How long should you leave cigars to mature?

Most people believe a cigar to be in optimal smoking condition upon purchase and think they don't need to mature any further. This assumes that the manufacturer has allowed the raw tobacco to mature accordingly and also requires an optimal fermentation process. But does this reflect reality?

The comparison to wine suggests that one should consider this question differently. There are wines which are expressly produced for everyday use and are not suitable for long-term storage, i.e. ageing. Rosé wines are probably the best example of this. Then, at the other end of the spectrum are the classically produced Bordeaux wines, which no one in the know would drink immediately after bottling. Every Bordeaux lover knows that a classic Bordeaux must be stored in a cellar for several years and some reach their peak only decades later.

The same applies to most Cuban and other premium cigars. In contrast to wine, however, you do not have to worry about storing cigars for too long. Careful storage of any cigar, even over several years, will not prove harmful.

As with wine, there is no generalising about the amount of time needed to “ripen” cigars, the assessment is subjective. A point of reference could be an experience with a special cigar, the taste of which has once been regarded as ideal. But just like grapes, tobaccos can differ from one harvest to another.

If you want to experiment with ageing cigars, you do not necessarily need a cigar cabinet. The best results, though, are achieved by storing cigars in their original 25 or 50 count box inside a humidor. So, a large-sized table top humidor could come in very handy. Then you can taste the cigars from that box at different intervals, several months apart, until they reach their peak.

Completely independent of the ageing potential of each cigar, cigar experts agree that all premium cigars should be stored in the humidor for at least 6 months after purchase before smoking.

In his classic book "An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Post-Revolution Havana Cigars", the well-known cigar guru, Min Ron Nee, included information about ageing time for most Cuban cigars. Unfortunately, the book has been sold out for many years and when you can find it now, it sells at collectors' prices of well over $1000 (USD). It is, however possible to find his ageing recommendations for free. In the online cigar shop Zigarrenwelt.de, you'll find Min Ron Nee's recommendation for every Cuban cigar in the shop.