Down time

[mcease022]

Is there a master list of suggested downtime for various vitolas and marcas?  For example does a LGC #4 or PD4 need as much as a Coro?  Would be nice to have suggested nap times for each marca and vitola. I know I could just try each one and decide but a starting point would be a nice.  Anything out there like this?

[Bohn007]

I just try to keep them down in the humidor until 30 days has expired. That seems to solve most issues. Then it's a matter of personal taste. 

[lostsoulcamero]

I try after 30 to 60 days then adjust to my taste if you're new to cigars in general try every 30 days after to see how they develop 

[oliverdst]

5 hours ago, mcease022 said:

Is there a master list of suggested downtime for various vitolas and marcas?  For example does a LGC #4 or PD4 need as much as a Coro?  Would be nice to have suggested nap times for each marca and vitola. I know I could just try each one and decide but a starting point would be a nice.  Anything out there like this?

Of course this may vary from person to person but Pres gives hints about smoking period in 24:24.

[jcorona]

4 to 6 weeks for me. Thicker ring gauges probably need more time to adjust. From experience, as a general rule, 1% rh change per week. So if you get your sticks from a b&m who stores them at 70% rh, and your preferred rh is 65%, it would take 5 weeks or so to get there.

[Fugu]

12 hours ago, mcease022 said:

Is there a master list of suggested downtime for various vitolas and marcas?

I fear this has to be answered with a clear "No".

Quite a lot of it is up to personal preference, as previous posters have said. But I am not sure what exactly you mean by downtime? The short period of time after receipt for recovering from shipment, or a period of maturing/aging before a stick can be 'fully' enjoyed? For the first, I'd say it is all the same, irrespective of marca and vitola, as it depends much more on the actual conditions during travelling than on the particular stick in question. If the latter, then --> see above.

In some instances (aging) I even feel reminded of wine... you may very well enjoy a stick in its primary stage with all the richness of fresh tobacco, but then it may go down before eventually coming up again with a new array of flavour/aroma notes. There is no general guideline, and it may even depend on the production year.

[BarryNY]

As a newb what I'm doing now is collecting a decent range of marca/vitola...in the M to F category.  So far I have coming in:

RA ClubLE, JL#2, PL Pic, PSerD4, HdmEpi2, BPC, MC#2, a FOH 10ct sampler.  Looking to add: RASS, HUpM46, CoRo.

I only get to smoke 1 or 2 sticks/week going into the colder months so my strategy is to winedor (65F/65%RH) all boxes for a full 60 days from receipt.

Then try 1 from each of the boxes in a rotation every 60 days.  So 8-10 sticks/month every other month.  I'll keep good notes and see what I like best, then look to stock those when they come up.  In 1 year I'll have smoked maybe 6 of each one.  I'll clean out my NC collection in-between LOL....

PS: I did score a box of '09 PSerD4 from the 24:24 the other day so that will be the go-to smoke now for me and my smoking buddies for over the holidays............

Wish I had started collecting sooner but it never too late to get started!

[Mattb82]

@BarryNY we are in the same boat with the weather getting cold. I'm north jersey, the Davidoff lounge in NJ will let me smoke some CC there. Just can't store them in my locker there. That's my only option when it's 20'and windy 

[Bohn007]

17 hours ago, BarryNY said:

As a newb what I'm doing now is collecting a decent range of marca/vitola...in the M to F category.  So far I have coming in:

RA ClubLE, JL#2, PL Pic, PSerD4, HdmEpi2, BPC, MC#2, a FOH 10ct sampler.  Looking to add: RASS, HUpM46, CoRo.

I only get to smoke 1 or 2 sticks/week going into the colder months so my strategy is to winedor (65F/65%RH) all boxes for a full 60 days from receipt.

Then try 1 from each of the boxes in a rotation every 60 days.  So 8-10 sticks/month every other month.  I'll keep good notes and see what I like best, then look to stock those when they come up.  In 1 year I'll have smoked maybe 6 of each one.  I'll clean out my NC collection in-between LOL....

PS: I did score a box of '09 PSerD4 from the 24:24 the other day so that will be the go-to smoke now for me and my smoking buddies for over the holidays............

Wish I had started collecting sooner but it never too late to get started!

This sounds highly complicated and rather rigid. Not sure how you will pull that off after smoking a "cracker" stick. You will wait 60 days before the next one? 

[RijkdeGooier]

My old school standard would be

Box date plus

3 year for perlas/half coronas

4 year for petit coronas

5 year for others

[JohnS]

On ‎15‎/‎10‎/‎2016 at 10:19 PM, Fugu said:

I fear this has to be answered with a clear "No".

