We have now crossed into a world where time and patience mean everything. Cigar aging is a technique utilized to develop flavors in premium sticks further. What typically is done, you lower the temperature and slightly raise the humidity for an extended period to bring out smoother flavors. This doesn’t mean you can throw any old stick in and turn it into gold. There are processes and logic that one would have to use before you get started.
1. Use premium tobacco products
2. Stay away from aging Connecticut shades – you can age away the flavors completely.
3. Age the Cigars in the proper humidity per their place of origin. Keep “like” cigars together: i.e., Dominican with Dominican, Nicaraguan with Nicaraguan.
4. Know the proper percentage of humidity, if you smoke your cigars at 65%RH, age them at 69-72%. The percentage may vary depending on your preference for RH.
a. Example: I smoke my cigars between 65-69% RH at 70 Degrees F., but I age them at 72- 75% RH at 65 Degrees F. I age them all in the same humidor but, I keep similar cigars together.
5. Monitor closely via Bluetooth hygrometer, however, physically inspect the cigars every few weeks to ensure there is no mold growing. Also, rotate the cigars every six months, this will mean in position in the humidor along with orientation.
a. Example: If you have cigars on the bottom shelf, switch them from left to right, and rotate 180 degrees. The next rotation moves from the bottom shelf to the top again, rotating 180 degrees.
6. Store in a cool, dark place. This is where a tupperdor in a basement would do great!
This will help with “young” cigars or those who were not fermented entirely. This time will help remove the remaining ammonia content and smooth out the cigar. You can modify these methods to suit the amount of time your cigars will be aged. The process above is for six months or higher.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this series – Coming soon, and we will put out another edition, “From Seed to Cigar.” An extended and in-depth journey through the history of cigars and plant varietals.
As always, “Live the life of the leaf, and there’s never a bad time for a great cigar.”