Many cigar aficionados, like me, buy and age their own cigars. There are cigar purveyors that age premium cigars for you for a price. Not all cigar enthusiasts have the time or the patience to age their cigars several years, I know I don't. I just can't wait....several years. There are "aging room" cigar firms out there, like www.cigar.com/agingroom. When I find a premium cigar on special, I buy a few boxes and here is what I do. The cigar will absorb the favors around it. I place 15 or 20 cigars each in different humidors that I have. In each humidor I put a small cup...just a few ounces. And in these cups I pour Port wine, cognac or hazel-nut liquor. Place them in a dark cool closet... and wait. I cannot wait years....but a month or two and the cigar thanks on the favor of the item in the cup. NOTE: the liquid will mold so check it and clean the cup if needed. But this is about aged cigars vs. aged tobacco.
AGED TOBACCO:
The moment a seed enters the ground the clock starts as the first day. Over the next few years the tobacco will be harvested, cured and fermented before it is ready to be enjoyed. Somewhere after the two to three year mark, a blender may use the tobacco or let it sit depending on what his intentions are. If he decides to let it age, the tobacco is dried and baled. This baled tobacco can sit for any length of time. Some factories have leaves that date back 30 to 40 years. Some tobacco makers have Cuban tobacco that is still aging since before the Cuban Embargo. The longer the tobacco ages the less tannic it becomes. Aged tobacco equals less tannic: this process rounds out the tobacco, making flavors and aromas more smooth and mellow. Thus the older (aged) the tobacco the more refined the taste. So if your favorite cigar has five year old fillers, "assume" the tobacco was planted about five years ago and has been aging an extra two or three years after fermentation.
AGED CIGARS:
The art of cigar aging starts the moment it is rolled. A freshly rolled cigar will move to the bodega where it remains for one to three months. This resting period allows the moisture to be removed and the cigar settles. Using this time frame, most cigars you buy in a retail store are 4 to 6 months old. By letting cigars rest for long periods of time (some up to 25 years) greatly enhances the flavor and this is what all aficionados want: an aged flavorful cigar. To be specific, this aging process is called maturation. This maturation is further classified by the marrying if you will, of different tobacco leaves inside the rolled cigar. As this aging process progresses, the leaves secrete small amounts of oil that blend together and give the cigar its characteristic flavor. Just like the aging of tobacco above, aged cigars are considered to be mellow and smooth. Aging is a careful art and takes a great deal of patience and practice. Depending on what type of tobacco is used, there is that "perfect" window of time where that cigar smokes the best. Aging a cigar can be as little as 3 years to 25 years. The only way to fine the perfect window is to try it out. As your cigars age, smoke one from each box every year to perform a "taste test". In time, you will know if a cigar has aged to its perfect smooth taste with a complex unified flavor.
CENTENNIAL PARK
in YBOR CITY
on 9th Ave. between
18th and 19th Streets
Saturday
NOVEMBER 21, 2009
10am - 5pm
Dana Devine
813-748-4115
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