Quite a lot of it is up to personal preference, as previous posters have said. But I am not sure what exactly you mean by downtime? The short period of time after receipt for recovering from shipment, or a period of maturing/aging before a stick can be 'fully' enjoyed? For the first, I'd say it is all the same, irrespective of marca and vitola, as it depends much more on the actual conditions during travelling than on the particular stick in question. If the latter, then --> see above.

In some instances (aging) I even feel reminded of wine... you may very well enjoy a stick in its primary stage with all the richness of fresh tobacco, but then it may go down before eventually coming up again with a new array of flavour/aroma notes. There is no general guideline, and it may even depend on the production year.

True. It is subjective.

3 hours ago, RijkdeGooier said:

My old school standard would be

Box date plus

3 year for perlas/half coronas

4 year for petit coronas

5 year for others

This 'old school standard' sounds like a good guide for resting/aging cigars.

I've researched this question, in regards to specific marcas, this weekend and I couldn't find anything specific, perhaps because the answer/s come down to personal preference. Min Ron Nee gave the following advice in his 'Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Post-Revolution Havana Cigars'...

"During the first maturation, the cigar starts to produce pleasant aromas and flavors. This is due to the continuous fermenting of the cigar. Within the first maturation one of the biggest changes you will notice is the disappearance of the initial bitter, harsh taste. The reason for this is that as time allows more fermentation, the nicotine breaks down and that outcome is a weaker, smoother taste. To give you an idea of general maturation periods of different cigars:

• Mild cigars such as “ Romeo y Julieta and H Upmann” take around 2 – 5 years to fully complete the maturation period.
• Medium cigars such as “Montecristo and Cohiba” take 5 – 8 years.
• Full bodied cigars such as “Partagas and Bolivar” take between 7 and 15 years.

The actual time of course varies with each different model within the brand, and with the personal preferences of each individual."

Now, before anyone adds anything about MRN, the existence or non-existence of a sick period and the validity/veracity of maturation periods which are over 15 years, let me re-state that I'm only quoting MRN's opinion on maturing cigars in relation to marca. I know many of us would differ (in reference to this view).

Personally, there are some marcas where I have no specific preference to smoke them young or aged such as Montecristo (believe it or not, I equally enjoy both). Some of our members prefer young Por Larranaga, I prefer aged...5 to 8 years, but I can live with them being around 2 -3 years before I try them. I feel the same way about Cohiba. I haven't found that San Cristobal is preferable with age, as I greatly enjoy this marca around the 12 month to 2 year mark. Even though MRN states H.Upmann takes 2-5 years to mature above, I think that I've greatly enjoyed some H.Upmann with 8 to 10 years on them even more, in fact, much more. The Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo line is considered mild in comparison to other Habanos cigars, yet, I value aging 'Le Hoyos' for at least 5 years so that their 'creaminess' can come to the fore. Ultimately, it's all a matter of personal taste.

[Akela3rd]

This sounds highly complicated and rather rigid. Not sure how you will pull that off after smoking a "cracker" stick. You will wait 60 days before the next one? 

Quite right. Keep notes by all means but if a certain cigar is calling, go for it. If the mood or situation doesn't fit in with your schedule be a devil and have what the bloody hell you want. There's no rigidity to this, don't overthink - personally, I am aware that certain cigars will be better with whatever aging but have no system whatsoever and happily ignore this. I do have time constraints which sometimes make the choice decision for me to a degree. Insomnia has conversely led to a 2hr run up to daybreak with something huge in the past which has been patiently waiting it's turn. The next bout could be the one for the Davidoff Royal Salomones...

[Fugu]

35 minutes ago, JohnS said:

Now, before anyone adds anything about MRN,

Now, John, with regard to MRN, let me say just this ....     

No, absolutely with you on this. I even don't see a strong relationship with strength or body, like MRN states (which, however, he relativates later in the book for particular marcas, such as e.g. ERDM), if at all. In fact, quite often I feel strong ligero blends to not be aging too well, for they seem to lose some of the initial upfront ligero-contribution, which had been determinant of the blend's initial characteristic.

For me, there is one clear standout, for which I always consider longer aging a necessity. That is - like you say - Por Larranaga. Add perhaps Vegas Robaina. In all other marcas, incl. Cohiba, I've experienced very enjoyable young specimens (i.e. within one to two years of boxing date). And they all do profit from a certain degree of aging, but it all boils down to personal pref. then.

I also couldn't find any relationship with format. This could be a workable coarse guideline, perhaps, but from my personal (empirical) finding, I had lots of beautifully aged small format sticks and likewise enjoyed larger-format freshies. That said, I think this often heard statement might have a true core, due to the effect that smaller units (packaging) may potentially suffer more from subpar storage conditions. But that's my unproven 2cts.