The Cigar or box of cigars that "Came back" from the dead

[El Presidente]

No Ken...this is not an Easter reference 

I have had some water damaged (external cardboard only) Vegueros Seoane (small panetela) cigars from 1998. I actually had 50 of them that I just threw into my section of the humidor and up until 2008 I would go and sample them. The experience went a little like this. 

Plugged....crap.....plugged....brutally crap.....plugged....for the Love of God how bad can these be. 

I forgot about them. Picked them up again in 2015...smoked one...still crap. Improved...but crap. 

By accident I found them again before Christmas 16 and was looking for a smaller format cigar.  The construction issues were still there even after dryboxing for a week. However when they were constructed well they were divine. By divine I mean that they had the sweet honey grassiness of the best Cohiba combined with an earthy Bolivar edge.  I have finished them over the past 5 months and they were consistently excellent when they drew. 

This is one of those cigars that you will find in carton packs with a ton of age in various B&M's around the world. I wouldn't recommend buying them without checking construction but as they cost bugger all, they are well worth the punt. 

I never thought they would be a cigar that would come back. If I could inspect them, I would buy 100-200 today from that period.  It only took 15 years to come good 

Your cigar resurrection experience?

[PigFish]

It did not come back... Welcome to Cuban quality control.

MHO!

-R

[El Presidente]

Just now, PigFish said:

It did not come back... Welcome to Cuban quality control.

MHO!

-R

Don't buy it in this case 

Scorecard looks like this (Plugs aside). 

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

[ayepatz]

Was just discussing this very thing with a mate yesterday!

A few years back, before I found FOH, I ordered a box of VR Don Alejandro's from a European site. When they arrived the wrappers were very pale, with slight tinges of green here and there. I didn't really know what I should look for in a good box back then, so I assumed they were just young and never sent them back.

I smoked a few over the next couple of years, but never really rated or enjoyed them, so I'd hand out a few to pals, with the aim of getting shot of them.

The last 7 or 8 I threw into the bottom of the desktop humi and forgot about.

After 18 months or so of ignoring them, I noticed that the wrappers had darkened considerably, and even acquired a slightly oily sheen. Such was my disappointment with them previously, I wasn't tempted, and smoked other cigars in preference, but last month I thought, f**k it, I'll give them another ago.

Glooooooooo-ri-ous!!!!!!! Hallelujah!!!!

What caused this Lazarus-like return from the dead, I have no idea. Can loose cigars acquire oils from other cigars if left long enough beside them in the humi? Is that even a thing? Who knows?

What I do know is that I'm going to savour the few I have left!

Box code is ORL SEP 12

[PigFish]

1 minute ago, El Presidente said:

Don't buy it in this case 

Scorecard looks like this (Plugs aside). 

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Tooth fairy is a better explanation to 'cigars healing themselves.' I suppose if you found a bad one, they all just went sick again!!! Cigar-pox! -LOL

Regardless the reason, I am glad that they smoke well for you mate! -R

[boopdeep]

I have a 5-pack of the Vegueros Seoane from 2000 that I have smoked 2 from.  Terrible cigars.  The 3 remainders have been ignored in my humidor for years.  Alas, you bring me hope... let's see if I can muster the will to smoke those turds again. 

[LordAnubis]

I bought a box of Mag 46s from Dubai one time... a 2003 box, i bought in 2006 before i really got into cigars. I used to have a normal humidor at that time... maybe that had something to do with it. Anyway first one i smoked was soooo shit! When i got my fridge and started stocking up these things went right at the back. Fast forward to 2015. Going through my humidor and saw the box at the back. After the horrible nightmares of that experience, i decided id take them to work with me for "yard-gars". Lit the first one up and my god it was awesome! That box had both the best and worst cigar of my life in it. Not sure if it was the humidor, the age or my tastes changing or what...

[RDBM]

4 hours ago, LordAnubis said:

I bought a box of Mag 46s from Dubai one time... a 2003 box, i bought in 2006 before i really got into cigars. I used to have a normal humidor at that time... maybe that had something to do with it. Anyway first one i smoked was soooo shit! When i got my fridge and started stocking up these things went right at the back. Fast forward to 2015. Going through my humidor and saw the box at the back. After the horrible nightmares of that experience, i decided id take them to work with me for "yard-gars". Lit the first one up and my god it was awesome! That box had both the best and worst cigar of my life in it. Not sure if it was the humidor, the age or my tastes changing or what...

I had a similar experience with Mag 46 but I put it down to they were young and have benefitted from having a few extra years on them. 

[Stick burner]

I've never had this with CC but I've had 2 different NC that were trashy "give away to friends" that didn't know any better. I sent the remainders to the depths of my humidor and forgot about them and when they were revisited I fell in love with both. Thankfully I have a few of one of them left


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[99call]

5 packs of 2003 De Dieux from Dubai. First time with the De Dieux,  really excited, Massively let down.  Forgotten about for 8yrs then BOOM.  Smoked them pissed as a throw-away, Funny but a big mistake. Massive wonderful dry white oak, butter, sweet honey cedar. I actually remember laughing out loud.  Fabulous.

As Piggy mentioned, it could of just been poor consistency, but it was a big wonderful upturn.

[MrGlass]

I bought a 10 count box of Partagas 8-9-8's to see what the fuss was about and was pretty underwhelmed by the whole experience.  I would try one every year or so, and finally at 5 years it was like someone had turned a switch and they became magnificent.

One day I'll be fast enough with the 24:24 to get a replacement box, but this time I'm not even going to look at them until 5 years in.