............

"does a sick period still exist for cuban cigars?"

not like in the old days,  but you may have an interval in which they are not showing well/

[Eric E]

Personally, I let new purchases sit for six months or more. Nothing scientific. I have enough to smoke in the interim, and I think it gives new cigars time to acclimate to my humidor settings. 

[subport]

Wait 30-60 days and start to sample. If you liked it just smoke more, if not... I would put them away for 3 months and check on it again... Then every 2-3 months or so till you get a sweet spot, your preference. At that point I would not hesitate to go through the box haha. Meanwhile smoke something else. I tend to smoke younger cigars because I love fresh and young tobacco with hard edges. But it is just me. Find out what you likeand do it your way.

[subport]

1 hour ago, Corylax18 said:

 

I got cab of H Upmann Mag 46s late last year with a 2014 box code that are still unsmokably raw, they look beautiful, and smell amazing in the box, but they just aren't ready yet. The rest are going to end up sitting for a few years while I smoke through other cigars that are closer to their sweet spot now.

Just to see how different weare, I like Mag46 a lot in their first 2-3 years... 

[Corylax18]

35 minutes ago, subport said:

Just to see how different weare, I like Mag46 a lot in their first 2-3 years... 

Haha. I think it's what Rob calls "Mongrel." Spice, bite, some vegital flavors, there is still just too much ammonia in these.  I also tend to prefer the smoother, sweeter characteristics. I have had Mag 46s in the 18 month to 3 year range before, none have been as in your face as this particular box.

I think its great there is still such a range of flavor profiles in CC's and that there are still some pallets discerning enough to tell the difference.  

[PigFish]

No one can judge the smoking condition of your cigars for you.

For me, I would pick several cigars from the box, establish their weight and feel in the hand. I would put the squeeze on them, look for elasticity (or should I say lack of it). I would check the 'ear' of the cigar, for looseness of the band and look for sighs that the cigar has shed the water necessary for me to accept it as smokable.

If this cigar has roughly the feel of every other cigar that you normally smoke, then there is little point in waiting. Waiting for me is simply a determination of water content and preferred conditioning. What is it to you?

Cheers! -Piggy

[JZBdano]

I will try a cigar after right away if they do not feel too wet, otherwise I dry box at 55-58 rh for 3-7 days.  I only do this on cigars I am interested in purchasing another box of right away.  Normally I let them acclimate for about 60 days unless they are purchased to age of course.

[NSXCIGAR]

As a general rule, acclimate for 30 days in the humi, try one, if you like it, green light to smoke the rest immediately. If not, wait 3 months and try another, rinse, repeat.

[cigaraholic]

When you read this....

[Preacher man]

Helpful thread!  Thanks for the thoughts guys and the post

[Moogypug]

Depends on the brand. If it's not too wet, I just try one right away. Then I rotate it into my schedule. I don't really have a box that I set aside for Long long term storage. Life is short. I want to enjoy it when I can. 

[Jimmy_jack]

Sorry if this is to amateur...what is a "sick period"

[CaptainQuintero]

20 hours ago, Jimmy_jack said:

Sorry if this is to amateur...what is a "sick period"

Cubans historically needed anything up to 2-3 years on arrival from Cuba for the ammonia to dissipate. Some distributors and retailers would hold stock in storage until they were ready to be sold, they were literally unsmokeable.

That is a long time ago now though, nothing has been like that for what, decades? Cubans are essentially ready to smoke straight away now, sometimes you get a little hot and harsh nature,a grubbiness the final third in cigars that are under a year old but nothing ammonia wise. 

You do get sick periods where a box of cigars seem to suddenly revert back to that young nature again, leaving the box alone for 6 months seems to bring it back around again. The trouble is with how Cubans are made means this might be total rubbish. A box can contain 25 cigars made by 25 different rollers, say that box has 5 duds inside. You smoke one good cigar, get excited then end up somehow smoking the 5 duds in a row. So you put the box away for a year, then you go back and find the remaining cigars are brilliant. Now those remaining cigars could have always been brilliant because you lucked out and smoked the duds a row already. Or was the rest of the box all duds and the rest brought them around? We will never know

[agulerer]

@CaptainQuintero you  are very right. After I read a lot of post I saw that Cubans are smokable after 1 year old. But cigars in the same box are very very inconsistent stick to stick. I have a box of Upmann Half Corona, and some of them are very good, some of them bad. 

I thought it is because rh, temp etc. but found that Cubans quality control is not good and sticks are not consistent in the same box.

[shlomo]

5 minutes ago, agulerer said:

 found that Cubans quality control is not good and sticks are not consistent in the same box.

Better than it was....but still not great.

[Akela3rd]

Cubans historically needed anything up to 2-3 years on arrival from Cuba for the ammonia to dissipate. Some distributors and retailers would hold stock in storage until they were ready to be sold, they were literally unsmokeable.

That is a long time ago now though, nothing has been like that for what, decades? Cubans are essentially ready to smoke straight away now, sometimes you get a little hot and harsh nature,a grubbiness the final third in cigars that are under a year old but nothing ammonia wise. 

You do get sick periods where a box of cigars seem to suddenly revert back to that young nature again, leaving the box alone for 6 months seems to bring it back around again. The trouble is with how Cubans are made means this might be total rubbish. A box can contain 25 cigars made by 25 different rollers, say that box has 5 duds inside. You smoke one good cigar, get excited then end up somehow smoking the 5 duds in a row. So you put the box away for a year, then you go back and find the remaining cigars are brilliant. Now those remaining cigars could have always been brilliant because you lucked out and smoked the duds a row already. Or was the rest of the box all duds and the rest brought them around? We will never know

A post full of information and fine points and all I saw was "revert back". I know you're ill but tautology bugs me, dunno why, just does - unnecessary use of words that mean the same thing. Things can either revert or go back, not both.

Thank-you. Have another scotch.

[CaptainQuintero]

2 hours ago, Akela3rd said:

A post full of information and fine points and all I saw was "revert back". I know you're ill but tautology bugs me, dunno why, just does - unnecessary use of words that mean the same thing. Things can either revert or go back, not both.

Thank-you. Have another scotch.

There's always one awkward sod isn't there!

[Waah954]

I had to look up the word for its meaning. You guys are just on a different level. I salute you.

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